OpenEmbassy: data-driven migration advocacy

Despite the fact that migration is a consistent historical and global phenomenon, local governments frequently fail to effectively evaluate policies. There is no standard approach for local governments to assess the impact and effects of their policies, which leads to misinformation, the inability to learn from each other, and a lack of cooperative working—all of which are crucial in the field of migration and integration. In this field, we find that many local governments and civil society organizations often fail to engage with groups of newcomers to evaluate the outcomes of their migration and integration policies. This consequently results in policies that are not evidence-based and do not reflect the actual needs and challenges newcomers face. There is a significant disconnect between integration policies and their practical effects (Entzinger, 2014). In Europe, notably in the Netherlands, as OpenEmbassy, we have encountered this at different governmental and non-governmental levels and have seen the negative impact of this gap between policy and reality on countless lives. For example in asylum reception centers where newcomers are kept away from economic and social activities, which plunges people in despair and even trauma. Another example in which the impact of this gap is starkly visible, is when examining the labor market integration of newcomers in EU countries. Statistics in the Netherlands reveal that there are numerous problem fields in the post-migration process, indicating the severity of the situation. For example, only 42% of 18-65 y/o refugees have a job, 5 years after they received a residence permit (Bureau of Statistics, 2022). For a big part this can be traced back to the fact that there are legally implaced barriers for asylum seekers to work, because of political fears of work being a pull factor, which has never been proved (Marbach, 2018). These policy actions, not grounded in evidence, result in poor outcomes like low workforce participation rates among newcomers. This occasionally results in newcomers being pushed into social services rather than being integrated into the workforce. The most important problem areas in this regard stem from the lack of evidence-based measurement and evaluation of the impact of these policies (Orr, 2018). Policies frequently fail to reflect actual realities because the people who are directly affected by them are rarely involved in their formulation, and there are often no proper instruments to assess their outcomes and effects using scientific data. 

Furthermore, the number of migrants and refugees arriving in Europe is growing, stressing the need for effective integration strategies and evidence-based evaluation models. Europe is the continent with the highest number of refugees as a percentage of the total population, with 6.3 million people who have applied for asylum since 2016 and the reception of 10 million displaced Ukrainians. It’s a huge number: the current reason for a very heated political debate and the rise of far right political parties and governments. Threatening our democracies. Unfortunately, the majority of current EU integration policy is influenced by this political climate rather than evidence-based methods. 

We have developed an evidence based (Ager & Strang, 2008) monitoring and evaluation tool for measuring the effectiveness of migration and integration policies and interventions. This enables governments and NGO’s to measure their impact, and adjust their policies and solutions based on evidence based data, bridging the gap between integration and migration policies and the perspective of newcomers. Besides this, we use the data that is gathered in the tool for advocating fitting evidence based integration and migration policies on the national and European level. With the tool we aim to set a recognized standard for measuring the impact of integration and migration policies and solutions. First for Europe, but we aim at scaling globally. 

Our M&E tool is based on the UK-model of the Indicators of Integration (Strang et al. 2019). This model has been developed by scientists and newcomers themselves, and produced 14 indicators that are important for integration such as work, education, housing, healthcare, social connections and safety. Behind the model are a few underlying principles: the process is multi-dimensional (it’s holistic), multidirectional (it involves everyone), shared responsibility (of institutions, cso and citizens themselves) and it is time and place specific. OpenEmbassy has worked closely with the founders of the model, to contextualize it in The Netherlands and to use the model as a monitoring and evaluation framework for local and national governments and cso’s. Existing policies and ToC’s from organizations we work with (both government and cso’s) are fed into our model, resulting in a tailor made set of indicators that enable the organizations to measure their impact. In order to gather the data, the indicators are translated to culturally sensitive surveys so newcomers are enabled to review current policies. Next to this we use ‘expertpools’, a renowned method developed by OpenEmbassy, in which newcomers, the ‘experts’ are trained to evaluate policies through focus groups and advise local governments or cso’s. The data used in the tool thus primarily comes from newcomers who share their experiences, creating agency and the possibility of democratic civic participation. Something that is until now very uncommon in Europe. By focusing on community-specific data and including immigrants in policy creation and evaluation, our solution results in more inclusive and effective integration and migration policies. We have noticed that surveying newcomers is not an easy job, because of the diversity of the group and the differences in literacy. Together with newcomers, we have designed cultural and language inclusive surveys that can be answered through several platforms, like Whatsapp. For people who are not able to read or write, we collect data through audio clips and voice messages. 

