When crises hit, resilience is tested down to the most local level. What civil preparedness determines is whether everyday life can continue. In the Nordic countries, responsibility for preparedness is shared between national authorities, regions, municipalities, private actors, and citizens. While national frameworks often receive the most attention, preparedness is ultimately realised at the local and regional level, where access to essential services must be maintained in both everyday life and times of crisis.
In recent years, overlapping crises, including climate-related events, geopolitical instability, pandemics, and energy disruptions, have exposed structural vulnerabilities in governance systems. These developments raise important questions about how local and regional authorities can strengthen preparedness while upholding democratic principles, service continuity, and social cohesion.
This project examines civil preparedness through a territorial and governance lens. It explores how municipalities and regions across the Nordic countries organise responsibilities, collaborate with private and civil society actors, and integrate preparedness into broader strategies for regional development and sustainability.
Why this project matters
What makes this project different is how it reframes resilience as a function of governance capacity, asking not only how systems respond to crises, but how regions organise responsibilities, maintain trust, and secure essential services in everyday administration.
The project approaches civil preparedness not as emergency response, but as everyday local and regional governance. Where resilience is built through service provision, coordination, and territorial development long before a crisis occurs.
A particular focus is placed on how local and regional authorities ensure continued access to essential services, such as:
- Health and social care
- Energy and water supply
- Food security
- Transport and logistics
- Education and public services
The project also examines how civil preparedness intersects with regional economic development through concepts such as self-sufficiency and security of supply, and how public–private cooperation models contribute to resilient service provision.
What this project will deliver
We aim to support local and regional authorities in the Nordic countries in strengthening their work on civil preparedness. In particular their capacity to maintain and enhance access to services in times of peace as well as crisis.
To achieve this, the project will:
- Map and analyse governance models for civil preparedness across the Nordic countries
- Examine how responsibilities are distributed between state, regional, local, private, and civil actors
- Identify challenges and barriers faced by municipalities and regions
- Highlight good practices and innovative cooperation models
- Explore how preparedness can be integrated into broader regional development strategies
- Strengthen Nordic learning and collaboration on civil preparedness
The project combines policy analysis, interviews, case studies, territorial perspectives, and cross-Nordic synthesis.
How we work
The project is structured in five steps:
1. Civil preparedness in local and regional governance models
The first phase develops a conceptual and policy overview of civil preparedness in the Nordic countries. It examines formal responsibilities and governance structures and identifies municipalities and regions for in-depth case studies.
Semi-structured interviews with public authorities, private actors, and civil society representatives form the core of this work. Case reports are developed for selected regions across the Nordic countries.
2. Territorial perspectives on civil preparedness
This phase explores how geography, regional profiles, and economic structures influence preparedness. It analyses governance and business models that support access to services and security of supply, including examples of regional cooperation and innovation.
3. Resilient Nordic communication
Preparedness is not only institutional. It is also communicative. This phase investigates how authorities communicate with inhabitants about preparedness, including the inclusion of vulnerable groups such as children and youth. The analysis contributes to developing more inclusive and effective communication practices.
4. Cross-Nordic analysis and recommendations
In this phase, findings from policy overviews, interviews, and case studies are synthesised. The project identifies similarities, differences, and transferable lessons across the Nordic countries. The results will inform a final report and policy brief with recommendations for strengthening local and regional civil preparedness.
5. Project management and dissemination
Throughout the project, results are shared through webinars, workshops, and policy dialogues to facilitate as much Nordic exchange and peer-to-peer learning as possible in the time we have.
This research project is part of the Nordic thematic group for local and regional resilience and attractiveness. The Nordic thematic groups contribute to the Nordic Co-operation Programme for Regional Development and Planning 2025–2030 under the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Committee of Senior Officials for Regional Policy (EK-R).
