The 2025 Enforcement Strategy had to combine tailored approaches with consistency, and distinguish an honest mistake from deliberate fraud. Two groups see that very differently: the professionals who enforce the rules, and the citizens who are affected by them.
The challenge
How do you involve two groups with clashing interests in a way that takes both seriously, without one drowning out the other?
The approach
Two separate one-hour online dialogues. One brought together staff from municipalities, UWV and the SVB; the other a representative group of citizens. In both sessions, anonymity made rank and job title invisible, so that everyone's message carried equal weight.
The outcome
Within a single day, nuanced insights from both worlds were on the table, showing clearly where opinions aligned and where they didn't. Notably, 60% of participating citizens said they had more trust in government after the session.
