Project description
Exploring digital welfare surveillance in Slovenia
Social welfare policy incorporates automated data collection and algorithmic decision-making tools to identify individuals in need of social support. However, these welfare surveillance tools might inadvertently curtail the discretionary powers of practitioners and introduce concealed biases into assessment processes. With this in mind, the EU-funded SURVEILWEL project will employ qualitative, multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork to scrutinise the realm of digital welfare surveillance within Slovenian institutions. The overarching goal is to provide insights to policymakers, practitioners and citizens regarding both the advantages and disadvantages of these tools. The project explores how digital welfare surveillance tools impact welfare eligibility assessments and the investigation of suspected fraudulent activities. Moreover, its objective encompasses the development of efficient interventions for social and material welfare.
Objective
Automated data collection and algorithmic decision-making tools are increasingly integrated in social welfare policy, where they are primarily used to determine which citizens are deemed eligible for social support, which could be excluded, and which might be accused of fraud. Despite being overtly presented as a benign technical advancement, such welfare surveillance tools play a role in reshaping the structure of the social safety net. They can support the work processes of welfare institutions with improved efficiency, but can also reduce the human discretion of practitioners, integrate hidden biases into evaluation procedures, or cast a net of perpetual suspicion on citizens claiming a right to social assistance in their time of need.
The SURVEILWEL project draws on a qualitative, multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork within welfare institutions in Slovenia, where the automation of welfare eligibility assessments and fraud detection is both prevalent and technologically advanced, to shed a light on these previously unexplored technologies and practices. This project aims to map the work processes, institutions, and data streams involved in welfare eligibility tests and investigations of suspected fraud; to critically examine the unintended and differentiated consequences arising with the introduction of digital and automated welfare surveillance tools; and to evaluate how can digital welfare surveillance tools be reformed to produce better social and material welfare interventions. By producing tangible, applied knowledge on digital welfare surveillance, this project seeks to inform Slovenian and European welfare practitioners, policymakers and citizens on the merits and pitfalls of digital welfare surveillance, as they grapple with questions on the design, structure, inclusiveness and accountability of the future welfare state.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.4.1 - Widening participation and spreading excellence
MAIN PROGRAMME
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HORIZON.4.1.5 - Fostering brain circulation of researchers and excellence initiatives
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-TALENTS-04
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.