CEI Nordic is based in Norway and works with philanthropic organisations, NGOs and local governments to change how social challenges are approached – with a focus on children, young people and families.
Norway is often cited as a model welfare state, with strong public services and a long tradition of social investment. Yet, even here, social inequalities are growing, and youth mental health is a serious concern.
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CEI Nordic is a non-profit initiative supporting the development and improvement of services for children, young people and families. Based in Norway, we collaborate with municipalities, NGOs and philanthropic organisations to strengthen services that meet the needs of children and families in everyday life.
CEI Nordic is part of the international Centre for Evidence and Implementation (CEI). We combine global research and implementation expertise with deep understanding of local systems – to co-create solutions that work in practice and lead to better outcomes.
Children are 100% of our future. Giving them safe, supportive environments is a shared responsibility. Local communities and professionals do important work every day, but they also face complex challenges.
Even in well-functioning welfare states like Norway, social inequalities are growing – and youth mental health is a real concern. Many services remain fragmented, and efforts are not always coordinated or effective.
We believe in solutions that are:
Evidence-informed and practice-ready
Designed together with the people they are meant to serve
Built on what already works in local systems
Service development
We support municipalities and organisations that want to create more integrated, preventive services for children and families. Together with local partners, we work to strengthen existing systems, improve coordination and co-develop sustainable solutions. We act as a learning partner in efforts to improve services for all children – not just those who seek help.
Evaluation
We carry out independent evaluations of initiatives aimed at improving support for children, young people and families – often in collaboration with local governments or grant-funded projects. We offer support across the full evaluation cycle, from needs assessment and method design to data collection and final reporting. Our aim is to generate useful insights that support decision-making and improvement.
Implementation support
We help teams, leaders and organisations succeed with implementation. Using proven frameworks, we offer structured support to ensure that new initiatives are adopted, used and sustained. We work alongside our partners to build capacity and adjust course as needed – with the goal of lasting impact.
We are a multidisciplinary team with backgrounds in research, public health, psychology, education, and the public sector. We combine academic rigour with hands-on experience – and share a strong commitment to improving services for children, young people and families.
Arild Bjørndal, PhD
Arild is a physician and professor of public health with extensive experience in evidence-based practice and service development. He has led RBUP, been a professor at the University of Oslo, and a visiting scholar at Harvard.
Arild has published over 200 articles and played a central role in developing the Norwegian Electronic Health Library and Knowledge Centre. Arild leads CEI’s Nordic office.
→ Read more about Arild here.
Camilla Henning
Camilla is a clinical psychologist specialising in work and organisational psychology. She has led major change processes in both leadership and consultancy roles.
Camilla is passionate about helping teams and organisations realise their full potential. She draws on her clinical insight in leadership development and regularly teaches courses in communication and organisational change.
→ Read more about Camilla here.
Hege Kornør, PhD
Hege is a psychologist with 20+ years of experience in systematic reviews and evidence-based practice, including work with Cochrane and Campbell Collaboration.
Hege has expertise in mental health and psychometrics, and developed the InSum database and PsykTestBarn journal.
→ Read more about Hege here.
Marit Tørstad
Marit has a background in child and adolescent mental health, with a special interest in school refusal and preventing exclusion.
Marit has worked in child welfare, BUP, educational psychology services, and public agencies. She holds a cand.ed. in clinical pedagogy, family therapy and counselling.
→ Read more about Marit here.
Selina Sevland Andersen
Selina is a research assistant at CEI, working with municipalities, government and NGOs. She is passionate about youth mental health and participation.
She holds a BA in Lifestyle Change and Public Health and an MA in Interdisciplinary Health Research. Her thesis explored young people denied mental health care.
→ Read more about Selina here.
Siri Abrahamsen
Siri is an author and speaker with a passion for belonging and wellbeing. She founded Gleding, which promotes relationships and emotional safety in schools.
She has sold over 60,000 books, works closely with educators, and leads Childhood for Life. Siri is also Community Lead for HundrED in Northern Europe.
→ Read more about Siri here.
The local mission Kids first! is to improve outcomes for children. We’re evaluating existing services for children and families, and – together with local leaders – identifying holistic systems improvement.
Gleding is a Norwegian word for the many concrete ways we can make other people happy; it is the opposite of bullying. In our Gleding project, we work closely with World of Empathy to develop tools for kindergartens, schools, parents and kids that strengthen social and emotional learning.
CEI is dedicated to improving the effects and outcomes of philanthropic investment. We help organisations work in a more evidence-informed manner, to succeed with implementation, scaling, and evaluation. In Norway, we work with the Kavli Trust to avoid waste in research, for more effective investment in child mental health.
CEI Nordic is based in Oslo, Norway, and opened in 2022. We work closely with CEI’s global offices and multidisciplinary team of research, policy, and practice experts.
