The 16th edition of the distinctions of The Observatory for the Family Friendly Municipalities (OAFR) includes an instrument to support local authorities in their definition of policies as employers
The employees of the Portuguese municipalities that took part in this edition of the OAFR were invited to answer a questionnaire on existing internal policies that facilitate reconciling family and work life, as well as possible suggestions for measures to be implemented. The compilation of (anonymous) responses from employees from the same municipality can work as a powerful tool as it allows managers to know the importance that employees give to existing measures and their impact on family life, thus allowing ( re)alignment/reinforcement of your strategy.
In 2023, the OAFR distinguished 108 Portuguese municipalities for having developed an appropriate set of family-friendly policies. Last year, 16 municipalities debuted in the distinction of the ‘Family Friendly Municipality’ and received the green flag: Pampilhosa da Serra; Amarante; Horta; Baião; Arouca; Lagoa; Santa Maria da Feira; Maia; Vila Nova de Gaia; Grândola; Ponte da Barca; Valença; Montalegre; Sabrosa; Cinfães and Tarouca.
Coimbra led the districts with the most awarded municipalities (15) and the most participating municipalities (17). The district of Aveiro came second with 11 distinctions, followed by the districts of Lisbon and Porto (10); Santarém (8); Braga and Faro (7), Guarda (6); Viseu and the Azores (5); Vila Real, Leiria and Viana do Castelo (4); Castelo Branco, Beja and Setúbal (3); Madeira (2); Évora (1).
The OAFR was created in 2008 by the Portuguese Large Families Association and its main objectives are to monitor, award and disseminate the best practices of Portuguese municipalities in terms of family responsibility for families in general.