Working group preparing formation of a new government agency by merging the Finnish National Board of Education and the Centre for International Mobility
In line with the Government Programme, reforms in the structure of government agencies will be further pursued. There are plans to establish a new agency under the administrative domain of the Ministry of Education and Culture by merging the functions of the Centre for international Mobility (CIMO) and those of the Finnish National Board of Education (FNBE). The Ministry of Education and Culture will set up a working group for this purpose.
The new agency would be established by merging CIMO and FNBE on 1 January 2017. The Matriculation Examination Board and the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre would be annexed to the new agency on 1 January 2018 by applying the principle of a parent agency.
The working group will be in charge of preparing the legislative amendments required for the formation of the new agency, the adjustments that need to be made in the government Budget and the general government fiscal plans, and will formulate plans on the execution of other tasks relating to the reform. The reform must be carried out in the spirit of good personnel policy. The working groups term ends on 29 February 2016. The formation and tasks of the working group will be revised at a later date on the part of the Matriculation Examination Board and the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre.
The revamping of central government agencies will be pursued on the basis of the central government reorganisation project (KEHU) and the project for the assessment of central and regional administration (VIRSU). The key development principles are a clear structure and steering, nation-wide authority, a customer perspective, electronic services, the ability to change, risk management and cooperation in public administration in customer services.
Small agencies requiring an exceptional degree of independence, such as the Matriculation Examination Board and the Finnish Education Evaluation Centre, would be linked to the parent agency, but would serve as independent units. The parent agency would offer the agencies administrative services and similar services, but decision-making related to actual substance content would remain in the organisational unit being annexed.
Inquiries:
- Kirsi Kangaspunta, Director, Ministry of Education and Culture, Chair of the working group, tel. +358 295 3 30136.