FSD1174 Municipal Environmental Administration Survey 1994
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Joas, Marko (Åbo Akademi University. Department of Public Administration)
Kettunen, Aija (Åbo Akademi University. Department of Public Administration)
Hermanson, Ann-Sofie (Åbo Akademi University. Department of Political Science)
Abstract
The survey studied municipal (local) environmental administration, the role played by the elected officials and co-operation between different bodies in the management of environmental functions in municipalities. The main themes were the functioning of municipal environmental administration, its efficiency, state of the environment and environmental problems occurring in municipalities.
First topics dealt with the basic organisation of the municipal environmental functions: does the municipality manage them on its own or in co-operation with other municipalities. Respondents were asked to which extent their job includes environmental functions and how the municipality's environmental administration and the overall administration was organised. The role of the elected officials was surveyed by asking which committee or other elected body manages the environmental issues and whether the respondent acts as a presenter of environmental issues in any committee. The interaction of environmental administration was examined by asking how often respondents are in contact with other persons, groups or bodies, which factors hinder communication and who normally initiates the contact. Environmental conservation's efficiency and functioning was studied by asking whether certain aspects of the municipal environment (e.g. hazardous waste disposal systems) have improved in the last five years, what was the role of the environmental administration in it and how big an effort the municipality has made to improve the environment. Respondents were asked to evaluate the overall state of their municipality's environment, whether certain environmental problems occur in their municipality, how serious they are and whether they have been monitored (e.g. state of the soil and ground water, air pollution and noise level). Respondents were also asked to name five serious environmental conflicts which have occurred in the last five years in their municipality and which parties were involved. Respondents' environmental attitudes and behaviour and the characteristics of their job were also surveyed.
Background variables included the name of the municipality, respondent's age, sex and education, length of working experience in environmental management, length of other working experience, political inclinations and membership in organisations.
Keywords
authorities; elected officials; environment; environmental conflict; environmental conservation; environmental degradation; environmental management; municipalities; organization, administration and management; performance
Topic Classification
environmental studies; local government studies; political studies (FSD Topics Classification)
environmental degradation/pollution and environmental protection (CESSDA Topics Classification)
Restrictions
Access to the data granted for scientific and teaching purposes; FSD's access application procedure.
Data Collector
Joas, Marko (Åbo Akademi University. Department of Public Administration)
Kettunen, Aija (Åbo Akademi University. Department of Public Administration)
Hermanson, Ann-Sofie (Åbo Akademi University. Department of Political Science)
Collection Date
January 1994 - May 1994
Nation
Finland
Geographical Coverage
Finland
Analysis Unit
Geographic unit (Municipality)
Universe
Finnish municipalities (excluding the Åland Islands)
Sampling Procedure
Total study
The questionnaire was sent to chief environmental officials of every Finnish municipality, excluding the Åland Islands municipalities. There was one follow-up by telephone.
Collection Mode
Postal survey
Research Instrument
Structured questionnaire
Response Rate
93,20 %
Time Method
Cross-sectional study
Collection Size
Data: SPSS portable file. Data available also in other file formats.
Data version
1.0 (1.10.2001)
Other Material
Questionnaire: pdf file in Finnish and in Swedish
Data Appraisal and Notes
For data protection reasons information regarding individual municipalities must not be reported.
Citation Requirement
The source must be acknowledged in any publication based wholly or in part on the data.
Bibliographical Citation
Joas, Marko & Kettunen, Aija & Hermanson, Ann-Sofie: Municipal Environmental Administration Survey 1994 [computer file]. FSD1174, version 1.0 (2001-10-01). Tampere: Finnish Social Science Data Archive [distributor], 2001.
Depositing Requirements
The archive must be informed of all publications where the data have been used.
Disclaimer
The depositor and the archive bear no responsibility for any results or interpretations arising from the secondary use of the data.
Related Publications
Joas, Marko (2001). Reflexive Modernisation of the Environmental Administration in Finland: Essays of Institutional and Policy Change Within the Finnish National and Local Environmental Administration. Turku: Åbo Akademis Förlag.
Kettunen, Aija (1998). Kunnat ja ympäristökonfliktit. Helsinki: Suomen kuntaliitto. Acta / Suomen kuntaliitto; 96.
