CommuniCity research permits

Each city has its own unique processes for piloting initiatives, and the City of Helsinki provides a well-structured permit process for research related to the City of Helsinki or using the City’s data sets. 

The City of Helsinki outlines its comprehensive research permit process on its official webpage, with specific procedures and forms varying across different city divisions. For many pilots conducted in association with the City of Helsinki Social Services and Health Care Division—commonly involved in CommuniCity Helsinki projects—a research permit from the city is required.

While this process is specific to Helsinki’s challenges and pilots, it serves as a valuable reference for other municipalities lacking similar frameworks. Analysing such policies and associated risks can aid in evaluating essential considerations for piloting initiatives in diverse urban settings.

The process described below is the research permit process of the Social Services and Health Care Division:

Acquiring this permit involves considerable planning, documentation and time investment from the pilot team. However, careful planning is essential, irrespective of whether the permit is mandatory. This ensures comprehensive consideration of all essential aspects, including GDPR compliance and ethical considerations. Such considerations are especially critical when involving marginalised groups, ensuring the protection of individuals’ rights and privacy throughout the research process.

The City of Helsinki research permit application must include following documentation (check the current guidance directly from the City of Helsinki research permit webpage):

  1. A research plan detailing your target group, research questions, goals, methods, data collection method, and data analysis. Your plan must indicate how clients or employees will be directed to your study in practice, or how and by whom the register data will be collected and where it will be stored.
  2. An information letter for the subjects.
  3. A consent form (a section confirming the participant’s explicit consent will be added to the beginning of an interview study).
  4. Data collection material (questionnaire, interview frame, description of observation or request for statistical data).
  5. A privacy policy (whenever personal data is processed in research).
  6. A data protection impact assessment if the study involves processing special categories of personal data. The Data Protection Ombudsman must be informed of the impact assessment in writing before the study is started.
  7. When necessary, a statement from the Ethics Committee: in medical research (Medical Research Act 488/1999), a statement from the HUS Ethics Committee or the National Committee on Medical Research Ethics, or in non-medical research, a statement from another Ethics Committee.
  8. In pharmaceutical research, a statement from the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea (not relevant for CommuniCity pilots).

The permit is submitted by an individual of the pilot team, accompanied by at least one pilot host contact person; a staff member of the City of Helsinki. It is crucial to note that the processing of a research permit application typically takes between 2 to 6 weeks.

Moreover, the research cannot begin until the permit is granted. Given the timeframe of a 6-month pilot project, obtaining the research permit in a timely manner becomes a critical task during the preparation phase.