PUBLIC SERVICE WEEK 2000 SEMINARS FOR PUBLIC OFFICERS ON THE FINNISH EXPERIENCE IN PREPARING FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

PUBLIC SERVICE WEEK 2000 SEMINARS FOR PUBLIC OFFICERS ON THE FINNISH EXPERIENCE IN PREPARING FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

As part of Public Service Week 2000, two seminars were held today for some 300 senior public officers on the experience of Finland in preparing for membership of the European Union.

The morning session was opened by Dr Philip von Brockdorff, Director of the Staff Development Organisation. Dr von Brockdorff said that the Staff Development Organisation and the Finnish Institute of Public Management are collaborating in the provision of EU-related training locally, and he looked forward to a long and productive relationship between the two training institutions.

An introductory address was made by Mr Joseph R Grima, Head of the Public Service. Mr Grima spoke about the achievements of the Public Service and the challenges facing it, in relation both to routine work and to special activities such as the EU screening process and the Quality Service Charter initiative. Twenty-one Charters have been issued to date, each committing a department or unit to meeting clearly defined standards of service to the public. This, said Mr Grima, is only the start of a revolution in the delivery of government services. Technology is being exploited to create one-stop shops so the public would no longer need to visit more than one government office to obtain a service. Also in the offing are ambitious plans to deliver electronic government by providing as many services as possible remotely via the Internet, call centres, or local offices.

The main speaker, Mr Juha Rumpunen, Training Manager at the Finnish Institute of Public Management, expounded on the Finnish government's training strategy for EU membership. Training focussed on a variety of areas including the institutions of the EU, EU law, languages, negotiation skills, and a variety of specialised policy sectors. Training was provided to staff at virtually all levels of government. A certificate course on EU affairs was instituted, and this proved highly popular. Once Finland joined the EU in 1995, training continued and was redirected towards preparing for Finland's presidency of the Union. This involved some 900 officials from various ministries. Training included case studies and simulated sessions of the EU Council of Ministers and its various working groups.

The session generated considerable interest on the part of the audience. It was followed by a lively period of questioning from the floor on various aspects of Mr Rumpunen's presentation. Questioners, many of whom were clearly well-versed in EU matters, came from a variety of different ministries.

The afternoon session, also presented by Mr Rumpunen, was concerned with the training of officials in the Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry, the counterpart of Malta's Ministry for Economic Services. It was attended by senior officials from the latter ministry. Mr Rumpunen stated that in Finland sector-specific training on EU matters was the responsibility of the ministry concerned, and much depended on the ability of the ministry's training officer. The Finnish Ministry of Trade and Industry faced the added problem that it required specialised training for a very small number of individuals as the ministry consisted of several discrete units dealing with different policy areas. Study tours, training abroad and simulated negotiation sessions were particularly important in meeting the ministry's training needs.

Both seminars were organised by the Staff Development Organisation and held at the Mediterranean Conference.

05.06.2000