Japan Systems Publishes Survey on Realities and Challenges of Auditing Social Welfare Facilities Across 15 Municipalities
Japan Systems conducted a survey across 15 municipalities regarding the guidance and audit operations for social welfare facilities. The results revealed that operational strain is a structural and ongoing issue driven by an increase in facilities and shortages in staff and budget. The report categorizes challenges into seven areas, from preparation to system implementation, and proposes improvement strategies based on a successful demonstration in Miyazaki Prefecture.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 21, 2026 at 00:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 20, 2026 at 16:02
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 20, 2026 at 16:20 (17 min after Collected)
Japan Systems Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Katsuya Matsuno) has conducted and published the results of a survey titled "Survey on the Realities and Challenges of Guidance and Audit Operations for Social Welfare Facilities," targeting 15 local governments.
The survey confirmed that the operational strain in audit work is not a temporary issue but a structural and continuously worsening problem caused by the increasing number of target facilities, stricter regulatory trends, and limited personnel and budgets.
■ Background of the Survey
Following large-scale fraudulent benefit claims in Osaka City in March 2026 (involving a return request of approximately 11 billion yen) and similar cases in Nagoya City in 2022, the national government has been tightening audits. However, local municipalities struggle to execute these audits due to increasing facility numbers, analog processes, and staff shortages. The audit implementation rate in the disability welfare sector remains at only 16.5%, highlighting a significant gap between the government's demands and the reality on the ground. Based on a 2025 demonstration project with Miyazaki Prefecture—which confirmed an operational reduction of about 2,050 hours—Japan Systems identified similar challenges nationwide and initiated this survey.
■ Survey Overview
Objective: To understand the "current status of operations" and "expectations and concerns regarding standardization" from the frontline perspective, and to clarify what should be standardized versus what should remain customized.
Target: A total of 15 municipalities (6 prefectures, 7 designated cities, 1 core city, and 1 other municipality).
Period: December 1, 2025 – April 30, 2026.
Method: In-person interviews with departments handling audit operations.
■ Survey Results Summary and Frontline Voices
Through the interviews, complex and structural issues were identified across seven domains:
1. Preparation: High burden of collecting and cross-referencing facility and audit data from various Excel formats.
2. On-site Audits: Increasing audit items burden both municipalities and operators, some of whom are unaccustomed to PC or email operations.
3. Report Creation and Recording: Inefficient manual transcription from field notes to Excel, leading to frequent errors.
4. Information Sharing and Management: Information is scattered across phone, email, and fax, making it difficult to track schedules and documents.
5. Knowledge Accumulation and Sharing: Heavy reliance on individual experience without systematic manuals; only results, not the processes or reasoning, are recorded.
6. Structure and Resources: Outsourcing administrative tasks is mostly viable only for large municipalities with ample budgets.
7. Constraints on System Implementation: While systemization is desired for efficiency, a lack of budget prevents many municipalities from realizing it.
■ Future Improvement Directions
Kodai Higuchi, Fellow at the JS Research Institute, noted that frontline workers spend excessive time on preparation and paperwork due to legal changes and analog operations. To improve audit implementation rates, standardizing operations and enhancing efficiency through system adoption are urgently needed.
The survey confirmed that the operational strain in audit work is not a temporary issue but a structural and continuously worsening problem caused by the increasing number of target facilities, stricter regulatory trends, and limited personnel and budgets.
■ Background of the Survey
Following large-scale fraudulent benefit claims in Osaka City in March 2026 (involving a return request of approximately 11 billion yen) and similar cases in Nagoya City in 2022, the national government has been tightening audits. However, local municipalities struggle to execute these audits due to increasing facility numbers, analog processes, and staff shortages. The audit implementation rate in the disability welfare sector remains at only 16.5%, highlighting a significant gap between the government's demands and the reality on the ground. Based on a 2025 demonstration project with Miyazaki Prefecture—which confirmed an operational reduction of about 2,050 hours—Japan Systems identified similar challenges nationwide and initiated this survey.
■ Survey Overview
Objective: To understand the "current status of operations" and "expectations and concerns regarding standardization" from the frontline perspective, and to clarify what should be standardized versus what should remain customized.
Target: A total of 15 municipalities (6 prefectures, 7 designated cities, 1 core city, and 1 other municipality).
Period: December 1, 2025 – April 30, 2026.
Method: In-person interviews with departments handling audit operations.
■ Survey Results Summary and Frontline Voices
Through the interviews, complex and structural issues were identified across seven domains:
1. Preparation: High burden of collecting and cross-referencing facility and audit data from various Excel formats.
2. On-site Audits: Increasing audit items burden both municipalities and operators, some of whom are unaccustomed to PC or email operations.
3. Report Creation and Recording: Inefficient manual transcription from field notes to Excel, leading to frequent errors.
4. Information Sharing and Management: Information is scattered across phone, email, and fax, making it difficult to track schedules and documents.
5. Knowledge Accumulation and Sharing: Heavy reliance on individual experience without systematic manuals; only results, not the processes or reasoning, are recorded.
6. Structure and Resources: Outsourcing administrative tasks is mostly viable only for large municipalities with ample budgets.
7. Constraints on System Implementation: While systemization is desired for efficiency, a lack of budget prevents many municipalities from realizing it.
■ Future Improvement Directions
Kodai Higuchi, Fellow at the JS Research Institute, noted that frontline workers spend excessive time on preparation and paperwork due to legal changes and analog operations. To improve audit implementation rates, standardizing operations and enhancing efficiency through system adoption are urgently needed.
FAQ
Which municipalities were surveyed?
A total of 15 municipalities, including 6 prefectures, 7 designated cities, 1 core city, and 1 other municipality.
What are the main issues in audit work?
Operational strain due to scattered facility information, manual processes, and shortages in personnel and budget.
What hinders system implementation?
The biggest constraint is the lack of budget for introducing systems in many municipalities.