Vision and values

Our vision

Longyearbyen – unique, safe, close and creative

Unique – Longyearbyen is a unique place in terms of its location, history, nature, culture, climate, legislation, and international population. The Longyearbyen Local Council values and shows tolerance and respect for diversity, inclusion, history, and the natural and cultural environment. 

Safe – Longyearbyen is a safe and inclusive community with predictable conditions for its population and businesses. The Longyearbyen local government aims to be a reliable employer, administering regulations with openness, predictability, and equal treatment.

Close-knit – Longyearbyen has been built up as a community and provides a shared identity and sense of belonging among its residents. The Longyearbyen Local Council works actively to facilitate citizenship through its presence, accessibility, and promotion of co-creation, cooperation, and good partnerships. 

Creative – Longyearbyen is a place in development, where creativity and diversity flourish. The Longyearbyen Local Council shall facilitate sustainable business development and entrepreneurship and contribute to sustainable change processes.  

Values of the Longyearbyen Local Council

1. Longyearbyen Local Council is an open and accessible organization based on good information, communication, and co-determination.

The personnel policy and practices implemented in the organization support the local council's goals. Through its personnel policy, the employer focuses on the connection between service quality and the internal life of the organization. Good services require competent and satisfied employees.
Longyearbyen Local Council is characterized by trust, loyalty, and closeness between managers and employees. There is a mutual expectation of knowledge among both managers and employees – and thus an expectation of participation when decisions are made. Personnel policy decisions are shaped through good processes between the employer and the employees and their organizations. The organization is characterized by an informal and open structure where it is easy to raise questions, including matters that are open to criticism.

2. Longyearbyen Local Council has a life-stage-oriented personnel policy based on equal treatment and fairness, with opportunities for individual treatment.

Both the overall personnel policy and the work situation can be adapted to different life situations and life stages. As an inclusive workplace, the Longyearbyen Local Council seeks to be flexible in the different life stages, life situations, and health difficulties that employees may encounter. This involves reciprocity in terms of expectations for both employers and employees. In the context of recruitment, the "qualification principle" is followed, but it is also important for the working environment to have diversity and for differences to be respected.

3. Longyearbyen Local Council is a developing workplace where employees are given the opportunity for professional and personal development.

The formal and real competence of our employees is of great value to each individual, to the organization, to society, and to the services we provide. Because good services require competent and satisfied employees, Longyearbyen Local Authority wants to have the best possible systematic and planned competence development for its employees.

4. The Longyearbyen Local Authority has a working environment that contributes to a shared identity, inclusion, and interaction across workplaces.

In Longyearbyen, the vast majority of people live far from their usual social networks and families (on the mainland), and most feel a strong connection to their work environment. Therefore, extensive mutual support is expected.
The Longyearbyen Local Council maintains a good working environment where employees thrive and enjoy going to work. The Longyearbyen Local Council strives to achieve this by providing challenging work tasks that allow employees to use their skills, and a comprehensive range of welfare services aimed at creating well-being, humor, and joy for employees both at work and in their free time.

Adopted by the joint administration committee on October 13, 2009.