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Reform Support
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Supporting reforms to reinforce efficient and high quality public administrations

Funding Programme
Structural Reform Support Programme (SRSP)
Year
2020

The Commission supports the Finnish administration assess and improve its governance system and its capacity to bring anticipatory innovation in its public policies. The objective is for the administration to become better at preparing for potential risks and opportunities that may arise. 

Context 

The improvement of the overarching coordination and management of innovation and research policy across the central government is highlighted in the 2019-2025 Government Programme.  

Finland is a leader in Europe in the area of better regulation, yet the current system could be better coordinated. Structural innovative ways of working for the public administration still depending too much on single initiatives rather than on a structured approach.  Challenging areas are already identified and will be investigated by the project to provide concrete recommendations. 

Support delivered 

Work started in August 2020 bringing together international experts. The project looks into international best practices and has initiated an in depth review of the Finnish governance system through an extensive stakeholder consultation and review of the system. 

The assessment and preliminary recommendation report will be finalised in March 2022 and provide a “realistic assessment and common understanding of the current system”. Work has also started on the development of a revised anticipatory innovation governance model and a study of sectoral case studies. The project will provide concrete and actionable recommendations and support the reform of the current system. 

Results achieved 

The project intends to design a new model for public governance in Finland that integrates innovation at the core of the government’s activities. The project should make the public administration more effective in cooperating and integrating anticipatory innovation in its day to day work.  

The recommendations of the project should lead to the adoption and implementation of a new system of governance that plans and adjust better to evolutions and crisis. The project will serve as a blue print for other countries in the EU. 

More about the project

You can find the final report here: