KAMUT – The importance, roles, capacity and value of civil society organisations in contributing to Finland’s comprehensive security and societal resilience

The implementation of the Finnish Security Strategy for Society requires up-to-date and systematically organized knowledge regarding the role, capabilities, usability, operating conditions, and economic value of civil society organizations in relation to the strategic tasks defined in the Security Strategy for Society. The diversity of civil society organizations and the complexity of the operating environment create a need to identify which critical functions different types of organizations support or could support, under what conditions, and what risks may be associated with such involvement. Furthermore, there is a need for knowledge on which organizations contribute to the strategic tasks of the YTS independently or under the guidance of public authorities, and how the constitutional framework both constrains and enables the delegation of such tasks to actors other than public authorities. There is also a need for information on the economic value of civil society activities to support the appropriate allocation of resilience-related funding and funding targets, as well as to assess uncertainties related to the resources, operational capacity, and availability of organizations under different scenarios.

The objective of the KAMUT project is to examine the significance, potential roles, value, and applicability of civil society organizations as part of the implementation of the strategic tasks defined in the Security Strategy for Society. The strategic tasks of the Security Strategy for Society serve both as the starting point for the analysis and as the overarching framework guiding the entire project.

The project seeks to address the identified information needs and research questions in the following ways:

1. The KAMUT project will develop a comprehensive understanding of the significance of civil society organizations for the strategic tasks of the Security Strategy for Society and for societal resilience, and identify which functions related to the Security Strategy for Society are performed by organizations independently or under the direction of public authorities.
2. The project will examine the opportunities and constraints established by the Constitution for developing the role of civil society organizations in relation to the strategic tasks of the Security Strategy for Society.
3. The project will assess the economic value and benefits of civil society activities from the perspective of the strategic tasks of the Security Strategy for Society.
4. The project will assess and anticipate the usability and availability of civil society organizations during disruptions in normal conditions and in emergency conditions, taking into account the diversity of the organizational field, uncertainties related to resources, and the complexity of the operating environment.
5. The project will produce information to support decision-making and preparedness planning, and disseminate its findings through a Policy Brief (December 2026) and a final report (June 2027).

The objective of the project's communication and stakeholder engagement activities is to ensure the successful implementation of the project, incorporate stakeholder perspectives into the research process, and communicate the project's findings to public administration actors and civil society organizations involved in the implementation of the strategic tasks of the Security Strategy for Society, thereby supporting and advancing their implementation and development.