Sociobarometers, compiled by SOSTE Finnish Society for Social and Health (previously the Finnish Federation for Social Welfare and Health), have been carried out annually since 1991. Various service providers (e.g. local social services, health care centres, employment offices, Social Insurance Institution authorities) evaluate the state of services and changes in welfare of citizens. Some current social policy themes are also included. The FSD collections cover data from 1994.
This wide-ranging survey charted expert opinion on the welfare of Finnish citizens, and on the present state of welfare services. The respondents were managers or management groups of municipal social services offices, municipal health centres (primary health care), employment offices, local offices of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela), and chairs of municipal social services boards.
There were separate questionnaires for each organisational sector, with somewhat differing questions for each.
The questions common to all organisations studied perceptions of the situation of the sector in the municipality, issues with service provision that needed urgent attention, and welfare of population in the municipality. The respondents evaluated the services provided by their organisational sector in the municipality.
The questions not common to all organisations charted, among others, the possibilities of ensuring service provision to citizens with the existing resources, financial situation of the organisational sector in the municipality, effects of the municipal and public service reform, management of the organisations, cooperation between organisational sectors, sufficiency of services provided, communication to citizens about the services, human resources, and models of service provision.
Background variables included the respondent's organisational sector, job title, and area of responsiblity as well as the province, major region, and type of municipality in which the organisation was located.
The Sociobarometer 2009 questionnaire was sent to the senior management of municipal social services, health centres (primary health care), employment offices, the offices of the Social Insurance Institution, and the chairs of municipal social services boards. The social services offices, health centres and boards of social services in some larger towns were sent more than one questionnaire, according to the organisational structures.
The survey was conducted as an online survey with separate questionnaires for each organisational sector. In the reminder round, in January-February, all respondents received the questionnaires by mail. 360 completed questionnaires were returned by the deadline.