Summary

The report describes Finnish programme management as a new coordination tool of the Finnish Government, adopted for the first time by Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen’s Government 2003–2007. Programme management has changed working methods both at the political and managerial levels of the central Government in Finland.

Programme management aims at more horizontal and strategic Government policy making as well as effective implementation of the Government Programme. It consists of three main elements: a limited number of intersectoral Government policy programmes, the Government Strategy Document process through which the Government Programme is monitored and the Government’s mid-term policy-review sessions.

The report contains a description of programme management as a general concept and records experiences on it. In addition, the first four horizontal policy programmes are discussed: objectives, content and results of the programmes.

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