The holistic approach is often implemented very differently in the municipalities. At the same time, the municipalities experience a number of challenges when working interdisciplinary and across the municipal pillars and administrations.

In collaboration with Oxford Research, we have investigated this issue in a research project. In this project, we mapped the municipalities' experience with holistic initiatives based on interviews with 40 municipal directors during the summer of 2020.

Overall, the survey shows that there is great variation in the way the municipalities practice and understand a holistic approach, and it also shows that there is a great desire for more knowledge in the area that can support the municipalities' work.

There is a particular need for knowledge about the expected results, cost-benefit potentials, and how to design and implement a holistic approach with the highest probability of success.