Lastly we have experienced that civic organizations and governments are eager to share experience and learn from each other. We enable this now by connecting them and organizing learning sessions in which local governments and cso’s are able to learn with and from each other, bridging the gap between policies and reality and positively impacting the effects policies have on newcomers.

We serve newcomers, civic organizations, municipalities and the citizens living in their cities. If newcomers are able to integrate into their new communities, everyone in the community will benefit. 

We serve newcomers in (at least) two ways: we enable agency and civic participation from newcomers  in reviewing and shaping integration policies and solutions. Newcomers who participate in monitoring and evaluation activities, report back to us that they feel heard and seen, that it’s often the first time that they felt taken seriously. The mental burden of feeling invisible is huge, and we’re ashamed to write that newcomers in Europe often feel unhappy because of lack of respect or possibilities. Next to this, we see that people benefit directly from changed policies, for instance when a local government invests in informal language services or access to health care professionals. These are real examples of our work. 

This is much needed, because newcomers in Europe have little opportunity for civic participation, while their lives are very much influenced by the policies and solutions that are designed for them and not with them. 

Local governments and civic organizations benefit from our work because they can be held accountable for their actions based on the data; they can use the data to better manage preferred outcomes; they can use the data to compare their results to other organizations and to work together with other organizations; and they can use the data for advocacy. If Amsterdam has trouble ensuring culturally sensitive psychological support structures, and Rotterdam is scoring better, it opens up a conversation to learn from each other. 

Moreover, the stability of our societies is at stake. If we can work towards evidence based integration policies and interventions, we work towards a situation in which newcomers can thrive. This is what they want, and what they are able to. Host communities need the living prove of newcomers that enrich their societies, no longer being put on hold, discriminated against and silenced. Migration has been part of the European continent forever (De Haas, 2023) and we want to ensure that our cities are able to grow and foster this. People with a refugee background never wanted to leave their home countries in the first place, let us make sure that they can feel at home and contribute to our societies. 

The idea of OpenEmbassy was born in 2015 during the Syrian refugee influx in Europe. It started out as a helpdesk to connect newcomers to host communities to get answers to their questions, get support and to make new connections. From thereon we have grown into a renowned research and advocacy agency that supports national and local government, cso’s, employers etc. to build evidence based policies and solutions based on the experiences of newcomers. 

We have a strong governmental network, and are actively present in or founders of networks of civil society organizations. Our Platform Newcomers and Work ensures our connection to the labour market. We have effectively established a diverse and large community of newcomers, i.a. refugees, family migrants, Ukrainian displaced persons, undocumented migrants and labour migrants. Someone in our network described us as the glue between different actors. With our approach, we achieve three key outcomes: 

• We have reached almost 150.000 newcomers through our programs and products

• We have had direct impact on the lives of 38,257 newcomers

In 79 cities we have improved implementation of integration and changed just under 400 policies to solidify better practice. We have established an ecosystem that generates concrete results, informs policy, and drives meaningful change in the integration landscape, leading the way in creating positive and lasting impact for newcomers in the Netherlands and beyond. We are positioned to set the standard for building evidence based policies on integration. 

This is only possible by having a diverse team. Out of the 17 people in the core team, 7 people have lived refugee experience, and 3 people have lived migration experience themselves or in their direct family. Their lived experience is indispensable for our work. They are very well connected to a large network of newcomers in Europe and beyond; people coming from Syria, Eritrea, Turkey, Yemen, Ukraine, etc. 

We can furthermore build upon the wide range of expertise in the team. In order to work for government and civic society with a technical and research based solution, we need a broad set of skills. People at OpenEmbassy have set up organizations, acquired a PhD in post-migration studies, worked as data scientist, worked for a broad range of governments, have advocacy experience, built apps and websites, and so on. We are convinced that we have what it takes to scale our solution. 

