järjestämisvelvollisuus

Järjestämisvelvollisuus refers to a legal obligation within Finnish law that assigns responsibility for organizing and providing certain public services to specific municipalities or authorities. This concept is fundamental to the decentralization of public administration in Finland, ensuring that essential services are delivered at a local level. The primary legislation governing järjestämisvelvollisuus is the Act on the Organization of Social and Health Services.

The core idea is that municipalities are often designated as the primary organizers of services within their geographical area. This includes a wide range of public services such as social welfare, healthcare, education, and environmental protection. The specific services and the responsible organizing authority are determined by national legislation, which can evolve over time based on policy changes and societal needs.

For example, municipalities have a järjestämisvelvollisuus for providing basic social and healthcare services to their residents. This means they must ensure that these services are accessible, of adequate quality, and available to all who need them. If a municipality fails to fulfill its organizing obligation, it can face consequences.

The implementation of järjestämisvelvollisuus can involve various models. Municipalities can choose to organize services themselves, cooperate with other municipalities in joint authorities (kuntayhtymä), or outsource service provision to private or third-sector providers, while still retaining the ultimate organizing responsibility. The aim is to achieve efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery while maintaining public accountability. Recent reforms, such as the social and healthcare reform of 2023, have significantly altered the landscape of järjestämisvelvollisuus by centralizing some responsibilities to wellbeing services counties (hyvinvointialueet) while retaining others at the municipal level.