People, systems and code

From cybernetics to social work

My interests have always ranged from mathematics, physics and computers to psychology, people and society. I started in cybernetics and robotics at NTNU, with courses in programming, circuit theory and mathematics. Over time I realised I wanted to work with people, spent a year on the professional programme in psychology, and finally found my place in social work.

Programming came along the whole way as a hobby. In autumn 2024 I took 30 ECTS of the bachelor’s programme in IT engineering at UiT, alongside a full-time job, to give my technical skills a formal footing.

Code for an easier working day

At work it started with Excel, VBA and small scripts that made the day easier for me and my colleagues. From there came web apps, a browser extension for the case management system we use every day, and a platform of my own for participant follow-up.

I have also done a lot of data processing, especially when new case management systems were introduced and data had to be converted and consolidated. Because I know the organisation and its data, I can tailor the solutions to get the best result.

I like to lift the lid

I want to know how things work, whether it is a mechanical gadget, an electronic circuit or a computer system. I use that knowledge to repair, automate and connect things in ways they were not designed for. The Homely integration is an example: the API was poorly documented, so I mapped how it actually behaves and published the documentation, so others do not have to guess.

I follow a few fixed rules when I do it:

• Only my own data and my own access. I never get around access control.
• I automate what a user would otherwise do by hand, through the app’s own mechanisms.
• A careful pace, with respect for rate limits and other people’s infrastructure.
• At work, it is agreed with the organisation first.

Technology that fits people

Many people feel they have to adapt to new technology. I would rather adapt the technology to the people who will use it. A tool should make the day easier and protect the quality of the work, not become a burden that creates extra work.

Psychology, social work and years of guidance have taught me to listen, to see what different groups need and to understand what lies behind it. At work I collaborate with participants, employers, NAV and professionals who have different requirements, expectations and motivations. The goal is always a solution everyone can rally around, and that everyone gets something out of.

I am also used to working with people who are not technical, and know what an ordinary user finds hard. That shapes how I design tools and how I explain them. The same skill is just as useful in projects that have nothing to do with social work: good technology needs someone who understands the needs and the situation of the people who will use it.

I am at my best in phases that call for assessment, evaluation and problem solving. That holds when I meet a participant, and it holds when I meet a system or a work process that needs to be understood, systematised and improved.

At the moment I am also interim professional lead in the AFT team, alongside my job as a job consultant. There I work on professional development, quality assurance and peer guidance, meetings with NAV as the commissioning body, and the solution description for a new requirements specification.

In the organisation I am often brought into development projects and technical questions: new solutions, IT systems, equipment, infrastructure and vendors. The value lies in combining technical skills with knowledge of the organisation and the needs of the staff. When I am involved early, the requirements for vendors are more accurate, the choices better and the changes easier to adopt.

Looking ahead

I want to work more with service development. There I get to use everything I know at once: the technical and system-oriented, and what I know about people from psychology and social work. The aim is better services for people who are on the outside, and who need help finding their way into work and society.

Eventually I want to take a master’s degree in service development and organisation, alongside my job.