Lantero top suppliers for municipalities

Lantero has conducted a review of how the municipal sector is working with whistleblowing/whistleblower systems and the types of solutions being used. Generally, there is awareness of the issue, and many municipalities are working methodically and seriously, while a surprisingly large portion still have questionable internal setups for whistleblowing.

The largest provider in the sector is Lantero, serving nearly a quarter of Sweden's municipalities. Additionally, many municipalities are working with other reputable providers who offer a satisfactory level of expertise and case management support.

Close to five percent of municipalities have established setups through a coordinated routine with other municipalities, which often results in a pragmatic and reasonable handling of confidentiality issues, but may raise more significant concerns about ensuring anonymity and may miss the opportunity for specialized support competence as part of the case management process.

"What surprises us in our review of the whistleblowing issue within municipalities is how many still lack support from an independent party," says Andreas Wahlström, Partner Manager at Lantero, who conducted the review. "When serious cases arise, the value of that help usually becomes clear."

Around one-fifth of all Swedish municipalities have set up various types of internal solutions. As the legislation in this area is structured, there is room for interpretation regarding what it means, for example, to guarantee independence, ensure anonymity/confidentiality, or report orally, but according to Andreas Wahlström, it is largely a matter of creating security and trust among employees.

"If the IT department theoretically has access to information regarding a report, it creates credibility issues, even if there are strict rules for how IT department personnel may access and view the information. It’s worth asking what an organization should do to be able to say it guarantees confidentiality for the whistleblower."

As anti-corruption efforts are strengthened within municipalities and whistleblower systems become a more natural part of the work against misconduct, it is likely that the remaining homemade solutions will soon be replaced.