<p>I denna uppsats behandlas ohälsans regionala utveckling och syftet är att analysera vad som påverkar den svenska ohälsan. Teori angående hushållens val mellan fritid och arbete används för att analysera resultaten från den empiriska undersökningen. Bakgrunden till denna uppsats bottnar i utvecklingen av ohälsotalen som har ökat med 5,1 dagar mellan åren 2000 och 2004. De empiriska resultaten påvisar att arbetslösheten har ett positivt samband med ohälsa och att kvinnor tenderar att vara mer sjuka än män. Vidare bekräftar resultaten att inkomsten har ett negativt samband med ohälsa och detta är även sant för stora företag. Följaktligen har små företag en positiv inverkan på ohälsotalen och en analys av kommuner belägna i den norra delen av Sverige påvisar ett högre ohälsotal än övriga kommuner. Vidare är individernas ålder en faktor som kan förklara utvecklingen av öhälsotalen. Dessa resultat bekräftar att arbetslöshet, kön, inkomst, företagsstorlek, ålder och kommuner belägna i den norra delen är faktorer som kan förklara ohälsotalens utveckling, men även andra faktorer är av betydelse.</p> / <p>This thesis examines the regional development of ill-health and the purpose is to analyse factors that tend to influence the Swedish ill-health. Theory of household choice between work and leisure is used when analysing the results of the empirical study. The background for this thesis is derived from the development of ill-health that has increased with 5.1 days between the years 2000 and 2004. The empirical findings show that unemployment has a positive relationship with ill-health and that women tend to be more ill than men. Furthermore, the results confirm that income has a negative relationship with ill-health and this is also true for large companies. Consequently, small companies have positive influence on ill-health and an analysis of the municipalities in the northern part of Sweden points out a higher number of ill-health than the other municipalities. Moreover, the individuals’ age is also a factor that can explain the development of ill-health. These findings confirm that unemployment, gender, income, size of company, age, and the municipalities in the north-ern part are factors that can explain the development of ill-health. However, other factors are important in the process as well.</p>

In the European Union 500 million tonnes of waste are either incinerated without energy recovery,or deposited in landfills, which could have been recycled instead. The European Union initiated theCircular Economy Package in order to decrease the amount of waste being generated, lost inlandfills, and to increase the recycling and usage of recycled material. However, the CircularEconomy Package did not contain any targets focusing on energy recovery, and only mentionedenergy recovery as having a role in decreasing the amount of waste deposited in landfills. TheCircular Economy Package was in the end of 2014 withdrawn but will come back with moreambitious targets. In Sweden energy recovery is treating more than 50% of the municipal waste andwould then be affected by the targets of the Circular Economy Package when it comes back.This thesis focuses on Linköping and Norrköping to identify the what role energy recovery have inthese municipalities, both present and future, as well as asking the questions of how waste is valuedas a resource.The results were that both municipalities thought that it was important to have separate sorting ofmunicipal waste, to separate organic waste from the rest, in order to use it in material recycling andthe rest in energy recovery. In both municipalities the energy recovery had the role of treating themunicipal waste which was found to be not recyclable, as well as to deliver heat and electricity. Allof the organisations were identified to have a high environmental value on waste, but the economicvalue of waste were low or negative. The municipalities also knew little of the Circular EconomyPackage, but were aware of it, while the energy companies knew a little more of it, but still littlecompared to their national interest organisations Avfall Sverige and Svensk Fjärrvärme. All of theorganisations had identified similar challenges such as increased focus on recycling, minimisationof waste, but also a focus on decreasing amount of hazardous substances in products in order todecrease the amount of waste which needed to be deposited in landfills.

Challenging economic conditions have led local governments to explore alternative methods to deliver public services to residents. This thesis explores historical contracting out trends and offers new research about contracting out activity by local jurisdictions in the state of Florida. Through an e-survey, the new data examines if cities and counties in Florida increased contracting out activity of public services in response to a declining economic environment and changes in population growth trends. This elaborate and multifaceted task is accomplished through a deliberate interdisciplinary research approach. The literature review consists of well-known publication responsible for creating the foundation of contracting out research, which has been covered often in previous research. However, this thesis also spans across customary research approaches by including recent news coverage from non-traditional sources, extensive analysis of the most recent United States economic recession, and a close examination of the specific changes that transpired in Florida. It covers publication from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the National League of Cities (NLC). It also covers data from sources focused on Florida such as the Bureau of Economic Business Research (BEBR, Florida Department of Revenue (DOR), and the Florida League of Cities (FLC). Combined with a comprehensive literature review, the research explores whether two explanatory factors (population growth changes and fiscal pressures) were drivers of contracting out decisions by Florida counties and cities during the 2007-2009 recession.

