Äänekoski city council approved a new strategy for the city - Äänekoski-Ilmiö has impressed even the Ministry of Finance
In a city strategy that follows the principles of open administration, the goal is to put values and goals into action. Accepting the strategy is the real start of the joint journey.
The manifestation of the principles of open administration in Äänekoski-Ilmiö has been taken into account even in the Ministry of Finance. According to the Ministry of Finance's listing, its hallmarks are the publicity enabled by the administration, trust, communication, open data, comprehensibility, participation and open operations.
- In Äänekoski's city strategy, we are impressed by how comprehensively all these aspects have been taken into account. Äänekoski has the spirit of genuinely wanting to be open, thanks the head of the open administration unit of the Ministry of Finance, financial adviser Katju Holkeri.
- The fear is often that transparency will become execution, and the Ministry of Finance has hoped to change this. The city of Äänekoski is now truly implementing and aiming for this change in its strategy work, Holkeri states.
At its meeting on March 14.3.2022, 2028, the Äänekoski city council approved a new city strategy that extends until XNUMX. There, the desire for openness is pervasive and can be seen even in practical implementation.
- When everyone implements the strategy together, the Äänekoski Effect, as its name suggests, is created. The openness and inclusiveness of Äänekoski's city strategy has already impressed the Ministry of Finance, which calls for open administration, in the preparation phase, the city manager Matti Tuononen rejoices.
The Ministry of Finance informed about Äänekoski's strategy work in its newsletter last week. Holkeri says that the example of Äänekoski has value in encouraging other municipalities and cities to do the same.
- Äänekoski's strategy work is also a great example internationally, when transparency is taken into account in this way, Holkeri states.
Even though Äänekoski's example is now coming to the attention of the general public for the first time, open governance is not an entirely new invention for the city.
- For example, we started participatory budgeting and the related village parliament activities already in 2014. So open administration has been implemented before, maybe we just haven't been able to communicate it to the outside world, says Mayor Tuononen.
- Especially in urban areas, we have an active group and we will continue to ask the wishes of people living in different areas and, if possible, we will implement them. Quite often they are quite small things that people wish for and which, when realized, make the residents' everyday life easier or improve the quality of life.
Every industry is currently thinking about practical measures, how to get residents to participate even more. Residents and service users should be involved in all stages of the preparation of things.
- For example, we are now building a new playground at the request of the residents. First, we did a resident survey about the location of the park, and now during the spring we are asking for the children's wishes about the park's theme and equipment. And now adults can't influence the theme, Matti Tuononen laughs.
The Äänekoski-Ilmiö strategy meter is also a completely new idea in its class.
- Such a measurement tool has been a goal since 2015, and now it is planned to be implemented alongside the strategy work. In addition to financial figures and other measurable things, we want to include a so-called mood meter, which every resident and organization can influence on a daily basis, Tuononen says.
- The mood meter has gotten us talking a lot too. Administration would specifically need the following tools on a daily basis, and it would also be interesting from the point of view of research, adds Katju Holkeri.
The development of the Äänekoski-Ilmiö phenomenon and the already traveled journey in the strategy work until its approval can be viewed at ilmio.aanekoski.fi.
For more information:
Äänekoski City Manager Matti Tuononen, 040 572 3239, matti.tuononen@aanekoski.fi
Head of the Open Administration Unit of the Ministry of Finance, Katju Holkeri, 029 553 0087, katju.holkeri@gov.fi
Related material:
Äänekoski strategy 2022-2028 (approved 14.3.2022)
News published 15.3.2022, modified 23.7.2024/12/35 at XNUMX:XNUMX