Päivi Nerg to become Permanent Under-Secretary for Governance Policy

The Government has appointed Päivi Nerg, M.Sc. (Agriculture and Forestry) to the post of Permanent Under-Secretary. Nerg will take office on 1 January 2018. The fixed-term appointment will last for five years.

Nerg has been Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior since October 2012. In the years 2009–2012 Nerg served as Director of Administrative Governance and Development at the Ministry of Finance. Prior to this she had worked at the University of Kuopio. She had also had a career in the corporate world.

The Permanent Under-Secretary for Governance Policy is one of the ministry’s senior public officials, whose task is to lead and fit together preparation in the coordination field of governance policy, and to lead the strategic steering of agencies and companies in the coordination field. In the next few years, the Permanent Under-Secretary’s work will emphasise: directing the implementation of the regional government, health and social services reform; steering the resources and effectiveness of counties; promoting the digitalisation of public governance; developing the government’s personnel management; and directing changes in the procedures and steering of the entire public governance in the new operating environment. 

According to Nerg, sweeping reforms and development of the whole public governance and state administration are in a highly interesting phase.

“It is fine to be able to bear responsibility for the progression and implementation of the regional government, health and social services reform. Implementation will determine the success of the reform,” Nerg says. 

A total of ten applications were received for the post. The Government decided on the appointment on 23 November.

Inquiries:

Permanent Secretary Martti Hetemäki, tel. +358 2955 30292, martti.hetemaki(at)vm.fi
Director of Administrative Governance and Development Helena Tarkka, tel. +358 2955 30141, helena.tarkka(at)vm.fi