The City of Riihimäki was awarded for two development projects at the Doing Important Work gala

2.12.2025 News Participate and influence Administration Development Projects Awards

Five women sitting and chatting at an office table with their laptops open on the table. — Photo: Päivi Ojanen

The City of Riihimäki was awarded on Tuesday, December 2, 2025 at the Important Work Gala for two different development projects: the Whole Municipality Digitally Ready project and the Respectful Encounter tour.

The "Entire Municipality Digitally" project developed the City of Riihimäki's digital information management practices and the digital skills of its personnel. The "Appreciative Encounter" tour strengthened the interaction culture of the units in the education and welfare sector.

The Doing Important Work gala honored the most inspiring development initiatives in the municipal and welfare sectors implemented during 2025.

The move to cloud services increased the need for new skills

The City of Riihimäki’s strategy emphasizes the importance of future skills. The city’s transition to cloud services has increased the need for new types of expertise. The theme year of digital skills responded to this challenge by offering low-threshold support and training for all personnel.

One of the cornerstones of the development work has been the establishment of the Digikaveri network. The network consists of approximately 60 city employees who provide support to their local work communities in digital matters. Training has been arranged for the Digikaverit (digital buddies) and they actively participate in the city's ICT development.

"The Digikaveri activity has been an excellent way to strengthen the digital skills of personnel on an everyday level. It has increased community spirit, lowered the threshold for asking for help, and brought digital development closer to every work community," says the city's Human Resources Development Manager Päivi Ojanen.

In addition, the city's information management has prepared an Information Work Playbook, which brings together the city's digital work practices and serves as a daily manual. All personnel have also been offered online training at two different skill levels. Learning has been supported by prize draws and training on digital change management led by an occupational psychologist.

"In Riihimäki, digitalization is not just technology – it is part of the culture and the smooth flow of everyday life. The Information Work Playbook and the Digital Skills Theme Year are concrete examples of how digital development is done together and in a people-oriented way. The aim of our Digital Skills Theme Year has been to strengthen the digital skills of our personnel in a diverse and low-threshold way by developing ways of doing work and work processes," says the city's Information Management Manager Maria Pohjanvuori.

The theme year of digital skills has increased the staff's ability to utilize digital tools and access information locally, and has made service delivery more efficient. With the theme year, the city of Riihimäki has taken a significant step towards its strategic goal – to be the home of future creators.

Appreciative encounters create the foundation for well-being at work

The City of Riihimäki's Education and Wellbeing Department was awarded for the Respectful Encounter tour. The tour was considered a significant development in promoting well-being at work. The tour aims to strengthen a culture of appreciative and respectful interaction in all work units in the department.

The tour will be carried out in all work units in the sector, such as schools and daycare centers, as workshop-style discussions. Some of the units have already been visited by the tour, while others are still coming. The workshops will focus on how we can meet each other with respect and what kind of concrete ways of working we can create together. The discussions will be documented and based on them, the work communities will continue to develop even after the tour.

“The tour has been an important step towards more open and appreciative interaction. The discussions have given the personnel the opportunity to express their own views and find ways to improve the working atmosphere together,” says Occupational Safety and Health Commissioner Nina-Marika Pieskä.

The tour offers work communities an opportunity to stop and discuss how we can treat each other with respect – something that supports coping at work and improves work motivation.

“Valid encounters in everyday life are the foundation for the well-being of the work community. The discussions on the tour have been important and rewarding, they create a foundation for better interaction and cooperation,” says Director of Education Jari Lausvaara about the significance of the tour.

Feedback from the tour has praised the workshops as a rare opportunity to pause in the hustle and bustle and discuss interaction. In the long term, the tour is expected to support job satisfaction, reduce sick leave and strengthen a positive employer image.