Checklist: Planning the promotion of municipal integration

Municipalities can use the checklist to support their planning for the promotion of integration.

1. Municipality decides the responsible parties 

• The municipality will clearly define the authority responsible for coordinating the preparation.
• Municipal decision-makers and bodies will be committed to the timetable and process and a timetable for processing any plans that need political decision-making will be outlined. 
• The municipality decides whether to draw up a separate action plan or whether to include the objectives and measures in another municipal strategy document.
• The municipality decides whether the planning task is carried out alone or in cooperation with other municipalities and the employment authority, for example.  
• If necessary, the ELY Centre will provide advice during the process. The municipality should contact the ELY Centre’s immigration contact person already at an early stage.
• If necessary, municipalities may also use external experts to assist them.

2. Municipality ensures cooperation and consultations

• The responsible body will establish or appoint a cooperation group that will agree on the planning timetable. 
• Representatives of different municipal bodies, such as education, leisure, business and housing services, are invited to join the cooperation group if necessary. 
• Kela, wellbeing services county and other authorities are also invited to join the group, as appropriate.
• Local organisations, educational institutions, companies and other bodies supporting integration will be invited to join the group.
• The municipality ensures that immigrants residing in the municipality are actively involved in the process.

3. Municipality creates a situation picture of immigration and integration 

The situation picture should include both quantitative and qualitative assessments. Following questions can be used for help: 

• How many immigrants live in the municipality? 
• Why have the immigrants come to Finland (are they asylum seekers, quota refugees, beneficiaries of temporary protection, students, persons recruited directly from abroad, family members)? 
• How old are the immigrants? Gender distribution, languages and employment? 
• What kind of needs do the immigrants have in terms of integration? 
• How have the immigrants been received in the municipality? 
• How many immigrants are expected to move to the municipality in the next few years? 
• What are the relations between different communities? 
• What are the challenges related to the promotion of integration in the municipality? 
• Does the municipality lack certain integration promotion services? Do the immigrants receive the services they need? 
• How are guidance and counselling services for the immigrants organised in the municipality? What is the state of and need for services of immigrants who have moved to Finland due to work, studies, family ties or displacement?

The following sources of information may be used: 

• Information material on integration services produced by the Development and Administration Centre for ELY Centres and TE Offices (KEHA Centre)
• Information provided to municipalities by Kela through the Kelmu benefit information system
• Regular reports on municipal residents submitted to municipalities by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s (DVV) change information service
• the Integration database and the Integration Indicators database at kotoutuminen.fi 
• local and regional authorities and regional immigration strategies, immigrants and organisations, educational institutions or employers working with them
• information on reception centres in the area and the Finnish Immigration Service. 

4. Municipality defines goals based on a situation picture 

• When it defines the objectives, the municipality will consider the Government Integration Programme and the national employment promotion objectives for integration clients confirmed by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. 
• The objectives for the promotion of integration are based on a situation picture. Following questions can be used for help:
  • What are the opportunities and challenges of municipalities when people born abroad and speakers of foreign languages move to the municipality? 
  • Which themes are important in this municipality? 
  • What kind of change does the municipality aim for compared with the current state?
• The objectives are linked to the municipal strategy and equality and wellbeing plans, among other things, and take into account the development of the vitality of the municipality.
• The objectives may be defined in cooperation at a seminar or cooperation group. The municipality may also organise a consultation.  

5. Municipality selects the means to promote integration and good relations between population groups 

• The means to pursue the objectives are defined.
• The plan to promote integration includes concrete objectives describing the change, the achievement of which is monitored. 
• The bodies responsible for the measures and their implementation are defined. 

6. Municipality defines indicators and monitoring

What indicators are used to assess the achievement of objectives and in what time frame? Based on the objectives, characteristics of the municipality and the available information, the indicators may include:  

• trend in the number of foreign born/foreign-language speakers/foreign nationals in the municipality
• trend in the employment rate or unemployment rate of foreign born/foreign-language speakers/foreign nationals 
• differences in learning outcomes between children in immigrant families and children in the majority population
• participation rate of children of immigrant families in early childhood education and care
• bullying related to discrimination at school
• introduction of new permanent practices and services 
• provision of Finnish instruction to different target groups 
• number of foreign-language speakers reached for a given service
• number of professionals receiving continuing education in special issues related to immigrant clients.

Only indicators where the data source is known should be selected. Indicator data can be obtained from statistical registers but also by gathering information from clients, professionals, authorities, educational institutions, companies and organisations.

7. Municipality formulates a separate action plan or a package of measures included in other strategies

• Municipality prepares the objectives, measures, responsible bodies, cooperation and monitoring of integration promotion.
• The plan included in the municipality’s action plan or other document includes at least the following elements:
  • link to the municipal strategy, possible regional immigration strategy, the national employment promotion objectives for integration clients and the objectives set in the Government Integration Programme.
  • objectives for promoting integration and good relations between population groups
  • measures necessary to achieve the objectives
  • indicators for monitoring the objectives
  • bodies responsible for promotion of integration and implementing the measures and services
  • forms of cooperation between municipalities, employment areas, wellbeing services counties, central government authorities and civil society
  • at a minimum a reference to the integration programme or a description of the service package for initial integration clients (integration programme) and other services supporting integration, such as guidance and counselling services
  • plan for monitoring, updating and reporting on the package of plans on integration promotion. 
• When planning the promotion of integration, particular attention should be paid to children, young people, families, working-age people, parents at home, older people and people with a refugee background. 
• The plan should include measures to promote good relations between population groups in the municipality. The regional Advisory Board for Ethnic Relations and regional organisations can support the planning of these measures.
• Plans to promote integration are reported to the ELY Centre at least every two years. 
• The municipality will agree who will monitor the achievement of the objectives set for integration promotion and in what situation and when the plan should be updated.

8. Communication on the promotion of municipal integration 

• The municipality communicates about the process, objectives, measures and monitoring to 
  • municipal residents 
  • interest groups 
  • key bodies and authorities
  • the target group
  • decision-makers. 
• In this context, the municipality can communicate about both the early-stage integration services (integration programme) and the more extensive planning and monitoring of integration promotion in the municipality.