Tekijät

• Ikola-Norrbacka, Rinna (University of Vaasa)
• Mattila, Juha (University of Vaasa)

Asiasanat

adolescents, decision making, development, elected officials, job characteristics, local community facilities, local finance, local government policy, local government services, management, municipalities, public services, satisfaction, youth, youth work

Sisällön kuvaus

The survey focused on the scope, service provision, management, and development policies of youth affairs departments of Finnish municipalities. The respondents were municipal officials responsible for youth affairs. Similar surveys were carried out in 1996 and 2002.

First, the respondents were asked how many employees there were in the youth affairs departments of their municipalities, and what their responsibilities were. Further questions explored the opening hours and ownership of the municipality's youth facilities, the various functions of the youth affairs department, and the facilities related to providing youth services in the municipality. Potential changes in the ownership of the facilities since 1994 were also queried, as well as whether the municipality collects fees from the users of these facilities.

In relation to service provision, the respondents were asked what kind of youth services and recreational activities the municipality provided, which body organised them, and whether the municipality allocated funds for them. Some questions covered opinions on contracted-out services, competitive tendering and supplementary services, as well as the respondents' satisfaction with the contracted-out services. Opinions on alternative ways of providing youth services in the respondents' municipality were queried. Views were also probed on whether the respondents' municipalities sold services to other municipalities.

In relation to management and decision-making, the respondents were asked which elected body was in charge of youth affairs in their municipality, as well as what was the significance and role of that body in taking care of youth affairs. Views on the structure of the elected body were probed. The respondents gave their opinions on the influence of various bodies on the municipal youth services. In addition, views on the use of client surveys and performance measures were explored, as well as how much time the respondents allocated to various tasks. The potential changes in the importance of these tasks were also canvassed.

Finally, the present state of the municipal youth affairs department and its development policies for the future were explored, as well as whether there had been any changes in the department in terms of services and their scope.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, age, education, work experience in the field of youth affairs, and responsibility areas at work.