From vision to reality
Department of Service and Innovation Annual Report 2025
Dept. of Human Resources and Work Environments
The Department of Human Resources and Work Environments oversees human resources matters for Reykjavík City. The department strongly emphasizes working closely with managers, departmental human resources services, and the City's support departments to simplify processes, improve services, and create an efficient, positive work environment. Throughout 2025, dedicated teams continued developing internal services and preparing key systems that support the City's human resources management.
Key steps in developing core systems
During the year, preparations focused on rolling out MOLA, a new human resources and payroll system ranking among the City's largest transformation projects in the field. The project's preliminary diagnosis went well, establishing a solid foundation for the procurement process and the ongoing implementation work ahead. Collaboration between the Department of Human Resources and Work Environments and the Department of Service and Innovation proved highly successful, achieving important milestones in preparing this key system for Reykjavík City's operations.
Work also moved forward on a procurement process for a new attendance system to better support recording, overseeing, and managing staff attendance across the City.
Simpler services for managers
Developing the Payroll Office's service portal took a major step forward when work began to migrate the service's front end to Journeys.
The project's first phase prioritized simplifying manager submissions and reducing processing times.
The objective is to make the service more accessible and efficient for managers while strengthening oversight and overall processing quality.
Use of Microsoft solutions
Throughout the year, teams carried out numerous improvement projects using the City's Microsoft solutions. Most notably, they redesigned procedures, administration, and oversight for workplace safety and moved them into a shared digital environment. Teams also developed digital processes for EKKO notices, along with registration and record-keeping systems for safety representatives and security guards. These changes have created greater consistency, improved oversight, and more efficient monitoring of how these service components operate.
Implementing Viva Engage
During the year, Reykjavík City introduced Viva Engage as its new workplace social platform, replacing Workplace. The Department of Human Resources and Work Environments, the Department of Service and Innovation, and Reykjavík City's Communications Team collaborated on the project to strengthen internal communication, improve information flow, and build a sense of community among staff across departments and work sites.
As part of the City's Microsoft 365 environment, Viva Engage provides staff with a shared platform for communication, information sharing, and engagement. The rollout supports safer, more consistent communication because the platform integrates with other city systems and applies the same security and access controls used across the Microsoft ecosystem.
This launch is part of a broader effort to strengthen internal communication and foster greater cohesion among staff. Project leaders prioritized making it easier for staff to stay informed about events across the city, increasing manager visibility, and encouraging cross-departmental communication. The initiative also supports the vision of Reykjavík City as a single workplace where staff have ready access to information and can actively participate in conversations about city operations.
Simpler access to internal services
The Department of Human Resources and Work Environments also participated in Growth Lab 2025 with a project focused on internal communication and making the City's internal solutions easier to access.
During Growth Lab, the team explored ways to help staff find information more easily and access different work environments from a single location.
The outcome was "Stjarnan" (the Star) — a central access point for the City's key systems and services that will serve as a foundation for further development in the coming years.
Continued development of internal services
Focused development of internal services, preparation of key systems, and steady progress on digital improvements defined 2025. These projects share a common purpose: supporting simpler workflows, a better user experience, and stronger human resources services for managers and staff at Reykjavík City.
