The Äänekoski phenomenon gained international interest
The city of Äänekoski was invited by the Ministry of Finance to present to the representatives of the OECD countries a participatory Äänekoski's city strategy, the Äänekoski effect.

Last week, the two-day event hosted by the Ministry of Finance The OECD Working Party is Open Government - meeting, a brunch event was organized, where Äänekoski's city strategy was presented to the representatives of the OECD countries by the administrative director Aleksi Heikkilä and communication designer Suvi Kallioinen.
Finland is an active promoter of open government internationally, and Finland's strength is its strategic understanding of the importance of openness. The theme of the brunch was Finnish Good Practices is Open Government that is, good Finnish practices from open administration were on display.
In addition to the strategy of the city of Äänekoski, i.e. the Äänekoski phenomenon, the open administration websites of the State Treasury were on display at the brunch (https://www.tutkihallintoa.fi, tutkaavustuski.fi ja https://tutkibudjettia.fi), promotion of transparency at the ministry level and democracy work, and overall promotion of the transparency of the city of Oulu.

Active residents aroused admiration
Around 30 representatives of OECD countries from Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Iceland, Spain, Germany, Turkey, Norway and Latvia took part in the brunch at Helsinki's Säätytalo.
- In the discussions with the representatives of these OECD countries, it became particularly interesting how we in Äänekoski have been able to get so many residents to participate in the strategy work from the very beginning of the process. And that we involve residents genuinely and in many different ways and at many different levels, director of administration Aleksi Heikkilä says.
- Apparently, however, the biggest reason why we were able to tell about Äänekoski's strategy work to an international audience is probably how the strategy itself lists exemplary actions for residents and even companies. With us, everyone can do something to implement the city strategy, says Heikkilä.
The listeners were impressed by how in Äänekoski, in close and good cooperation, the office holders and trustees have made a strategy in accordance with the principles of open governance and listened to the residents when developing the strategy.
- Äänekoski has set high goals, such as the fact that we have the happiest people in Finland and that we aim for carbon neutrality even faster than the rest of the country. Also, for example, entrepreneurship education for children and young people, which we at Äänekoski already have top class, aroused admiration and curiosity, says Heikkilä.
We are currently building a dashboard for monitoring the implementation of the strategy. OECD meeting guests were encouraged to familiarize themselves with it on the phenomenon website after its completion by summer.
"Openness is not just individual actions"
- A colleague from another OECD country stated last week that Finland's strength in open administration is a strategic understanding. He is jealous of us for that. If there is a lack of a widely shared understanding of why the transparency of the administration is important in general, there are only individual measures without effects, head of the unit of the open administration working group of the Ministry of Finance, financial adviser Katju Holkeri toteaa.
In connection with the OECD meeting, we wanted to present Finland's good practices in promoting transparency, and the cities of Oulu and Äänekoski were asked to participate. Finland's good concrete examples are also a source of joy outside the country's borders.
- These cities are united by the fact that in both of them the transparency of the administration is a comprehensive way of operating, and not just individual actions, says Holkeri. - Oulu and Äänekoski are great examples, because openness can be seen in both strategies and actions. When there is a vision as to why the matter is important, actions can also be taken that concretely move forward.
International Open Government Week has been celebrated this week (Open Government Week).
– Almost 80 countries promote open government in a joint partnership project (Open Government Partnerships), but only a few of them involve the entire public sector. In Finland, municipalities have played a strong role in the work since the beginning, says Holkeri.

For more information:
Administrative Director Aleksi Heikkilä, 040 823 7921, aleksi.heikkila@aanekoski.fi
Financial advisor, head of unit Katju Holkeri, 0295 530 087, katju.holkeri@vm.fi

News published 20.5.2022, modified 29.6.2023/15/45 at XNUMX:XNUMX