Promte and Gentofte Municipality have jointly developed an AI-based KLE Assistant. The KLE Assistant makes it simpler and faster for municipal employees to find the right KLE subject and the correct course of action. The assistant understands the user's question in plain language and matches it to the exact KLE classification. This ensures correct, uniform and easily usable answers across the organisation. The result is fewer errors, faster case processing and more intuitive work with KLE.
What is KLE? KL's Subject Systematics (KLE) is a legal source-based, common municipal taxonomy - a journalization key – used to register all municipal tasks (items) and the associated administrative action (action facet) for each case. KLE functions as the municipalities' common task taxonomy and is used in all municipalities. The system divides the tasks into subjects that are hierarchically structured under main groups and groups, which creates a uniform way of categorizing the cases across administrations. The purpose of this classification is, among other things, to secure one uniform structure and common journaling practices across the disciplines. When all cases are marked correctly with KLE numbers and action facets, you obtain a solid basis for an overview and the possibility of extracting statistics across the entire municipality.
Why is it difficult? KLE is an incredibly useful but also comprehensive system. The taxonomy covers all municipal legislation and task solving and is continuously updated as new laws and tasks arise. This means that there are hundreds of subject categories and associated facets. For the individual employee, it can be a time-consuming challenge to find exactly the right KLE subject number for a given case - especially if the case falls in a gray area or if you are a new employee. Even with aids like KLE-Online, which offers an intelligent search function and hierarchical navigation in the subject system, still requires the user to know the right keywords and to be able to navigate the complex structure. The consequence is that journaling under correct KLE numbers is sometimes down-prioritised or flawed in a busy everyday life. This is problematic, since correct journaling precisely facilitates case processing and supports quality and efficiency in the authority's work. According to the ombudsman, incorrect or insufficient journaling can lead to extra work, delays and, in the worst case, compromise citizens' legal security.
AI with understanding of KLE: To remedy these challenges, we have – in close collaboration with Gentofte Municipality – developed KLE-Assistenten, a digital assistant that uses artificial intelligence to guide employees in KLE journaling. The assistant combines a linguistic AI model with the latest information from the official KLE database so that it is always up to date with current topics and facets. The employee can ask a question or describe his case in plain Danish, after which the KLE Assistant understands the inquiry and suggests the exact KLE topic and the correct course of action that fits the context. This saves time and eliminates guesswork in the search for the correct journalization number.
Features and benefits: The KLE Assistant offers a number of specific functions and benefits for the municipality:
Natural language understanding: The assistant can understand questions formulated by the employee in common words and phrases, thanks to the AI model's ability to interpret natural language. So you don't have to find the technical search terms yourself – the assistant translates from everyday language into KLE terms.
Exact KLE match: Based on the question, the assistant matches the user with it exactly right KLE subject number and the correct facet. It draws on the authoritative KLE subject plan, which is maintained centrally by KL, so that the recommendations always follow the latest classification.
Consistent responses across: Because all employees use the same assistant, they get consistent answers. The assistant ensures that two different departments do not end up choosing two different KLE numbers for the same case type. This uniformity in the classification strengthens the common structure and practice in the municipality.
Fewer errors and higher quality: By eliminating guesswork and human error in journaling, the risk of incorrect classifications is reduced. The KLE Assistant functions as a quality control in real time, guiding the user to correct choices. This means fewer errors, less need to correct later and generally higher data quality in case processing.
Faster case processing: When the right KLE number is found in seconds rather than minutes, cases can be created and journalized much faster. The time that used to be spent looking up catalogs or asking colleagues for advice can now be used more productively. As the Ombudsman points out, correct and systematic journaling provides a better overview and facilitates case processing markant.
User-friendly learning: The assistant not only helps to find the right number – it also teaches the organization to better understand KLE. Every time an employee uses the assistant, they get an explanation of why that particular KLE topic is relevant (e.g. via the service text or keywords from KLE-online). Over time, it increases the general knowledge of KLE among the staff, without the need for heavy courses.
The KLE Assistant is thus an example of how generative AI and language models can be translated into very concrete and practical help in everyday life. The solution has been created as a pilot project in Gentofte Municipality, which as the first municipality has tested and fine-tuned the assistant in practice. After the successful implementation at Gentofte, the KLE-Assistant has now become part of Promte's library of AI solutions – ready to help other municipalities improve their journaling. With a few adjustments, the assistant can be used in your municipality, since the underlying KLE logic is the same everywhere.
One of the major advantages of a solution like the KLE Assistant is that it strengthens the joint municipal ecosystem for digitization. All 98 municipalities basically work with the same tasks and the same set of rules – and the KLE taxonomy is common to all of them. This means that when one municipality develops a smart AI assistant to solve a challenge (such as finding the right KLE number), the other municipalities can easily benefit from the same solution instead of each having to reinvent the deep dish. We are already experiencing good knowledge sharing among our municipal customers at Promte, and this form of sharing solutions across municipal boundaries will only become more important in the future.
With the KLE-Assistant, we have a concrete example of an AI tool that has been developed in one municipality, but which potentially whole benefiting the municipal sector. Because KLE is standardized and the same across the country, a solution can be fine-tuned once, after which many can benefit from it. It reduces overall development costs for the sector and raises the general level of service and efficiency. In short: The KLE Assistant expands the ecosystem by acting as a common building block that can be plugged into the existing digital infrastructure of any municipality.
For municipal managers and decision makers, the KLE Assistant illustrates how AI can deliver noticeable improvements in internal workflows without to compromise safety or require large chrome-plated projects. Here, a limited challenge – correct classification of cases – is solved with a focused digital assistant that can be implemented quickly and create value from day one. The gains show up in the form of both increased efficiency and higher quality in case processing. At the same time, the risk of introducing this type of AI solution is relatively low: The assistant is based on a well-documented, common taxonomy and only answers questions from employees, so that you operate in an internal and controlled domain. This means that topics such as data security, ethics and legal implications are manageable, which is an important point for decision-makers considering AI.
Konklusion: The KLE Assistant has already created value by making working with KLE far more intuitive in Gentofte Municipality. Now that the solution is part of Promte's AI platform, it is ready to help your municipality. It's about lifting in groups across the municipalities and sharing the best tools with each other - for the benefit of the employees, for the case processing and ultimately for the citizens. With fewer errors, faster processes and better knowledge sharing, the municipalities are stronger together, and the KLE Assistant is a shining example of how we expand the municipal ecosystem through collaboration and new technology.
Read more: If you want to know more about KLE and the importance of correct journaling, you can visit KL's page about KL Subject Systematics (KLE) or the Parliamentary Ombudsman's guide on good journaling practice. If you have questions about how the KLE-Assistant can be implemented in your municipality, you are always welcome to contact us at Promte – we are happy to share our experience and ensure that you get off to a good start.
