Joint development and events
The development of public leadership relies on the understanding that the central government has a wide range of tasks. Joint development is based on the premise that a wide range of management tasks are supported by a variety of means that take into account the different needs of different units. On the other hand, it is important that the foundation and practices for management work and the development of management work are sufficiently uniform. This promotes good management throughout public administration. This requires joint development measures, including joint management training. It makes sense to do things together, from the perspective of both the financial aspects and the benefits of training.
The Ministry of Finance supports the networking and preparation of senior managers in central government. The Ministry organises joint events and specific small group activities for the most senior civil servants and, together with HAUS, provides appropriate training programmes for central government leadership at different points in their careers.
Cooperation between central government and Finland’s municipalities is particularly important in the development of public service leadership. Municipal managers have participated in, for example, the Uudistuja programme organised by the Ministry and public service leadership events.
The Ministry’s tasks also include extensive cooperation with various development organisations both nationally and internationally.
Networks and small groups for managers in central government
The Ministry of Finance organises meetings for the management forum, i.e. the most senior public officials in the ministries and government agencies. The purpose of these meetings is to increase interaction between managers and foster discussions on both topical matters and issues related to development in the long term. In addition to external experts, representatives of the political leadership have participated in the events. The Ministry also invites senior management to short morning coffee meetings a few times a year, as necessary. In 2019, an event called Julkisen johtamisen päivä (Public Management Day) was organised for the first time. In addition to the senior management from central government, municipal managers were invited to the event. The event was held for the third time in February 2022. The theme of the event was ‘Public management identity in a new era.’
Small groups have been organised for the most senior public officials in central government with the aim of supporting them in their management tasks and increasing their opportunities to get to know each other and exchange experiences. Four groups were arranged in 2020 with a total of 40 managers taking part. The plan is to restart small group activities in 2022 after they have been on hiatus.
Based on past experiences, the following principles have been found to be good for small group activities:
- The groups are informal peer support groups without a previously set agenda. The groups agree on their own practices and discussion themes.
- Existing groups will continue and, if necessary, new members will be added to them.
- New groups of eight to ten people will be established as necessary. The goal is that the members of the groups should diversely represent different areas of responsibility in central government.
- The Ministry of Finance takes part in the activities of the groups and, thus, promotes a dialogue between senior management in central government and the Ministry, bringing up topical themes. If necessary, the Ministry's experts also support the activities of the groups in other ways.
People who have completed various training programmes have also formed alumni groups.
Government HR Management Forum
The aim of the Government HR Management Forum is to strengthen cooperation and networking between HR actors and to share good practices in central government. The Forum consists of directors and managers responsible for personnel matters and personnel development in government agencies and ministries. The Forum meets regularly and promotes joint HR development projects. Key focus area of the forum is the implementation of the central government's joint human resources strategy and the monitoring of its implementation. The Forum has a chairperson and the preparatory secretariat is experts from the Government Development Department of the Ministry of Finance.
Contact information
Juha Madetoja
Unit Manager
Tel. +358 295 530572
firstname.lastname(a)gov.fi
Other networks
Various developer networks in central government conduct valuable development work relating to governance and management. These include the Kehikko network (ministries’ heads of development) and the Viva network (agency heads of training). It is increasingly important to also bring non-governmental participants, such as businesses, organisations and ordinary citizens, into these networks.
Many projects also, to a greater or lesser extent, make use of development networks created on a volunteer basis. One such network is formed by people who have participated in joint management training programmes, such as the Uudistuja programme. They form a key resource that can be used in many different ways to jointly develop central government. The Ministry of Finance has also introduced a growing number of electronic or virtual networks and is also present in social media, including LinkedIn and Twitter.
Events and news
Julkisen johtamisen päivä 2022 (Public Management Day 2022)
The latest Public Management Day was held on 16 February 2022 at the Marina Congress Center (online event) with the theme 'Public management identity in a anew era.' The event was intended for all central government and local government management as well as the management of other public organisations.
Publication:
Discussion paper
Discussion paper of the cooperation group for the public service leadership in order to develop leadership in public administration in the 2020s.
'PUBLIC MANAGEMENT - RESPONSIBILITY FOR OUR SHARED FUTURE
Finnish public administration is the cornerstone of democracy and sustainable development.
The shared identity and values of public management are born of shared dialogue.
Building sustainable public administration calls for brave leadership and systematic support.
Good public management is built on this foundation. Every leader, from political decision-makers to public officials in management positions, play a part in how public administration as a whole functions and in securing the wellbeing of Finnish society. The identity, values and professionalism of public management need to be further strengthened, and a new kind of partnership needs to be built throughout the public sector. The cooperation group proposes the launch of a shared and wide-ranging discussion and preparation to create and implement principles for public management'.
Public management discussion paper
Contact information
Ari Holopainen
Senior Ministerial Adviser, Financial Affairs
Tel. +358 295 530 520
[email protected]
Markus Siltanen
Senior Ministerial Adviser, Financial Affairs
Tel. +358 295 530 263
[email protected]