Organisation
The Psychological Defence Agency is a state agency under the Government. Its headquarters are located in Karlstad with an additional office in Solna.
MPF is led by Director General Magnus Hjort
The Psychological Defence Agency is a single-head agency led by Director General Magnus Hjort. The Director General is responsible before the Government for the operations and shall ensure that they are conducted effectively and in accordance with applicable law and the obligations that follow from Sweden’s membership of the European Union.
The agency has three departments, each headed by a department director who reports directly to the Director General.
The agency also has the Director General’s Office, headed by a Chief of Staff, and a protective security function headed by a Chief Security Officer. The Chief of Staff and Chief Security Officer report directly to the Director General.
Administration Department
The department ensures that our administrative processes are run in an effective and judicially sound manner. The department also supports the entire agency with planning, follow-up, financial control and financial administration, IT and information management, HR and law.
Capability Development Department
The department develops and reinforces society’s collective psychological defence capabilities. This includes providing support to the population, agencies, municipalities, the media, voluntary defence organisations and civil society, as well as promoting greater coordination between these actors.
Key tasks also include responsibility for training, exercises and knowledge enhancement, for example ordering, monitoring and conveying research within psychological defence.
Operations Department
The department identifies, analyses and counters foreign malign information influence and other misleading information directed at Sweden or Swedish interests. This includes situational reporting, analyses and reports on actors and activities that may pose threats to exploit vulnerabilities in society, and proposing relevant countermeasures. The department develops methods and techniques for identifying and responding to malign information influence.
Advisory Board
The agency’s Advisory Board is appointed by the Government and shall ensure transparency in the operations and advise the Director General. The Director General is the Chair of the Advisory Board and shall keep the Board informed of the operations.
The following are appointed members of the Advisory Board as of 1 January 2024 until 31 December 2025:
- Maria Bergerlind Dierauer, Unit Head at the Swedish Agency for the Media
- Jörgen Berglund, Member of Parliament (M)
- Ellinor Bollman, Senior Change Management Consultant
- Maria Eka, Senior Judge at the Stockholm Administrative Court
- Ulf Johansson, Consultant
- Vacant
- Lena Johansson, Member of Parliament (S)
- Mikael Oscarsson, Member of Parliament (S)