Digital and Population Data Services Agency (Finnish Digital Agency) to launch its activities on 1 January 2020: The new pioneer in the digitalisation of society will simplify the lives of Finnish citizens

Today, 1 January 2020, a new agency, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (Finnish Digital Agency), will launch its activities in Finland. The agency was established with the merger of the Population Register Centre and Local Register Offices.

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (Finnish Digital Agency) will simplify the daily lives of Finnish citizens through digitalisation. “We will promote the digitalisation of society, secure the availability of data and provide services for various events in our customers’ lives,” Director General Janne Viskari describes the agency’s task.

“The guiding principle for all our activities is the promotion of digitalisation in society. We will support citizens in the use of public administration services and promote the even smoother functioning of Finnish society. This will require the open-minded approach to the use of technology, but also a new type of operating culture and closer than before cooperation between various actors,” says Janne Viskari, Director General of the Finnish Digital Agency.

“We at the Finnish Digital Agency want our agency to be trendsetter that operates boldly by reforming, supporting and appreciating. For our customers and partners, we are a reliable and desirable partner with a vision. We actively engage in networking with partners and want our work to strengthen trust in society. Our aim is to further promote the smooth functioning of Finnish society,” Viskari continues.

Valo as a guide to the Finnish Digital Agency’s activities!

The use of Finnish Digital Agency services will be easy. The agency will serve citizens in numerous locations around Finland.
“The merger will see all the agency’s service points remain as they were previously. Finnish citizens will be able to use the services they need at any Finnish Digital Agency service point, which were previously Local Register Office service points, across the country.

The Finnish Digital Agency wants to change the image the general public has of the services provided by authorities.

“The use of services that involve public authorities is often seen as complicated. We want to make the lives of Finnish citizens and the use of services simpler. We package our services into life event-oriented entities and help public administration to function in the same manner. Combining the data that various authorities already have will mean, for example, that citizens will no longer have to fill in their contact information each time on applications as the information will be updated on applications automatically from background systems such as the Population Information System,” Viskari explains.

The Finnish Digital Agency has created a character by the name of Valo, who describes the agency’s activities and functions and is actively present in all the agency’s communication. Valo provides help and advice in various situations and tells about the agency’s services. 

What will the Finnish Digital Agency do?

The Finnish Digital Agency sees to the maintenance of the Population Information System, which is the foundation for our society, and to the digitalisation of society.

The agency’s tasks include civil marriages, name and address changes, guardianship and administrative guardianship, maintenance of the Population Information System, development of solutions for electronic identification, as well as the development and maintenance of centralised support services for e-services. E-service support services include the Suomi.fi Web Service, electronic messages from authorities (Suomi.fi Messages) as well as authorisation for acting on behalf of another party (Suomi.fi e-Authorization).

Additional information

Digital and Population Data Services Agency (The Finnish Digital Agency), Director General Janne Viskari, tel. +358 295 536 000 (exchange), janne.viskari[at]dvv.fi
 

The Digital and Population Data Services Agency (The Finnish Digital Agency) was established on 1 January 2020 with the merging of the Population Register Centre, the Local Register Offices and the Steering and Development Unit for the Local Register Offices, which operated at the Regional State Administrative Agency of Eastern Finland. The agency has offices in 36 localities across Finland and employs more than 900 people.