Cooperation model from Lapland winner of European competition
A cooperation model entitled Development of Wellbeing and Civil Safety in Municipalities, created in northern municipalities of Finland, has been chosen as the best project in the European Public Sector Award competition organised by EIPA, the European Institute of Public Administration. The purpose of the competition was to seek new creative ways to overcome the economic crisis that Europe is facing. The Lapland project, which is implemented under the leadership of the Regional State Administrative Agency of Lapland and funded by the Rural Development Programme for Mainland Finland, was selected to the final round out of 230 applications. A total of 26 countries took part. Organised every two years, the competition aims to find new innovative solutions for maintaining well-being and security with existing or decreasing resources.
The Lapland model shows how close cooperation between the public sector, civil society and entrepreneurs helps identify substantial new resources in the municipalities and guarantee the necessary municipal services without additional funding. The model clarifies the role of municipal management and makes the use of existing resources more efficient.
The model is being piloted in five municipalities: Kemijärvi, Pelkosenniemi, Posio, Tornio and Pudasjärvi. The pilot municipalities are convinced that by focusing on preventive rather than corrective measures and by improving resource allocation, they will not only generate savings, but also increase the well-being and security of residents.
The pilot municipalities have launched determined action to improve the use of common resources and reduce bureaucracy. This is done as a joint effort between each municipality and various actors operating in it. One of the issues that has been raised for discussion is that municipal actors, the church and different kinds of associations that provide services for families with children and young people often target the same areas of a given municipality, leaving other areas without these services. By planning activities together and combining resources, it is possible to provide better services to a larger number of people.
The Development of Wellbeing and Civil Safety in Municipalities project is an important part of Finland's Internal Security Programme and the associated implementation of preventive work and local security planning. The Programme includes measures to improve everyday security in accordance with the policy lines set out in the Government Programme of Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen's Government.
For further information, please contact
Mr Erkki Parkkinen, Mayor of the Pelkosenniemi Municipality, tel. +358 400 984 674
Mr Mika Riipi, County Governor of the Regional Council of Lapland, tel. +358 44 767 4200
Mr Marko Palmgren, Project Manager, Regional State Administrative Agency of Lapland, tel. +358 295 017 358
Ms Tarja Mankkinen, Director, Ministry of the Interior, tel. +358 71 878 8370
Ms Christell Åström, Senior Specialist, Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, tel. +358 40 766 9179
More information on the European Public Sector Award is available at http://epsa2013.eu/
More information on the Internal Security Programme is available at www.intermin.fi/internalsecurity