Assessing the Demand and Conceptualizing a Service Model for Outsourced Guidance and Advisory Services Under the New Integration Act: Designing a Modular Service to Align with Municipal Needs, Budgets and Feasibility

Abstract

The aim of the thesis was to determine if there is demand for the outsourcing of guidance and advisory services in smaller municipalities, to determine the most suitable service concept, and to find a price that considers the municipalities' financial limitations and is profitable for the service provider at the same time. The commissioner of the study was Ponte Oy, founded in 2021, which specializes in immigration and integration services. The data for the thesis study was collected in the form of a survey conducted among municipal decision-makers. The survey consisted of five different sections: basic information, the municipality's current service offering and resources, the municipality's willingness to outsource services and service preferences, the municipality's financial constraints, and free speech. The survey was sent to 73 municipalities, and 35 municipalities responded. With the help of the research data, the conceptualization of a customer-oriented service model was launched. The findings shows that there is clear but limited demand for such services, and the municipalities' needs, resources and service preferences vary significantly. Costs and cost management were considered the biggest challenges of outsourcing. A modular service concept was chosen as the service model, which has a basic service, and optional additional parts can be added to it according to the municipality's needs, budget, and preferences. The justified pricing of the service with the help of this research data proved to be impossible, and it would have required municipality-specific and more detailed surveys. Although the pricing could not be fully defined, the study shows the development potential of the service and provides valuable information about the municipalities' finances and service preferences. The development of justified pricing is an important research topic and a natural next step for future research.