Using fidelity assessments in social work within a Danish labour market context

Background: Fidelity assessments in social work within active labour market programs have gained
increasing attention when implementing evidence-based employment programs (Bakkeli et al., 2020). This
paper presents insights from applying fidelity assessments within a Danish intervention study, implementing
a modified Individual Placement and Support (IPS) program targeting unemployed youth with less severe
mental health problems (SE-Youth).
Methods: The SE-Youth program is implemented in three municipal job centres during a five-year period
(2019-2023). A fidelity assessment is carried out annually, based on a modified IPS fidelity scale measuring
the level of program implementation within three categories: staffing, organisation, and services (Swanson
& Becker, 2015). Our presentation is based on results from these fidelity assessments combined with a
longitudinal qualitative study of repeated interviews with three SE supervisors and four middle managers.
Findings: We demonstrate how SE supervisors and middle managers simultaneously perceive fidelity
assessments as both a control mechanism and a tool for learning. Further, the fidelity assessments help
legitimise the SE-Youth program within an organisation dominated by more traditional active labour market
programs. Finally, fidelity assessment acts as a tool to stabilise the organisational set-up in a job centre
context, otherwise facing continuous changes due to shifts in employment policy, financial resources, and
local priorities.
Discussion: Findings are discussed based on existing research on the implementation of IPS and the use of
fidelity assessments (Bakkeli, 2022; Bakkeli et al., 2020; Bonfils, 2021; Drake et al., 2012) and evaluation
theory (Vedung, 1997).