The list of the most important societal functions has been updated

Illustration: Civil Defense Agency Having a common definition of what constitutes the most important societal functions is crucial for society to function during peacetime crises, before and during heightened preparedness, and ultimately in wartime. With the latest revision, the title has been changed to List of the Most Important Societal Functions to clarify the connection to the goal of civil defense and to ensure that the functions included are deemed necessary for society's basic needs, values, or security. The functions listed in the publication are those necessary for society's fundamental needs, values, or security, says department head Annika Elmgart of the Department for Strategic Orientation and Planning. The revised list also includes clarifications on how the list should be used and how the primary residence within a preparedness sector relates to planning responsibilities and reporting of situation reports. The names and definitions of several important societal functions have been clarified to make it easier to identify critical societal activities that maintain these functions. This way, actors whose activities contribute to the military defense capability, such as the defense industry, can be identified as critical to society by, for example, geographic area managers.