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Lessons learnt from COVID-19 – new project aims to develop Government’s crisis management

Government Communications Department
Publication date 27.9.2021 16.07 | Published in English on 27.9.2021 at 17.02
Press release 547/2021

The Prime Minister’s Office has set up a project to develop the Government’s preparedness and conditions for crisis management, with a particular focus on supporting the Prime Minister’s leadership role. The project will focus on developing the joint functions of the Prime Minister’s Office and the Government that fall under the mandate of the Prime Minister’s Office.

The protracted COVID-19 crisis has posed many challenges for the Government’s activities. A report on the first phase of the crisis was prepared in autumn 2020. It examined experiences of the Government’s crisis management and the adoption of the Emergency Powers Act from the beginning of January 2020 until the end of June. In its deliberations, the Government identified three areas for development based on the report. These areas, which will form the basis for the new project, are 1) management and powers, 2) legislative drafting and resources, and 3) preparedness and contingency planning.

The project will take into account the recommendations for action issued by the independent investigation group appointed by the Government in September 2020, as well as updates to the Security Strategy for Society and the reform of the Emergency Powers Act. The investigation group operated in conjunction with the Safety Investigation Authority and was tasked with investigating measures taken to manage to the COVID-19 pandemic between 1 January and 31 July 2020 and with issuing recommendations on how to develop the preparedness and security of society based on experiences during the pandemic. The investigation report and the recommendations for measures were submitted to the Government on 30 June 2021. 

The project will be led by Director of Government Security Ahti Kurvinen. The project will run until 31 May 2022.

Inquiries: Ahti Kurvinen, Director of Government Security, tel. +358 295 160 100, Prime Minister’s Office
 

 
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