Att identifiera samhällsviktiga verksamheter: Kommuners arbetssätt och designkriterier för ett systematiskt metodstöd

Sammanfattning

Swedish municipalities play a key role in identifying essential services and critical infrastructures at the local level. However, there seems to be a lack of systematism to the current identification process. Since the identified essential services and infrastructures are input data for further analyses, the lack of systematism has far-reaching effects. The study is intended to examine the current Swedish municipal approach to identification, and to use design science to increase the systematism of municipal identification procedures within municipal geographic areas. To achieve this, the study uses a systematic literature review and nine semi-structured interviews with preparedness coordinators, or similar functions, in Swedish municipalities to suggest a design purpose and six design criteria for application in future method development. The results show an increasing focus in risk science on system thinking and resilience, highlighting the importance of system dynamics and interdependence in identifying essential services in modern society. At the same time, municipalities rarely analyse services outside the municipal organisation, and face challenges in increasing systematisation related to differing local contexts, difficulties obtaining information, and resource and time constraints. A municipal need for guidance in prioritising between different essential services was also identified. The suggested design purpose and design criteria should provide a foundation in future method development for increasing the systematism while considering the identified municipal constraints.