04.03.2021
Situational awareness seminar to help municipalities plan their finances and activities
The second Northern Ostrobothnia situational awareness seminar was held on Wednesday 3 March as a Teams event. The theme of the seminar was COVID-19 and life after COVID-19 – can we prepare?
The event was opened by Regional Director Pauli Harju asking how to respond to the challenges of the future, as the consequences of the coronavirus epidemic are not yet known. – I hope that the crisis has taught us that cooperation can solve issues, Harju stressed.
In Northern Ostrobothnia, it is worth strengthening the shared will of the county, municipalities and the future wellbeing services region, as well as civil society actors, guided State Secretary Maria Kaisa Aula from the Ministry of Finance. It is also worth considering one's own demographic policy and one's own child and family policy long into the future and taking into account the opportunities created by the wellbeing services area.
Researcher Mikko Salasuo from the Finnish Youth Research Society told about a study carried out in the youth research network in autumn 2020 that asked about young people's experiences of COVID-19. Based on the study, it is possible to identify the effects of the COVID-19 period on children and adolescents and later monitor how experiences from different areas of life return to normal. The study will be renewed in spring 2021. The results of the study are presented on the website of the Youth Research Network Exceptional circumstances – everyday life of young people in the midst of the coronavirus in a series of writings.
Why some people are having difficulties and others are doing well, asked Professor of Practice at the University of Oulu What Niemelä. A wide range of actors are needed to promote the well-being and well-being of children, young people and families. Community impact is a reference framework through which cooperation can be carried out together in a goal-oriented manner, regardless of the sector.
Ilpo Tapaninen, Head of Planning at the Regional Council of Northern Ostrobothnia, considers it important that municipalities receive the latest researched information as a basis for investing in children and young people when drawing up the 2022 budget. The strategy of Northern Ostrobothnia is to be a child- and family-friendly region, to which the welfare agreement has committed.
We are a forerunner in the development of child and family services, and we already have an established operating culture. The event provided municipalities with good resources to support financial and operational planning. This is the ultimate purpose of the situational awareness seminar, stresses Tapaninen.
Further information: Ilpo Tapaninen, Planning Manager, tel. +358 50 3017546