Thanks to our international network, amongst others because our founder is a Draper Richard Kaplan fellow, we have great access to possibilities in European countries. One of our staff members currently lives in London, building out our UK proposition. Our founder is setting up a research project with an academic team in Scotland. Our helpdesk is connected to the Welcome App that originates in Sweden and Denmark. Our board member Zarlasht Halamzai is the founder of Amna, and as a Elevate Prize winner and Obama Fellow, she has a global reach.

Lastly, we will set up a board of newcomers, to critically assess the development of our M&E tool. 

We have launched our M&E method in the fourth largest city of the Netherlands: Utrecht. They host 2% of all newcomers in the Netherlands. We have successfully built a M&E framework with them, and the first large scale survey under newcomers has been conducted. After that we have successfully repeated this process with 3 other municipalities. Moreover, before summer we will have supported 6 cso’s with a M&E framework and data collection in the Netherlands, and 2 in the UK. 

Moreover we are currently piloting our survey system in Amsterdam, the Dutch capital that hosts 5.7% of all newcomers in NL. This system has been designed with the input of newcomers and consists of culturally sensitive audio/text based questions which are sent out over time by existing messenger platforms such as whatsapp and telegram.  

Our focus group methodology known as the ``expertpool`` has been tested and improved for years and applied in various Dutch municipalities, such as Amsterdam, Almere, Rotterdam, Gooise Meren, Enschede, Utrecht and many more. This approach has enabled over 350 newcomers to share their experience and stories. Their excellent findings immediately benefit local and national l integration practices.

We have made a roadmap to combine these methods into a tech tool that would enable us to scale. Based on the results of our pilot solution we aim to automatize important parts of the process, in order to speed up our process, minimize costs and maximize impact. This would be based on the mostly used indicators of the model. This would enable us to scale and set a standard in Europe. By identifying the most important indicators, we ensure that organizations and local governments can learn from each other as they are actually focusing on the same indicators. Out of this standard we can implement the dashboard in other countries as well, both on a European level as well as globally, where we partner up with local organizations to ensure the tool is contextualized and corresponds with local reality.

Our solution combines a robust database and analytic tools alongside methods for gathering data through surveys and focus groups, necessitating a multi-step development process to set a new standard in the field. Currently we are setting a standard for monitoring and evaluating integration policies. Eventually we want to become a global benchmark, and we start by creating this in Europe. Winning the award would help us accelerate the development of an advanced platform that allows local governments and CSOs to create tailored frameworks and conduct evidence-based surveys with expert pools. We intend to improve this tool by incorporating a wide range of data from local, national, and international sources, such as statistical offices.   Although funding is of course very welcome, it’s specifically the access to the network and expertise of the community that we apply. Both for the cutting edge technical expertise, and the global network that will help us to set a global standard. Migration and integration is a global issue, and partnering with other initiatives to advocate for a more just and equitable migration and integration system is crucial. We would love to learn from other participants and partners in how to build out our system change efforts.

Once the basic platform is established, it will require advanced technological infrastructure and expertise to process and analyze large-scale data effectively. This setup will protect the privacy and security  of sensitive personal information which is crucial given the nature of the data involved. This would be a significant technical challenge that we can use support with. Addressing this challenge effectively would require advice on issues such as software development, data security standards and potentially even  hardware upgrades to manage the sensitivity of data. Also, continual testing and ensuring legal compliance are critical steps in the development and maintenance of our platform. 

We use the M&E Tool to conduct collaborative learning sessions between CSOs and local governments,  tackling integration challenges effectively. Our goal is to further enhance this by developing an online learning and community environment into our application, which will require substantial technological support to ensure reliable functionality and user engagement. This expansion aims to create a more dynamic, interactive platform that supports continuous solution-sharing among the stakeholders. As additional actors contribute data to our platform, we acquire vital insights into dynamics of the integration process. Such a rich dataset enables us to examine trends, identify gaps, and assess the efficacy of existing regulations. The next stage in assisting integration actors would be to use this data to generate targeted, evidence-based recommendations for policy enhancements and practical initiatives.

We recognize that integration occurs primarily at the local level, which allows us to spread our platform to other European towns and ensure that newcomers' viewpoints are considered in decision-making across Europe. Our strategy is collaborating with local entities to combine our innovative tools with their networks and area knowledge. Joining the community would boost our potential to widen our European network.