Forskningsproblem Sedan 2013 får svenska kommuner reservera medel i enresultatutjämningsreserv (RUR) för att utjämna skatteintäkteröver en konjunkturcykel. Behov finns att förklara efterlevnadenav denna nya, frivilliga redovisningsreglering. Syfte Syftet med studien är att beskriva och förklara tillämpning ochefterlevnad av RUR i svenska kommuner. Metod 16 hypoteser härleds utifrån befintlig redovisningsteori. Dessaprövas genom en dokumentstudie av 289 årsredovisningar.Dessutom intervjuas 2 ekonomichefer. Resultat 122 svenska kommuner (42 %) har reserverat medel till(tillämpar) RUR. Endast 5 kommuner (4 %) har korrektredovisning (efterlevnad) av RUR. Medelkommunen avviker 40% från lagstiftningen. Kunskapsbidrag De statistiska analyserna visar att finansiell styrka, politiskmajoritet och revisionsbyrå kan förklara tillämpning ochefterlevnad av RUR. Intervjustudien indikerar även att resurserinom kommunen, graden av engagemang hos tjänstemän samtandra kommuner påverkar RUR. / Problem Since 2013, Swedish municipalities have the opportunity toreserve funds to a municipal balancing reserve (MBR), inorder to equalize tax revenues during an economic cycle.There are needs to explain the compliance of this new,voluntary accounting regulation. Purpose The aim of this study is to describe and explain accountingchoice and compliance of MBR in Swedish municipalities. Method 16 hypothesis are derived from existent accounting theory.They are tested through a document study of 289 annualreports. Furthermore, 2 CFOs are interviewed. Results 122 Swedish municipalities (42 %) have reserved funds toMBR. Only 5 municipalities (4 %) have excellentcompliance. On average, municipalities deviate 40 % fromthe legal requirements. Contribution The statistical analyses show that financial strength, politicalmajority and audit firm can explain practice and complianceof MBR. The interviews also indicates that resources withinthe municipality, the level of commitment among theofficials and other municipalities influence MBR.

Many municipalities are deciding how to engage their citizens through social media while, at the same time, the universe of social media applications continues to grow and evolve. As of May 2011, the government of the City of New Braunfels, Texas, is not using centralized social media to interact with its constituents. This report considers whether or not social media tools are appropriate to help the city reach three identified service goals: 1) strengthening emergency management and communications services; 2) providing the capability to serve as a direct-to-citizen news entity instead of relying on traditional media for messaging; and 3) increasing public participation and engagement. Possible options and unresolved issues associated with each goal are presented. The community demographic profile of New Braunfels, the city’s status as a small urban community, and citizen access to high-speed Internet service increases the likelihood that residents will be online and engaged with social media on a regular basis. Data regarding the ownership of mobile phones and the use of these devices to connect to the Internet, combined with growing interest in social media, supports the exploration of social media for crisis communications. Three types of social media applications (microblogs/status-sharing applications, public alert applications, and blogs) present possible options for the use of social media to support emergency communications. Existing patterns of local press coverage provide the city with the possible motivation to innovate its message delivery. Possible options that could facilitate the city’s engagement of social media for messaging include hiring a public information officer, conducting an audit of the city’s brand identity online, and examining social media applications used by the city’s market comparators, including micromedia, photo and video sharing, and blogs. While data is limited with respect to existing levels of civic engagement, establishing social media policies and metrics capable of adapting to changing technologies could provide city administrators with a reasonable perspective on the value of social media for improving public engagement and participation. / text

The purpose of this essay has been to find out how adolescents from Södermöre in the municipality of Kalmar experience the central place Kalmar. It has also been the intention to make clear, whether the relation between the adolescents and the central place Kalmar could be described as a centre-periphery-relation. The basis of this essay has been interviews of all together nine adolescents. A centre-periphery-situation can according to the theory be discovered by analyzing three categories: culture, economy and politics. If the centre dominates the periphery in one of these three categories, a centre-periphery-situation exists. The theory also says that the people living in the periphery experience less kinship with the people living in the centre. The adolescents from Södermöre showed to experience the central place Kalmar in a way, that can be described in five categories: travelling mostly by bus, unfair distribution of the resources of the municipality, political equality, social equality and the awareness of the central place Kalmar as the place ‘where everything is located’. When it came to economy and politics, no indications of a centre-periphery-situation were found during the interviews with the adolescents. However, culturally the adolescents from Södermöre seemed to experience domination from the central place Kalmar. This domination was strengthened by the experience of bad bus services.

