Finland needs a new model for state corporate steering

Sitra’s Public Leadership and Management Programme has studied and analysed the possibilities of shifting to strategic and systematic corporate steering. The aim of the report All for one and one for all (published only in Finnish: Kaikki yhden ja yksi kaikkien puolesta) is to produce a visionary proposal on the content and implementation of corporate steering by the state. Sitra’s proposal for the state corporate steering model also serves as an initiative for the government programme negotiations that will take place in spring 2011.

The OECD Public Governance Review of Finland (2010), Finland has major challenges ahead, and in order to respond to these challenges adjustments and reforms are required. Problems highlighted by the OECD review include the lack of a jointly drafted agenda for different administrative levels, the lack of a link between the Government Strategy Document and budgetary framework and the weakness of horizontal co-operation.

Common will without common perspective

For several years now, local and state administration have strived to develop corporate steering in the public sector. Although more robust corporate steering and management has been seen as a means to higher productivity and greater impact, its problem has been the lack of common principles and strategy, in other words, a common understanding regarding corporate steering.

“With determined strengthening of corporate steering we could enhance horizontal co-operation, common ways of working and cross-administrative content management. These measures are necessary for us to be able to solve difficult and complex problems, improve our productivity and make wide-reaching use of people’s competencies in the future,” says Juha Kostiainen, Director of the Public Leadership and Management Programme.

Sitra’s proposal for the State corporate steering model

The visionary ideas report offers a practical solution for the development of corporate steering. The proposal recognises the key issues falling under the scope of corporate steering and describes how the management of these issues can be carried out across ministerial boundaries with the current level of resources without losing sight of the division of responsibilities.

The real added value of state corporate steering is based on the results and effects which are achieved through a more uniform execution capacity of the Government and the State group and which are shown to the citizens, companies and organisations. According to the Sitra report this will require a consistent and shared corporate steering model.

The ideas report is written by Seppo Määttä of Talent Partners Oy commissioned by Sitra.

Further information

Juha Kostiainen, Director, Public Leadership and Management Programme
Tel. +358 400 721 475, juha.kostiainen@sitra.fi
Sari Heinonen-Lindqvist, Leading Specialist, Public Leadership and Management
Tel. +358 45 262 4930, sari.heinonen-lindqvist@sitra.fi

Publication details

Kaikki yhden ja yksi kaikkien puolesta – Valtion konsernijohdon vaativa mutta mahdollinen tehtävä (PDF in Finnish) »
Sitra Working Papers 21
ISBN 978-951-563-747-5 (paperback)
ISBN 978-951-563-745-1 (URL:https://staging.sitra.fi)
ISSN 1796-7104 (paperback)
ISSN 1796-7112 (URL:https://staging.sitra.fi)
Download publication (pdf file, in Finnish): https://staging.sitra.fi/julkaisut/Selvityksiä-sarja/Selvityksiä 21.pdf