Until now, there is no standard practice for evaluating integration policies and solutions. We will set this standard in order to hold governments and cso’s accountable, based on the experiences of newcomers. Creating space for agency and civic engagement.

The tool encourages increased interactions between local government and cso’s, a critical partnership that is scarce in the context we operate. We are developing an instrument to facilitate these interactions on a wide scale, with a focus not just on traditional metrics such as language proficiency but also on newcomers' comfort in using the language in everyday contexts—an area that existing instruments and methods have missed.

Our innovative method is built around a bidirectional strategy that actively engages both the host community and newcomers. This paradigm is based on the assumption that effective integration necessitates active engagement from both parties, implying that integration is a collaborative, two-way process. The integration model is bidirectional. Our solution promotes a holistic and inclusive approach to integration, which is critical for establishing cohesive and resilient communities. This bidirectional interaction is one of our model's main pillars, ensuring that both sets of demands and contributions are recognized when developing and implementing integration policies, something that is often forgotten in the field of migration and integration. 

A further innovative aspect of our solution is its emphasis on civil society organizations. Our platform allows nonprofit organizations to act more collaboratively by offering extensive insights into the numerous life areas in which they operate. It outlines the regions in which CSOs are operating, allowing for more effective campaigning and the identification of service gaps. This element of our system improves CSOs' collaboration capabilities, allowing them to address the different and complicated needs of newcomers thoroughly. Furthermore, it assists CSOs in identifying overlaps and complementarities, allowing for a more cohesive approach to service delivery and advocacy. Finally it increases the opportunities for (refugee-led) CSO organizations to collaborate with local government bodies, as both parties use the same monitoring instrument which can be a starter for further collaboration.

Moreover, to ensure relevance and effectiveness, our solution includes a Real-Time Data Collection system, which is currently in development and gathers real-time data from immigrants and host community members. This direct input allows for rapid adjustments to integration plans, making the decision-making process dynamic and flexible to the changing problems of migrant integration.

Our framework is scalable and can be customized and copied across many European locales. This broad applicability assists to the overall reform of integration efforts across the continent. We hope that by proving success in multiple circumstances, we might motivate other regions to use similar strategies, potentially driving a global change toward more inclusive and effective integration policies.

Finally, our approach sets a new standard for integration policy via a scalable platform that increases stakeholder communication and collaboration, improves the integration process at the local and EU levels, and engages all parties in influencing outcomes. 

Our suggested solution takes a systematic approach to improving the integration process of newcomers by enabling key stakeholders in the field to easily gather and evaluate data about and with newcomers. This occurs through three primary activities: allowing data collection by integration actors, collecting and uploading data regarding newcomer integration into a dedicated tool, and facilitating data comparison across multiple stakeholders using the platform. These activities serve as the basis for our intervention, which aims to change how integration is addressed and practiced.

Our actions primarily strengthen civic involvement among newcomers by including them directly in the data collection and decision-making processes, transforming them from passive recipients of integration programs to active participants (Immediate Output-1). This involvement guarantees that their experiences and perspectives are important in influencing relevant policies and practices (Immediate Output-2). Simultaneously, the widespread availability and use of this data by various stakeholders in the integration area triggers a fundamental transformation in both understanding and practices  (Immediate Output-3). Actors are supplied with data-driven insights, allowing them to adapt their tactics based on real-world experiences rather than assumptions  (Immediate Output-4). Furthermore, our platform provides an extensive overview of the national integration scene by collecting data from multiple regions and highlighting trends, hurdles, and triumphs  (Immediate Output-5). This rich dataset serves as a foundation for informed policy developments, advocacy efforts, and fosters a collaborative environment for mutual learning among all stakeholders involved.

Newcomers' active participation in the integration process considerably increases their sense of inclusion and belonging, resulting in a ripple effect in which they feel valued and are more likely to successfully contribute in their communities, thus strengthening social cohesiveness (Outcome-1). This sentiment is supported by changes at the local level, where authorities and stakeholders, armed with reliable data and insights, can design and implement policies that directly meet the specific needs of newcomers, transforming integration from a mere policy goal into a tangible reality (Outcome-2). Furthermore, at the national level, the platform's insights accelerate broader policy improvements and enable the replication of successful local methods, increasing the overall effectiveness of integration programs across the country (Outcome-3). This holistic approach not only meets immediate needs but also sets a sustainable model for ongoing improvement and adaptation in integration efforts nationwide (Outcome-4).

