SMHI has been selected as Sweden's Most Modern Agency

The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, SMHI, has won the award for Sweden's Most Modern Agency 2013. The award was presented by the Minister for Public Administration and Housing Stefan Attefall at a conference on quality and operational development at the end of November.

“Collaboration and transparency are key guiding principles for our business, and this award is a great honour,” says Lena Häll Eriksson, Director General at SMHI. “We also actively assume major societal challenges. This is especially true in areas like knowledge for climate adaptation or our highly topical initiative on making more and more data open.”

The panel's verdict was read out at the awards ceremony:

“SMHI is broadly a good exponent of the modern state. It offers maximum customer orientation, the greatest possible transparency and a steadfast use of the latest technology in order to develop better business operations and even more reliable weather forecasts.”

The award for Sweden's Most Modern Agency 2013 is based on four criteria for defining a modern state agency:

  • Quality, simplicity and efficiency
  • Committed and competent staff
  • Renewal and innovation
  • Sustainable and environmentally conscious development

Behind the award, which will encourage continued quality work in the state, are the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications, the National Council for Innovation and Quality in the Public Sector, VINNOVA, the E-delegation, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Quality Fair together with the unions ST and Saco-S as well as the Riksdag & Departement newspaper.