Abstract:

The Norwegian Labour and Welfare Service, Nav in short, is a national service in which the state and the municipalities cooperate to provide a single gateway for public employment services and social welfare (nav.no). With approximately 22 000 employees across Norway, Nav is the backbone of the Norwegian welfare state.

Nav is responsible for over one third of the Norwegian state budget and manages more than 60 different financial support schemes, including unemployment benefits, pensions, sickness benefits, and social assistance (regjeringen.no). To deliver these services correctly and fairly, employees must continuously interpret regulations, adapt to new policies and handle varied client situations. Organizational learning is thus a crucial factor to ensure that staff collectively develop shared understanding and high quality practice.

This paper presents findings from the project Systematic Organizational Learning in Nav (SON), conducted through action research in collaboration with two Nav offices in Inland, Norway. Building on a prior pilot study on the transition from individual to organisational learning, the project explored how structured processes, leadership engagement, and collaborative learning arenas can support the development of organisational learning in practice. The two offices—one focusing on job inclusion and the other on administrative law—provided contrasting cases that reveal both shared and context specific learning dynamics.

Across both sites, leadership commitment, systematic structures and cross team learning arenas emerged as essential enablers for transforming individual insights into collective competence. Conversely, time pressure, workload, siloed work patterns, and inconsistent sharing practices hindered learning efforts. The project also found that dialogic methods and interdisciplinary group processes strengthened psychological safety and enhanced reflective practice. While long term organisational change could not be conclusively documented within the project period, the findings show early signs of emerging shared practices, increased coherence in professional reasoning, and improved cross team collaboration. The paper concludes with implications for public-sector learning initiatives and recommends embedding structured reflection, leadership involvement, and sustained learning arenas to support lasting organisational learning in Nav.

Keywords:

Organizational Learning, collaborative learning, leadership engagement.