Bakalauro baigiamajame darbe analizuojamas NVO ir savivaldybių bendradarbiavimas teikiant socialines paslaugas: Šiaulių miesto savivaldybės atvejis. Konceptualiojoje darbo dalyje nagrinėjami NVO ir savivaldybių bendradarbiavimo teikiant socialines paslaugas teoriniai aspektai: analizuojama socialinių paslaugų teikimo sistema Lietuvoje bei jos reglamentavimas, išsiaiškinamos socialinių paslaugų ir NVO sampratos, nagrinėjamas NVO vaidmuo socialinių paslaugų teikimo sistemoje, jų rūšys ir teikiamos socialinės paslaugos bei analizuojami NVO ir savivaldybių bendradarbiavimo teikiant socialines paslaugas galimi modeliai ir būdai. Tiriamojoje darbo dalyje atliekama teisinių dokumentų, reglamentuojančių NVO ir Šiaulių miesto savivaldybės bendradarbiavimą, analizė ir pusiau struktūrizuotas interviu, kuriame apklausiami Šiaulių miesto savivaldybės ir NVO, susijusių su socialinių paslaugų teikimu, atstovai. Buvo išsiaiškintas teisinės bazės tinkamumas plėtoti jų tarpusiavio bendradarbiavimą, NVO teikiamų socialinių paslaugų kokybė ir jų finansavimo galimybės, bendradarbiavimą ribojantys veiksniai ir tobulintinos kryptys. Darbo pabaigoje, remiantis teorine analize ir atlikto tyrimo rezultatais, pateikiamos išvados ir rekomendacijos. Darbo įvade iškelta hipotezė, jog „Šiaulių miesto savivaldybėje teikiant socialines paslaugas vyksta bendradarbiavimas su NVO, tačiau jis yra ribojamas dėl nuolatinės skiriamo finansavimo stokos, savivaldybės darbuotojų kompetencijos trūkumo ir tarpusavio... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / This bachelor thesis analyzes NGOs and municipalities cooperation providing social services: the case of Siauliai city municipality. The conceptual part of this thesis examines theoretical aspects of cooperation between NGOs and municipalities, providing public services. This part analyzes social services provision system and its regulation, clarifies the concept of social services and NGOs. Also discloses the role of NGOs in social services provision, NGOs types and social services provided. Finally the possible models and techniques in NGOs and municipalities cooperation is analyzed. Practical part of the paper analyzes legal instructions that regulates cooperation of NGOs and municipalities and carried out semi-structured interviews of representatives of NGOs and municipality of Siauliai city who are related to social services provision. In this way were clarified legal framework suitability in cooperation development, cooperation evaluation, factors that are limiting cooperation and directions of development. In the end of paper according to the results of theoretical analysis and empirical researches, were constructed conclusions and presented recommendations. Hypothesis raised in the introduction of this paper, that: „Then providing social services in the Siauliai city municipality there is cooperation with NGOs, but it is limited by permanent lack of funding, the municipality stuff incompetence and miscommunication.” was clarified.

Lietuvai tapus Europos Sąjungos nare, vienas iš uždavinių kuo geriau įsisavinti ES struktūrinių fondų finansinės paramos lėšas. ES struktūrinių fondų lėšos Lietuvoje pradėtos įsisavinti vadovaujantis 2004-2006 m. Bendruoju programavimo dokumentu (BPD). Todėl 2004-2006 m. Bendrojo programavimo laikotarpiui einant į pabaigą ir prieš prasidedant 2007-2013 m. finansinės paramos etapui būtina identifikuoti ne tik sėkmes, bet ir problemas, su kuriomis susidūrė fondų paramą administruojančios institucijos, mokėjimo institucijos bei patys pareiškėjai 2004-2006 metų finansavimo etape. / When Lithuania became a member of European Union, one of goals was to assimilate recourses of financial assistance of European Union (EU) Structural Funds. In Lithuania recourses of EU Structural Funds were proceeded to assimilate, following by 2004 – 2006 the Single Programming Document (SPD) of Lithuania. That’s why, when 2004 – 2006 SPD’s implementation is going to the end and starting 2007 – 2013 a stage of financial assistance, before that it’s necessary to identify not only success, but and problems, with which institutions, managing financial assistance, science institutions and applicants conflicted in sponsorship’s stage of 2004 - 2006. There are raised necessary goals for the system of implementation of Structural Funds: A goal of the work: 1) To find out problems of assimilation of Structural Funds in municipalities of Plunge’s district and Lithuania, estimating quality and efficiency of 2004 – 2006 SPD’s implementation, management and supervision; 2) To submit recommendations and suggestions, how to solve these problems.

