Menetelmiä ja tietolähteitä politiikkatoimien vaikutusten arviointiin

Knowledge about different methods and information sources helps in decision-making during impact assessments and supports the formulation of policy. This publication provides policymakers with methods and information sources for formulating policies. The material was produced as part of the project initiated by the Finnish Ministry of the Environment in 2011 in order to improve ex-ante impact assessment of legislation, plans and programmes. The project was part of the Ministry’s Strategy 2020.

This report consists of two main sections. Each description of a method or information source makes up its own entity allowing policymakers to utilise the appropriate methods and information sources in a particular circumstance. Descriptions are provided of the specifics of each method and information source and their applicability to impact assessments. Additionally, the descriptions include links to further sources of information and examples of how the method or information source in question has been utilised in practice.

The first section contains methods that policymakers themselves can apply in different phases of formulating policies. The more complex methods that require further assistance from experts specialised in a particular method are described in the second section. This section also introduces various models, data systems and data sources that research institutes and other organisations have developed and that can be applied to environmental, economic or other impact assessment.