The Emergency Response Center Agency and the Border Guard are the most prestigious organizations in the public sector
The Emergency Response Center Agency and the Border Guard Agency share first place as the public administration organizations with the best reputation in the Reputation&Trust survey of public administration conducted by T-Media. The Office of the President of the Republic ranks third.
The reputation of public administration organizations was surveyed in October–November 2023, with a total of 9,932 Finns responding to the survey. Among the top three organizations, the Emergency Response Center Agency and the Border Guard had a reputation score of 3.91, while the Office of the President of the Republic scored 3.86.
Reputation&Trust, each organization is assigned a reputation score on a scale of 1 to 5.
The most prestigious organizations in public administration
The most reputable organizations in the Reputation&Trust Public Administration Reputation&Trust Survey, ranked 1–10. First place is shared by the Emergency Response Center Agency and the Border Guard, and tenth place is shared by VTT and Tukes. *When evaluating emergency services, respondents were asked to rate the emergency services in their own region.
“The reputation of security authorities remains high, in line with last year’s trend. The work of the Border Guard and the Emergency Response Center plays a key role in strengthening the public’s sense of security, which is crucial in uncertain times,” says Riku Ruokolahti, Development Director at T-Media.
“The role of the presidency has also taken on greater significance at a time when there is war in Europe and our country has just joined NATO. The presidency has also been in the spotlight following the passing of Martti Ahtisaari and as President Niinistö hosted the Independence Day Reception for the last time.”
The core functions, accountability, and leadership of public administration organizations play a key role in building trust
The average reputation and trust levels of the 25 best-known public sector organizations remain at a moderate level.
“The trust that citizens place in government organizations is the best guarantee of a democratic welfare society. If trust in the government declines, it is a worrying sign,” says Nina Laakso, senior advisor at T-Media and an expert in ethical leadership.
Finns consider the ability to adapt to change and communication to be the weakest aspects of public sector organizations’ reputation. Citizens rated the economy as the strongest aspect of their reputation, although this area also saw the largest decline compared to the previous year’s results.
Impact analyses of the study show that the core functions of central government agencies, as well as their accountability and leadership, have the strongest influence on citizens’ trust in and support for public administration during a crisis.
The structure of public administration’s reputation. The figures are based on a basket of 25 organizations compiled by T-Media. The basket includes the 25 best-known public administration organizations measured in the study.
“It is essential for the government to serve as a model of good leadership and communication for society as a whole. The predictability that results from good leadership creates the sense of security that a vision of a strong state requires,” says Laakso.
“Building trust requires not only strong leadership but also day-to-day work: identifying common areas for improvement, engaging in genuinely interactive and attentive stakeholder dialogue, and vigorous implementation.”
The Church and the Ministry of the Interior are the biggest gainers in reputation
The goal Reputation&Trust is to track trends in the reputation and trustworthiness of government organizations, including at the organizational level. The top performers this year were the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland and the Ministry of the Interior, both of which succeeded in strengthening their reputation among the public by a significant 0.30 points.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health (STM) saw the largest single drop in reputation. The ministry’s reputation fell by a total of 0.15 points, remaining at a low level (2.74). Reputation&Trust, a “moderate” reputation level begins at a score of 3.00.
“In light of general trends, there has been no significant improvement in the reputations of public sector organizations. Therefore, individual organizations that have succeeded in building a positive reputation have done exceptionally well. “Behind the development of a reputation, there must be real actions that have also been communicated to the public,” says Nina Laakso.
This is how we conducted the study
The aim of the Public Administration Reputation&Trust study was to assess the level of trust and reputation of key public administration organizations among citizens. Data for the study was collected via an online survey between October 3 and November 1, 2023.
The survey has been conducted annually by T-Media since 2018. This year, 9,932 Finns participated in the survey. The survey’s target group consisted of Finns aged 15–65 nationwide (excluding the Åland Islands). The sample has been weighted to be representative of the population by gender, age, and region of residence.
Organizations were evaluated using T-Media’s Reputation&Trust, in which an organization’s reputation score is calculated as the average of eight different categories. The areas are corporate governance, finance, leadership, innovation, interaction, products & services, workplace, and responsibility. The study used a five-point rating scale (1–5).
For more information:
Riku Ruokolahti, Director of Development
+358 400 512 200, riku.ruokolahti@reptrust-staging.fi-p.seravo.com
Nina Laakso, Senior Advisor
+358 400 808 940, nina.laakso@reptrust-staging.fi-p.seravo.com