The ultimate impact of these activities, outputs, and outcomes is a society in which newcomers can achieve their full potential, contributing to a stronger, more just, and inclusive society. Third-party research on the benefits of data-driven policymaking, findings from impact evaluations of comparable programs, and direct feedback from people participating in data collection processes all contribute to the strength of these connections. By taking this approach, we not only address newcomers' immediate necessities, but also help to achieve the long-term objective of establishing more flexible and responsive integration systems that benefit both immigrants and host societies.

The instrument's capacity to collect and analyze data in order to inform policymakers, increase civic participation, and encourage constructive dialogues among varied community groups is critical to attaining these goals.

The principal aims of Openembassy are to adopt evidence-based policies, promote civic participation of newcomers, stimulate inclusive dialogue, and maintain long-term monitoring of integration indicators. These goals will be thoroughly tracked using exact data. 

To ensure these goals are realized, Open Embassy has developed and is growing networks of CSOs and relationships with local governments, creating a suitable climate for sharing and implementing policy changes. This paradigm not only supports continuous improvement in integration practices but also provides a comprehensive picture of the integration landscape at local, national, and European levels. By aligning impact goals with rigorous measurement and assessment strategies, Open Embassy offers a systematic and adaptive approach to strengthening newcomer integration, ensuring policies and community interactions are both effective and inclusive.

For our solution we have the following impact goals:

1. Policy changes and actions regarding newcomers are evidence based using the OpenEmbassy monitoring tool.

2. Newcomers are included in local civic participation by CSOs and local governments through the OpenEmbassy monitoring tool and corresponding data collection methods.

3. OpenEmbassy monitoring tool promotes dialogue between host communities and newcomer communities based on gathered evidence concerning integration swift and effective integration in society.

4. The monitoring tool provides a learning environment in which CSO’s and local governments can learn with and from each other 

5. Progress on all indicators of the indicator model is recorded over a longer period of time (a few years).

We can measure our progress in the following way

1. Setting up communities of cso’s (already in place) and local governments (in the making) in which it’s beneficial to share policy changes and actions that follow out of monitoring results. We are in the process to design a structure where this is rewarding for actors involved and gives sufficient input for OpenEmbassy to measure this impact. These can be measured by indicators such as: % of cso’s/local government bodies reporting policy change or action following monitoring results.

2. Through our measuring tools: both surveys and expertpools we can gather both quantitative and qualitative whether newcomers feel included in civic participation and what needs to be altered in our solution to increase this.These can be measured by indicators such as: % of newcomers reporting feeling their experience matter for cso/local government body concerned.

3. This can be measured by following how many dialogues between these groups are set up by participating stakeholders. To measure the effect, short surveys can be used in these dialogues, resulting in i.a: % of persons within host/newcomer communities reporting changed attitude towards others.

4. The learning environment will be evaluated by the users, this can be measured by the indicator: % of users of the learning environment that report the environment to be helpful 

5. This progress can be measured in our tool directly by gathering monitoring data over time and comparing the results both local, national and on European level.

Our tool includes an interactive dashboard that allows CSOs and local governments to build and administer monitoring frameworks by uploading policy frameworks or ToC. Moreover, our tool generates accurate indicators based on user input to efficiently measure policy impacts. It provides a culturally sensitive survey instrument for gathering respectful and reliable data from varied communities.The dashboard seamlessly integrates and uploads monitoring outcomes with existing data, delivering stakeholders a clear, analyzed data overview for making intelligent choices. The dashboard visualizes data at the local, national, and European levels, supporting peer learning and collaboration. More than just data storage, it acts as a center for stakeholders to connect and discuss certain issues, thereby improving collective insights and actions.

The dashboard entails a tool for actors to create a monitoring framework based on their ToC or policy framework. This requires a data collection engine that is able to connect the inputs to the right indicators. Moreover, technology should enable actors to add modifications that are specific for their working environment as well, the tool thus must be standardized, but leave room for input when wished for. Because the dashboard includes a data collecting engine, it allows for fast and efficient data uploads. To ensure compatibility with existing data collecting methods, we are integrating APIs that enable seamless integrations, increasing the dashboard's utility and accessibility for all users.