Abstract Title: External communication and brand strategies in Swedish municipalities
 Author: Philip Hagne &amp; Einar Svensson
 Tutor: Jessica Gustafsson
 Purpose: The aim of this thesis was to study and obtain greater understanding on how Swedish municipalities use external communication and branding strategies to gain and attract more residents. The key questions to be answered in this thesis were: What does the external communication look like in the selected municipalities? Are the selected municipalities trying to establish their own brand? What does the work on creating the brand look like?
 Method/Material: This thesis is based on material collected trough interviews with people working with external communication in eleven swedish municipalities. The selected municipalities where divided into two groups based on their negative or positive population growth between 2005 and 2012. All of the selected municipalities where in the same population range between 20,000 and 40,000 citizens. The theoretical framework used in this thesis consists of David Aaker’s theories on Brand Equity along with Graham Hankinson’s, Gregory Ashworth's and Mihalis Kavaratzis theories on Place Branding.
 Main results: The main results show that the external communication is rather similar in all of the eleven municipalities regardless their population trend. The study could not show any definite correlation between the use of external communication and branding towards gaining new inhabitants. However this thesis sugests that municipal councils have changed their attitudes in prioritizing the external communication. The attitude from municipal councils today are more positive than earlier research has shown. Furthermore this thesis has shown that the financial issues and low communication budgets still are the main reason for limited work on external communication, though this is solved with collaborations with local actors in the public sphere.
 Number of pages: 64
 Course: Media and Communication studies C
 University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala University
 Period: Fall 2013
 Keywords: Brand, external communication, municipalities

Syftet med denna studie är att genom kvalitativ metod och utifrån ett lednings-perspektiv, urskilja viktiga faktorer för kommuner i arbetet med att implementera och långsiktigt vidmakthålla Lean som metod. Studien har genomförts i två svenska kommuner. Vi har undersökt varför och hur kommuner arbetar med Lean samt vad de hittills har uppnått. Totalt har sex semistrukturerade intervjuer utförts med nyckelpersoner som innehar en ledande- eller stödfunktion. Resultatet påvisar att införandet av Lean grundas i att kommunerna vill förbättra kvalitén för kunden, minska slöserier samt effektivisera organisationen för att kunna möta framtidens ökade efterfrågan. Deras huvudsakliga fokus finns på att skapa en Lean-kultur. De främsta verktygen som används är värdeflödes-kartläggning, visuell styrning genom förbättringstavlor samt 5S. Vissa verksamheter använder även PDCA-hjulet. Det som Lean-arbetet hittills genererat är att vissa arbetsuppgifter och processer har förändrats och resultatet har därmed blivit minskat slöseri. I ett fall har värdet för slutkunden ökat genom minskad väntetid. Studien påvisar följande faktorer som avgörande för att skapa ett långsiktigt Lean-arbete: fokus skall vara på att skapa värde för slutkund, verksamheten måste inneha god kunskap om metoden samt stödjande ledarskap måste finnas på alla nivåer. Lean måste dessutom anpassas till varje enskild verksamhet, fokus bör finnas på kultur istället för verktyg samt ha ett sunt förhållningssätt för att minska motstånd. / The purpose of this study is to with a qualitative method and from a management perspective, identify important factors for municipalities in their work with implementing and maintain a long-term Lean methodology. The study was conducted in two Swedish municipalities. We have studied why and how municipalities are working with Lean and what Lean so far generated in. A total of six semi-structured interviews were conducted with key-people who has a managing- or supporting function. The result found that the aim of introducing Lean in the municipalities is to improve the quality for the customer, reduce waste, and make the organization more efficient so that it can meet future increased demand. Their main focus is to create a Lean culture where Lean is a natural part of the daily work. The main tools used are 5S, value stream-mapping, visual control. Some departments also use the PDCA wheel. What Lean work so far generated in is that some tasks and processes have changed which resulted in a reduced waste. In one case has the value for the end customer increased by reducing waiting time. The study establishes the following factors as crucial to creating a long-term Lean work: focus must be on creating value for the end customer, the organization must possess a great knowledge of Lean as a method, and the leadership must at all levels be engaged and supportive. Lean must be adapted to each individual organization, the focus should be on culture rather than tools, and have a reliable approach to reduce any resistance.