City advocacy from an economic perspective

The goal of the assessment

The assessment’s main question was whether the national advocacy for the city’s economic viability was goal-oriented, active and in line with the objectives of the City Strategy. The assessment examined whether national advocacy for the city’s economic viability has been strengthened compared to the previous strategy period, focusing on the most financially significant advocacy issues, such as the funding of social services, health care and rescue services. The assessment examined whether advocacy is coordinated and if there is a plan for it. The material included interviews with the mayors and officials who are key figures in the advocacy process, as well as representatives of council groups.

Conclusions

National advocacy for Helsinki’s economic vitality is largely in line with the City Strategy. National advocacy was strengthened quite significantly during the previous strategy period with the transition to the mayoral model. The assessment suggests that in addition to the most senior officials, other key political actors, such as members of the City Board and Members of Parliament from Helsinki, would also be welcome to participate in advocacy. Transparency about the objectives of advocacy and raising awareness were considered important issues. As political consensus can be difficult to achieve, regular joint discussions are a key tool for forming advocacy goals.