Pursuant to the Act on regional development, regional councils in Finland draw up regional development plans and coordinate regional development measures related. In Kainuu, we have combined the Kainuu Regional Plan and the Kainuu Regional Programme with tangible objectives and measures of development for the near future  to one document. This is referred to as the Kainuu Programme.

Role of Regional Councils in Regional Development

Pursuant to the Act on regional development, regional councils serve as regional development authorities. The regional council of Kainuu is responsible for the general regional policy planning and programmes within the Kainuu region and in part also for the implementation of the programmes and the international connections involved.

The main task regarding regional development is to draw up regional development plans and to coordinate regional development measures of its member local authorities and those of State regional administrative authorities. The plans and programmes of regional councils have mandatory legal consequences. Local and national government authorities must take account of the council’s plans and programmes in their own operative and other action.

Regional Plan and Programme

The Kainuu Regional Plan (the current one aims at year 2040) is a long-term plan articulating the vision for the future livelihoods, services and regional structure in Kainuu and setting out the region’s objectives.  The Regional Plan directs in the use of areas, and on the four-year regional programme confirmed for each municipal election period, steering functional development measures.

The Kainuu Regional Programme 2022–2025 contains tangible objectives and measures of development for the near future, as well as the list of essential projects to reach the goals. Implementation of the Regional Programme is monitored regularly and the programme is revised as necessary.

The above mentioned documents have been combined to one document that is referred to as the Kainuu Programme. The programme hasn’t been translated into English, but you’ll get an understanding of its contents from the table of contents below:

Introduction

Kainuu Regional Plan Until 2040

The Current Situation
Critical Success Factors
The Values of  Kainuu Programme
Vision 2040
Goals 2040

Welfare and Employment 2040
Business, Know-how, and Digital Transition 2040
Green and Just Transition 2040
Accessibility and Regional Structure 2040

Kainuu Regional Programme 2022–2025

Welfare and Employment

Strategic Reforms
Development of the Social and Health Sector
Promoting Well-being and Employment
Equal Regional Development
Positive Regional Image and Reputation, Culture

Businesses, know-how and the digital transition

Entrepreneurship, Livelihoods, Investments, Digital Transition
Skilled Workforce
Education and Skills
Smart Specialization

Spearheads of Business Development

Tourism
Technology Industry
Bio-economy
Mining and Chemical Industry

Green and Just Transition

Accessibility, Regional Structure, and Multi-locationality

Accessibility with new mobility solutions and electronic services and with infrastructure investments
Sustainable Regional Structure That Supports Location of Business and Investments
Multi-locationality and Well-functioning Services

Ensuring the Effectiveness of the Kainuu Programme

Internationalization
The Analysis of Current Situation Annually Determines the Most Critical Development Activities
Cooperation and Partnership; Regional, National, and International

The Implementation Plan

The Implementation Plan of the regional programme is drawn up each year to detail the implementation and financing of Kainuu Regional Programme.

The document serves as a draft budget for the Kainuu region as state funding is negotiated, regardless of the administrative sector in question. Regionally, the document defines the most important measures to be implemented each year. The document collects together the most important projects, cash flows and alignments of  regional-level financiers.

Follow-Up Report

The follow-up report of the annual implementation plan examines the progress of annual  priorities set, as well as the realization of goals set in the four-year Regional Programme. This is done with help of a separate set of indicators. The report also pays attention to the inputs and their outputs.

Sectoral Strategies and Work Groups

Several official strategies and programmes related to specific themes have been adopted in Kainuu. The goals of these strategies and programmes have been aligned with the Regional planning process so that those support the implementation of Kainuu Programme.

The regional planning and development work is on a regular basis carried out through various thematic work groups and advisory boards. Some of those are coordinated by the Regional Council of Kainuu and some by other actors.