What we do
Since its start, the Plain Swedish Group has worked in close contact with the Swedish authorities. We are now proud to have a contact person at every government authority in Sweden. These plain language enthusiasts often have a special responsibility for language matters, and some of them have organised networks including other authorities from the same geographical region.

Every year, we arrange plain language conferences to which all kinds of civil servants, such as county governors, directors-general, lawyers, information officers and secretaries, have been invited. The conferences are usually held at the Conference Center in the government building Rosenbad in Stockholm. Sometimes, we organise conferences together with local and government authorities, sometimes we participate in events arranged by other organisations in Sweden or abroad.

The Plain Swedish Group also

• supplies knowledge, ideas and experiences from various plain language projects in Sweden and abroad
• gives lectures on plain language to the authorities
• edits a plain language bulletin, Klarspråksbulletinen
• " manages a web site: www.justitie.regeringen.se/klarsprak

The Plain Swedish Crystal
In May of every year, the Plain Swedish Group awards the Plain Swedish Crystal to an authority that has obtained good results in its plain language work. The award aims to encourage government and local authorities to continue their important work.

In 2002, the Minister for Development Cooperation, Migration and Asylum Policy awarded the Crystal to a Government Committee at a conference on the theme Plain Language for everybody. This was the fifth time The Plain Swedish Crystal was awarded, and also the year when as many as 22 authorities were nominated.

The committee got the award thanks to a well-written report, Death concerns us all - worthy care at the end of life. The report charts and analyses how people experience health care at the end of life and proposes measures to ensure all terminally ill or dying people receive care of good quality and adequate relief from pain and other symptoms. The award jury found the report a "model of clearness and high quality from the point of view of content."