e-GOVERNMENT IN FINLAND - ePractice.eu

Ministries tend to see the problem as resistance to change rather than insufficient resources to effect
change.
Key Points - 53
x The ability to design, create and implement an effective e-strategy is increasingly linked to
the development and enhancement of specific skills at the level of both the organisation
and the personnel.
x The OECD surveys shows that the Finnish administration is more concerned with
improving project management and change management abilities, owing to the growing
trend towards contracting out of IT projects, than enhancing the technical skills of
personnel.
Skills and outsourcing
355. One possible explanation why respondents ranked managerial and technical skills as being of
relatively less concern is that, given the high amount of IT outsourcing, the challenge for the Finnish
government is not the mastery of technical skills per se but the ability to manage the contractors providing
the services.
356. Interviews support this conclusion. Throughout the Finnish administration, most services are
contracted out. Several interviewees noted that contractors never keep to timetables and results are
usually not as good as expected. It is also hard to find companies to make bids. Some felt that it would be
useful for their ministries to play a greater role in IT procurement. All of the small authorities share similar
problems.
357. Additionally, the transfer of most technical functions to private-sector contractors has led to a
“hollowing out” of agencies in terms of technical competence and capacity. The external acquisition of IT
(term contracts, external appointments) and lack of in-house training has contributed to the dispersion of IT
management skills. Responses to the OECD survey on outsourcing, however, indicate that it is less of a
problem than the impression given from interviews.
Skill development
358. Attracting, training and retaining a qualified ICT workforce is a challenge for implementing egovernment.
As ICT technologies require a high level of expertise and continuous updating, human
resource management is an essential task for public organisation involved with e-government.
359. The Finnish administration’s recognition of the need to develop a “culture of change” within the
administration to adapt to new technologies has paved the way for updating IT management skills. In
particular, the willingness of personnel to experience change is an extremely valuable factor in determining
the ability of the administration to implement e-government.
360. Finland has launched major projects to strengthen IT education and research at the university
level. The Information Industry Programme has focused on increasing student numbers and the funding
levels at polytechnics. Although the reallocation of funds to research and development activities increased
in the last two years, the IT equipment of educational institutions was still judged insufficient by the
Information Society Advisory Board’s 2002 annual survey.
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