DfG25, Ministry of Finance, Governance models, Policy Project Description The Open Government Action Plan 2023–2027 is a living document that captures Finland’s commitment to transparency, participation, and inclusivity, among other values. The action plan emphasises the need for innovative responses to societal challenges, particularly including vulnerable groups, to realise these values in practice. Finland has the third … Read more
In our latest phase, we have sharpened our approach to situate Open Government from an orchestrator of action coherence to a policy-level link connecting decision-makers with citizens. By advocating for Open Government principles at the heart of legislative and administrative processes, we see a possibility for Open Government to be a bridge between policy and people.
Our research explores Open Government Finland’s role in building democratic resilience. Working with the Ministry of Finance and civil society networks, our recommendations focus on connecting Open Government directly with policymakers and advocating its principles within this level to strengthen Finland’s democracy. We thank our partners and everyone that took time to answer our many questions during this process.
Over the past few weeks, we have focused on exploring how intergenerational collaboration could be incorporated into open government by creating an age-friendly Finland. From contacting various organizations to conducting interviews, our schedule has been packed with activity and learning opportunities as we gathered insights to shape a more inclusive future for all ages.
Our project has shifted from imagining Open Government as an orchestrator to a working concept thriving on a peer-to-peer network rather than an institution. We also examine the vision of an ‘age-friendly’ Finland as an appropriate response to the country’s major demographic shifts, especially from the perspective of Open Government.
After engaging with officials from the Open Government Finland initiative, and the Helsinki Elderly Citizens Council, an exercise of systems analysis was a great way to understand the phenomenon of Aging Population with relation to Open Government in Finland. Reframing the aging population as an opportunity for intergenerational collaboration, rather than a crisis, reveals untapped opportunities.
Our project reimagines Open Government Finland as an orchestrator of action coherence, ensuring that insights from diverse stakeholders—municipalities, civil society, and citizens—translate into meaningful governance. We explore strategies to enhance participation, strengthen feedback loops, and drive impactful, transparent decision-making.
The first blog post explores the context-setting stage of the Open Government project, focusing on the role of the ageing population and public service in Finnish governance. It highlights the challenges of the negative perception of elderly citizens and barriers to their political participation. The post also reflects on understanding policy language and upstream thinking to create impactful proposals.
This blog reports our research progress and learning highlights on designing for the government, focusing on the Action Plan and elderly inclusion workstream under the Open Government initiative by the Ministry of Finance.
This blog explores how policies transform into real engagement under the topic of elderly participation initiatives. However, a heated meeting in Vantaa revealed the challenge: how can elderly participation truly engage in decision-making? Key organizations include the Finnish Ministry of Finance, City of Helsinki, City of Vantaa, and Elderly Citizens Council.