Working group recommendations on the reform of the Foreign Service

On 30 August 2023, Minister for Foreign Affairs Elina Valtonen appointed an internal working group at the Minister for Foreign Affairs to prepare a reform of the Foreign Service in accordance with the Government Programme. The deadline was set at 1 December 2023. The reform is needed because of the fundamental change in the foreign and security policy environment. The working group gives recommendations regarding six themes: management, resources, practices, competence development, organisation, and network of missions. The reform will be budget neutral. The recommendations aim to strengthen the Foreign Service’s capacity. The working group recommends a simpler structure of management groups and changes to the management culture. Annual targets set by the management should guide a flexible allocation of resources. Department heads should have a stronger role. Practices should be improved by streamlining time-consuming processes and by promoting digitalisation. Strategic human resources planning should be improved. There should be stronger efforts to develop the competence of personnel. A Euro-Atlantic department and two new units, one for EU affairs and one for strategy and policy planning, should be created. The working group recommends better business advice services, stronger exertion of influence in technology foreign policy and more efficient guidance of UN affairs. The resources of the mission network should be focused on countries of strategic importance to Finland. The administrative burden of missions should be eased.