What are general descriptions?

Certain organisations can base their services on existing general descriptions, into which the organisation can supplement their service information. The information in the general description selected is visible as part of the information on the service.

There are general descriptions for the following types of organisations:

• a municipality or joint municipal authority
• a wellbeing services county
• an employment area
• a parish of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland

General description are available in Finnish, Swedish and English. The general descriptions for social welfare and healthcare services are also available in Northern Sámi, Inari Sámi and Skolt Sámi.

General descriptions facilitate the description and maintenance of services

By using general descriptions, an organisation can reduce its own service description and maintenance work. The content of services related to statutory duties is almost the same in all municipalities, wellbeing services counties or employment areas, so it does not make sense for every municipality, wellbeing services county or employment area to produce nearly identical general texts in the FSC.

Similarly, the Evangelical Lutheran parishes services are generally similar, even though their local implementation method varies.

General descriptions come with the following features:

• name
• service type
• type of use
• background or main description
• target group
• service class
• keywords
• possible conditions and criteria, instructions, and information on fees
• possible deadline, processing period, period of validity (permit or other obligation services)
• possible life event
• possible legislation on which the service is based.

Different classifications and keywords have been assigned to the general descriptions. When a general description is used as a basis for the service, the administrator does not need to make any effort to assign categories or keywords.

What the general description texts do not describe is how the service is implemented by an individual organisation; the text of the general description is only a summary of the service. In addition, the organisation must provide the customer with detailed instructions on what the client must do to receive the service.

Maintenance of general descriptions

General descriptions are prepared by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s Suomi.fi editorial team, and they have been fact-checked by experts.

The Suomi.fi editorial team maintains the general descriptions as necessary. Among other things, the editorial team monitors legislative amendments and changes in keywords, updating general descriptions accordingly.

When the Suomi.fi editorial team makes changes to a general description, the changes are automatically reflected in the services that use the general description.

Review the general descriptions in advance

You can read the general descriptions either in the FSC interface or in reports.

You can find the general descriptions in the FSC interface by searching for only the general descriptions.

1. On the front page, press the Edit search filters button.
2. Scroll to Target your search and select Only general descriptions from the menu.
3. You can further specify your search by service classification and keywords, service type, and type of use.
4. Scroll down and press the Narrow the search button.
5. The search will return the general descriptions that match your filter.

The reports only show the general descriptions in Finnish. You can access the reports from the FSC user interface menu.

1. Open the menu and click the Reports link.
2. Click the Suomi.fi Services reports link.
3. Select Suomi.fi Finnish Service Catalogue.
4. You will see all types of FSC reports.
5. Download the general description information report (Excel format).