Swedish Public Sector Finds Meetings, Not Skills, Slow Software Teams
A survey of 98 developers at Sweden's Transport Administration reveals that excessive meetings and task-switching—not talent gaps—are the biggest obstacles to faster software delivery. The finding offers a roadmap for government agencies and large organizations struggling to accelerate digital projects without expensive hiring.
Originaltitel: Hindrances and Strengths in Software Delivery: Insights from a Developer Experience Study at the Swedish Transport Administration
<p>Developer Experience (DevEx) refers to the overall experience of software developers when interacting with tools, processes, and organizational environments. This paper reports on a DevEx survey conducted within the ICT division of the Swedish Transport Administration (STA), one of the largest software development organizations in the Swedish public sector. The survey, completed by 98 out of 122 invited software engineers, included both quantitative and qualitative data. The initial results show strong (positive) scores in cultural factors, skills and competence, perceived responsibility and accountability, indicating a collaborative and supportive work environment. In contrast, the most frequently reported hindrances were meetings, context switching and inefficient work practices. Along with the analysis our study presents practitioner-oriented recommendations and lessons learned when conducting similar DevEx initiatives. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.</p>