Management of disability policy is unclear

Disability policy aims to create a more equitable society in which all people have equal opportunity to participate. Nine government agencies have been assigned specific sector responsibility to help implement disability policy. This means that they must be unifying, supportive and active within their sectors and follow up their activities in line with the Government’s strategy.

The Swedish National Audit Office’s audit shows that sector responsibility has afforded the government agencies an enhanced mandate, and that they are working to some extent effectively to contribute to the disability policy objective.

At the same time, the government agencies interpret, apply and view their sector responsibility in different ways, and some have made more progress than others in their role. The Swedish National Audit Office’s assessment is that this is partly because the Government’s management has not been sufficiently clear.

The audit also notes that there is a lack of government agencies with sector responsibility related to disability policy in several important sectors of society. These include transport, the judicial system, consumer policy and public procurement.

“Government agencies’ sector responsibility can help entire areas of society progress toward the objective set out by the Government. However, the Government needs to detail its management of sector responsibility,” says Deputy Auditor General Claudia Gardberg Morner.

In 2021, the Government adopted a ten-year strategy for systematic follow-up of disability policy. The strategy marks an ambition to speed up the pace to achieve the objective for disability policy, but it is unclear what is to be achieved and how the government agencies should contribute within their specific sector responsibility.

This stands in contrast to national action plans in Norway, Finland and Iceland that include a variety of specific measures to be implemented to achieve the countries’ disability policy objectives.

The efforts of the government agencies with sector responsibility also need to be improved in several areas.

“The government agencies should decide what sector responsibility means for them and how the role can be developed. They also need to highlight their efforts in follow-ups and reporting to the Government,” says Susanne Eriksson, Project Leader for the audit.