Navigating Data in the Public Sector: hybrid Professionalism and Sensemaking in Danish Municipalities

This study explores the hybrid sensemaking of data among professionals engaged in data-driven cooperationacross municipalities in Denmark. In the context of digital transformation, the use of data has become integralto decision-making processes in the public sector, raising concerns about biases, privacy, and ethical dilemmas.This research focuses on the backstage setting, examining how professionals navigate the interplay of technology,human agency, and welfare state principles. Drawing on Harrits’s (2016) framework of sensemaking, the studyhighlights how professionals blend formal knowledge with personal, relational, and emotion-based logics in theirwork. The analysis identifies three key themes: identities, roles, and practices. Professionals act as “creative dataliterates”, “knowledge brokers”, and “translators”, bridging the gap between data and practical knowledge. Thefindings underscore the importance of ethical considerations and the need for a nuanced understanding of data’srole in public service. This study provides a framework to conceptualize how professionals assess and makesense of data, offering insights into the evolving nature of professional discretion in a digitized public sector.The implications of this research are particularly relevant for understanding the future of public-sector work inincreasingly data-driven environments in the Nordic countries