Based on the framework, actors can start data collection. On the basis of the topics the tool is able to generate surveys. These surveys can easily be sent out to numerous beneficiaries in an inclusive and language sensitive way, which we are currently piloting manually. This means survey questions are available in different languages, both text and audio with a possibility to send through numerous messaging services. Responses should be automatically recorded and stored in a database for a local government or ngo to collect responses anonymously and in real time. The dashboard thus needs to be user friendly and data should be presented accessible and clear. 

Moreover, to collect more in depth data, the tool can generate programs for focus groups based on the preferred topics or survey results. Participants could be recruited through the survey tool by sending invitations via messaging services.

Behind all these features should be availability to connect with OpenEmbassy experts to go through collected data for analysis as well as modifying focus group programmes. Moreover from time to time OpenEmbassy would train professionals to use the tool, ensuring capacity building in the field.

The M&E team consists of 1 team lead (36 hours p/w), 3 full-time staff members (36 hours p/w) and 1 part-time staff member (20 hours p/w). Our teamlead oversees the overall strategy together with one of the staff. The staff is currently working on our projects in which we undergo the M&E process for local government actors and cso’s. Our part time staff member is liaison officer in the UK and is currently locating partnerships. For several projects we also rely on other team members, to set up and host the expertpools. In total OpenEmbassy consists of 17 staff members.

Since our inception we have used the indicators of integration model for data analysis, which lies at the core of our solution. In 2023 we have started to use the model to set up monitoring frameworks for local government actors and cso’s which led to the direction towards a monitoring standard in The Netherlands and Europe which includes the perspective of newcomers. 

OpenEmbassy is built on the foundations of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our core team is diverse and inclusive as we described above. Without the expertise and lived experience of our team members we could not build an effective tool. The experience and agency of newcomers lies at the heart of our solution. It’s their stories that are transformed into data that will enable better integration policies and thus more access to livelihood. We built inclusive data collection methods that enable newcomers to share their knowledge with agencies. We feed back our results to the communities, so they understand how valuable their contribution is. 

The value proposition of OpenEmbassy is to help newcomers to integrate faster and provide them with a pathway to leverage their knowledge and skills in society by which they develop the means to build a sustainable and independant life. We achieve this by building inclusive communities of newcomers and residents, develop and disseminate knowledge around best practices which we share with central and local government agencies. Our success is measurable by the number of people that we have been able to support and the systemic impact that we have on integration policy. We use advocacy, media exposure, debating forums, etc. to influence the awareness and thinking around the value of successful integration and the way to achieve this goal.  With a highly dedicated, culturally diverse and well educated team we are able to set the example for effective community building. Our alumni, clients and partners are actively integrated in our network of supporters dedicated to our joint mission.  Our key products are Monitoring & Evaluation, Learning Solutions & Individual Support. The product mix is unique to the market and provides customers with flexible solutions for their needs. Our revenue streams come from long term contracts and philanthropy. We aim to work towards a license model for our M&E tool, ensuring a revenue stream. We will grow our impact by scaling internationally.

With a mix of financial sources of income we become financially sustainable. The current sources consist of government contracts, donations and grants. In addition we aim to build a knowledge base that will be the basis for selling data services to clients. For our M&E product, we have been able to be profitable from the beginning. Governments are our clients, and they pay for the full service of M&E. Philanthropy has enabled us to grow faster by financing our research and development. 

Among our supporting partners & donors we can count: DRK foundation, Porticus, Diorapthe, Goldschmeding Foundation, Oranjefonds & the Department of Social welfare of the Dutch government.

Typical project size varies between 30k- 1 mio Euros. For These projects we have been able to raise funds with a single funding partner or with a mix of partners. We have the ambition to expand into the European market, we foresee that we need to attract additional capital to speed up our growth.

We implemented a costing model in which we aim to generate revenue covering at least two times our staffing cost. Since staff is about ⅔ of our overall cost it will create stability for the company. OpenEmbassy was founded in 2016. We have entered the 8th year of our existence since inception. This year we have been invited for the first time to participate in the Skoll Foundation network. This network is exclusive and by invitation only, which is an acknowledgement of our achievements to date.