The unhappy marriage of standardization and activation policy: Welfare bureaucracy and service professionalism in delivering digital social assistance in Finland

This article explores the intricate relationship between standardization and activation within the framework of digital welfare provision. It highlights the critical connection between benefits and services in the activation process and the challenges posed by the misalignment of their administrative logics against the backdrop of digitalizing active social policy. The findings from the Finnish Social Barometer surveys (2018 and 2019) illustrates how the bureaucratic and professional logics, intrinsic to the street-level implementation and management of integrated activation, respond differently to standardization efforts. The findings shed light on conflicting views between street-level professionals and the management involved in the provision of social assistance, highlighting how these differences impede efforts to activate the most vulnerable members of society. The article contributes to understanding the mechanisms through which standardization impacts the delivery of welfare and activation services, with particular focus on vulnerable groups that require both types of support in the context of digital welfare states.