HALKO project launched to study the new system of public administration created by the wellbeing services county reform

The Ministry of Finance has launched an extensive research project to study the relationship between and the management and central government guidance of wellbeing services counties and local government.

The research project will be carried out by researchers from the Faculty of Management and Business at the University of Tampere. The research group will be led by University Lecturer Anni Jäntti and Professor Arto Haveri. The principle researcher will be Postdoctoral Researcher Henna Paananen. 

Finland’s system of public administration has changed significantly now that the wellbeing services counties began operating at the start of the year. 

“This is the largest reform of public administration and public services carried out in Finland’s history as an independent state. The reform has a major impact on the system of public administration, affecting how local government, counties and even central government operate,” said Professor Arto Haveri.

“The research project will take an in-depth look at how this system functions and at the parts of the system and the relationships between them. The project will examine what kind of system of public administration, management and guidance will emerge through the wellbeing services county reform. The project will also seek to identify factors that support or hinder the implementation of the reform and to identify tensions related to the implementation,” said University Lecturer Anni Jäntti about the key focus of the project.

The HALKO project’s steering group includes representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Ministry of the Interior and Ministry of Education and Culture.

“The launch of the wellbeing services counties is the result of a great deal of work over a long period of time, and there are high expectations for the results of the reform. This means that it is very important to monitor the reform. The scope of this research project is exceptionally broad, and we are eagerly awaiting the results,” said Minna-Marja Jokinen, Senior Ministerial Adviser at the Ministry of Finance and chair of the steering group.

The project will build an overall picture of the progress of the wellbeing services county reform. In addition, the research group will publish policy recommendations and concrete proposals for measures to develop public administration based on the research project. 

“The project will produce information to support the implementation of the reform and the functioning of the system of public administration as a whole. We will communicate the results of the project to the people and organisations doing the practical work in a concise and easily digestible form as work progresses,” said Postdoctoral Researcher Henna Paananen. 

Interviews, questionnaires and documentation will be used as the data for the study. The collection of data will start in spring 2023. The project will end in September 2025. An interim report will be published in June 2024.

The HALKO project is part of the Government's analysis, assessment and research activities coordinated by the Prime Minister’s Office. These activities produce information to support decision-making, knowledge management and practices in public administration.

Inquiries:
Arto Haveri, Professor, University of Tampere, tel. +358 40 190 4020, arto.haveri(at)tuni.fi  
Anni Jäntti, Ph.D. (Adm. Sc.), University Lecturer, University of Tampere, tel. +358 50437 7188, anni.jantti(at)tuni.fi 
Henna Paananen, Ph.D. (Adm. Sc.), Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Tampere, tel. +358 50 318 2485, henna.paananen(at)tuni.fi 
Minna-Marja Jokinen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 530 018, minna-marja.jokinen(at)gov.fi