Reform Project for Regional State Administration / English / Projects

The reform of regional administration in the Government Programme of Matti Vanhanen’s second Cabinet: ’ Administration will be streamlined and democratized. The division of duties between provincial offices, employment and economic development centres, other district administration and regional councils will be clarified, overlapping functions eliminated, and the number of administrative authorities reduced. At the same time, the regional geographical divisions will be reviewed.’

Reform Project for Regional State Administration  Minister Mari Kiviniemi set up the project on 29 June 2007  The term of the project is from 29 June 2007 to 31 March 2009  The aim is to create a system of regional state administration which builds on citizens’ and customers’ needs and works in an effective and productive way

Auxiliary working groups  On 22 May 2008 appointed a working group for the legislative amendments required in the reform of regional administration  On 22 May 2008 set up also the following auxiliary working groups: 1.Regional division working group for regional administration 2.Organizational, steering and productivity working group for new regional administration 3.HR working group for new regional administration 4.Financial administration working group for new regional administration 5.Working group for developing the service structure in the new regional administration 6.Media and communications working group for new regional administration 7.IT working group for new regional administration 8.Working group for evaluating transfer of functions from regional to local administration 9.Working group for evaluating transfer of functions from central to regional administration 10.Åland Islands working group for new regional administration 11.Working group for planning intergration of forest centres into regional administration.

Srtructure of new regional state administrative authorities  The tasks of the regional adminsitrative authorities will be based on two organs, bringing together in a new format the existing six organizations (provincial offices, employment and economic centres, regional environmental centres, environmental permit agencies, road districts and occupational health and safety districts)  The functions of the forest centres will be functionally realigned into the rest of regional administration  While further preparations are still in progress, the regional state authorities have be given the following working names: ’Centre for business and industry, transport and natural resources’ and ’Regional state administrative agency’

regional state administration Strategic steering Operational steering Transport and Infrastructure ~800 man years Regional Councils Municipalities Collaboration in strategic steering Natural resources and the environment ~870 man years Employment, business and industry, competence and culture ~1,370 man years Joint services Customer services Purchasing and procurement tasks (”work agency”) Field work Management Forest centres Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Ministry of the Environment Ministry of Education Ministry of Transport and Communications Ministry of Employment and the Economy ’Centre for business and industry, transport and natural resources’

regional state administration Strategic steering Operational steering Public safety and immigration ~ 140 man years Environmental permits ~ 160 man years Legal rights, permits and supervision ~260 man years Occupational safety ~370 man years Municipalities Local state administration Regional Councils Collaboration in strategic steering Materialization of basic public services ~115 man years Joint services Customer services Purchasing and procurement tasks Management Joint services Ministry of Education Ministry of Justice Ministry of Transport and Communications Ministry of Employment and the Economy Ministry of the Environment Ministry of Finance Ministry of the Interior Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Ministry of Social Affairs and Health ’Regional administration agency’

Further project work  The auxiliary working groups (12) will present their proposals in autumn 2008  Government Proposals (GPs) for legislative amendments complete by 31 Dec. 2008; statements on GPs and on proposed regional divisions complete in late early 2009  GPs submitted to Parliament in spring 2009  Reforms in effect by 2010

New government agencies TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AGENCY TRANSPORT SAFETY AND SECURITY AGENCY Finnish Rail Administration Finnish Road Administration Finnish Maritime Administration Finnish Rail Agency Finnish Maritime Administration, production Finnish Vehicle Administration Finnish Civil Aviation Authority Ministry of Transport and Communications

Background to the reform  The Government Programme of Vanhanen’s second Cabinet: ” The Government will evaluate whether a merger of the government transport agencies would offer any productivity benefits with due regard to the special needs of shipping.”  Previous reports  Permanent Secretary Harri Pursiainen: Consequences and preconditions of a merger of the government transport agencies, 2006  Director-General Jukka Hirvelä: Separating the production function from other activities of the Finnish Maritime Administration, 2008  Reino Lampinen, M.Sc. Techn.: Advantages and disadvantages of merging the agencies responsible for traffic safety and security, 2008  On 8 May 2008, a ministerial group, Halke, decided to initiate research on establishing a transport infrastructure agency and a transport safety and security agency.  Government productivity programme: A reduction of 480 man-years from the Ministry’s administrative sector by 2011, and further reductions of 124 man-years from the transport infrastructure agencies and 30 man-years from the transport safety agencies by 2015.

Objectives and benefits of the agency reform  A more comprehensive approach to transport policy  More efficient administration  Improved efficiency and effectiveness  Better coordination of operations for synergy benefits and savings  National and regional aspects more closely integrated into the transport system  Customers’ needs for the entire travel and transport chain easier to take into account

Timetable of the reform May 2008  Studies initiated on 15 May 2008 June  First meetings of the project management group and the working group  Two meetings with the representatives of the personnel organisations  A plan for personnel participation and a communication plan  Organisation of the communication group August  Joint workshops of working groups and stakeholders on the basis of the reform (4+4) September – October  Interim report of the management group: the main principles for establishing the agencies (ministerial group Halke October 30th) March 2009  Final report of the management group: a proposal for establishing two new agencies (including necessary government proposals, budgets of the new agencies, organisation and steering processes, list of the required legislative changes) January 2010  The new agencies begin their work