Description of Document Publicity
Under section 28 of the Act on Information Management in Public Administration (906/2019), the City of Kuhmo is required to maintain a description of the information resources, case register and documents it manages. The purpose of this description is to facilitate public access to official documents, and it is referred to as the Description of Document Publicity.
The Description of Document Publicity explains the extent to which information about residents, service users and employees is collected when matters are processed and City services are used. Its purpose is to make it easier for residents to submit requests for documents and information.
Under the Act on the Openness of Government Activities, a request for information must be sufficiently specific for the City to determine which document the request concerns (621/1999, section 13). The City is obliged to assist the person making the request in identifying the document. Providing information about the datasets held by the City also promotes transparency in public administration.
The descriptions of datasets include search criteria that can be used to retrieve information from the information systems or archives contained in each information resource. The Description of Document Publicity also provides instructions on how to request information.
The Description of Document Publicity is maintained and updated continuously to ensure that the information it contains remains up to date.
The privacy notices available on the Data Protection pages also serve as part of the Description of Document Publicity. They describe the registers in use and include information on categories of personal data, purposes of processing, disclosure of data and the lifecycle of the data.
Information Resources and Registers
Under section 2(2) of the Act on Information Management in Public Administration, an information management entity is an authority, such as the City of Kuhmo, responsible for organising information management in accordance with the requirements of the Act.
An information resource is a collection of datasets used in carrying out the City’s statutory duties or other activities. The information may be processed using information systems or manually.
A case register is a register of matters that have been initiated, the stages of their processing and the documents related to them.
A logical information resource, or register, refers to a set of personal data concerning data subjects from which information can be retrieved according to specific criteria. A register may consist of one or more sources of information located in different places. The concept of a logical register means that personal data collected for the same purpose forms a single personal data register.
The City of Kuhmo’s information resources and registers contain information and documents required under applicable legislation for the provision of City services, service providers, personnel administration and financial administration. Information stored in these resources and registers can be searched using, for example, a person’s name, personal identity code, property identifier, case number (register number) or keyword.
A physical information resource, or archive, refers to a system for managing groups of documents and their storage. The term archive also covers the storage, transportation and general management of documents, as well as the premises or buildings intended for storing them. The City of Kuhmo maintains information resources and registers in both analogue (paper) and digital (electronic) formats.
A data subject is a natural person whose personal data is processed in a register. Depending on the register, this may be a customer or resident, an employee of an organisation or a cooperation partner.
The processing, storage, archiving and disposal of information and documents by the City of Kuhmo comply with the requirements of applicable legislation, including the Local Government Act, Administrative Procedure Act, EU General Data Protection Regulation, national Data Protection Act, Act on the Openness of Government Activities, Act on Information Management in Public Administration, sector-specific legislation and Archives Act.
Search Criteria for Documents
Documents can be searched using criteria such as:
- person’s name
- personal identity code
- property identifier
- case number (register number)
Officials Responsible for Decisions on the Disclosure of Information
Under section 35 of the City of Kuhmo Administrative Regulations, requests for information concerning documents of the City Council are decided by the Director of Administration.
Requests concerning other municipal bodies are handled by the presenting official of the relevant body, i.e. the senior official responsible for the service area (Service Area Director). Under section 34 of the Administrative Regulations, a municipal body or official may delegate decision-making authority granted to it under the regulations to a subordinate authority.
Confidential documents and information are disclosed only to parties who have a legal right of access to them.
If the requested documents or information cannot be disclosed, the person making the request must be informed of the reasons and of their right to request a formal decision by the authority. Decisions made by a municipal body or official concerning access to information or documents may be appealed directly to the Administrative Court.
Contact Information
Requests for information can be submitted to the City of Kuhmo:
By email:
kirjaamo@kuhmo.fi
By post:
City of Kuhmo Registry Office
P.O. Box 15
FI-88901 Kuhmo
Finland
Visiting address:
Kainuuntie 82
88900 Kuhmo
The Registry Office registers information requests to ensure that statutory deadlines are met and forwards each request to the appropriate department for processing.
