Presentation, Druskininkai 4 September, by Vivi Krogh Rasmussen

1. Effect ExaminationsRigsrevisionen’s Report on the Effect of the Effort Directed Towards Newly Arrived Immigrants Presentation, Druskininkai 4 September, by Vivi Krogh Rasmussen

2. Agenda • Background for Rigsrevisionen’s focus on effect. • The immigration process in Denmark. • Subject of examination. • Summary of results. • Challenges and experiences.

3. Background • Why focus on effect? • Peer review. • Generally increased focus on effect: requirement for focus on ”whether the effort works” rather than on compliance with regulations. • Purpose of pilot project? • Gain experience within effect examinations and build up competence. • Clarification of what Rigsrevisionen requires from the ministries in this area. • Develop a manual on effect examinations in cooperation with AKF.

4. The immigration process in Denmark • The Ministry of Refugees, Immigrants and Integration has the overall responsibility for the immigration initiatives – legislation, tools, activities. • The local councils are in charge of the daily effort directed towards newly arrived immigrants (government refunds, subsidies) – and they set up/enter the immigrant integration contracts with the immigrants. • The activities directed towards immigrants originate in the Integration Act which stipulates three key objectives for the immigration process: • Participation • Values and Norms • Self-support

5. Evaluation of the immigrant’s qualifications and competences. Setting concrete objectives. Relevant labour market oriented activities. Tuition in Danish. Understanding values and norms. Relevant employment or education. Introduction programme

6. What is the result of the examination? • The examination was meant to answer two questions: • Are newly arrived immigrants employed after completion of the introductory programme? • Does the Ministry follow-up on the fulfilment of the key objectives of the Integration Act? √ /÷ Fifty-fifty employment √ Self-support ÷ Values and Norms ÷ Participation

7. 51 % Regular employment (Step 4) 5 % 5 % Employment with subsidies (Step 3) 10 % 10 % Trainee (Step 2) 6 % 6 % Councilling (Step 1) 50 % 28 % No work related activities What is the result of the introduction programme?

8. Summary of results • Half of the newly arrived immigrants, who completed the introduction programme in 2003 - 2006, are employed in ordinary jobs. • Most frequently employed are: males, young persons and immigrants who have been reunified with families that are not refugees. • The Ministry follows up on the objective of Self-support, but not on the objectives of Participation, and Values and Norms. Efforts are being made to make these objectives concrete – but progress is slow. • The Ministry should encourage the local councils to uncover and evaluate the immigrants’ competences. • The Ministry should turn to account the results of benchmarking analyses.

9. Challenges and experiences • Compared to Rigsrevisionen’s examination • Quality of data is vital – data are often outdated or have not been collected systematically. • Rigsrevisionen had to conduct its own data collection – from the local councils and the Danish tax authorities’ tax assessment system. • Difficult to evaluate the result of our effect examination, because the Ministry had not set targets for the rate of employment. • General comments • External assistance may improve the quality of effect examinations – in particular if consultants are acting as sounding board. Time consuming. • Quality and topicality of data – ownership of data (e.g. Denmark’s Statistics)