The Dilemma between Self-Protection and Service Provision under Danish COVID-19 Guidelines: A Comparison of Public Servants’ Experiences in the Pandemic Frontline

Abstract

To explore how COVID-19 altered public service provision and what lessons were learned from the first months, this study draws on sickness absence data, employee feedback data, fieldwork among vulnerable families and qualitative interviews with public servants responsible for vulnerable youngsters, children and families in four Danish towns. The analyses find evidence of a dilemma between self-protection and service provision across towns and public servants from the police and social departments. A relationship between situational knowledge and service delivery arrangements is uncovered and used to discuss the role of autonomy in public service provision within street-level bureaucracy theory. Note: In the interests of space, street-level theory and the pandemic context underpinning the articles for this special issue are discussed in detail in the Introduction to the issue.