Parliamentary advisory board appointed to promote new approaches to policy-making

At its plenary session today on 17 December 2015, the Government appointed a parliamentary advisory board to promote an environment conducive to piloting and experimentation.

The advisory board, which is to serve up to the end of the current term of Parliament, represents all the parliamentary parties and is chaired by Anu Vehviläinen, Minister of Local Government and Public Reforms.

The advisory board’s mission is to promote an emergence of a culture conducive to experimentation and new ways of doing things. At the same time, it is expected to lend support to the Government’s strategic pilot studies such as the universal basic income.

“It’s important that all the political parties represented in Parliament are engaged in the joint efforts to break down the obstacles existing on the road towards the renewal of everyday practices and procedures. People have an inborn ambition and ability to improve their living environment. A new approach and perspective to what could be done differently makes it possible for these resources to be translated from ideas into action”, says Anu Vehviläinen, Minister of Local Government and Public Reforms.

Promoting the culture of experimentation is one of the key projects of Juha Sipilä’s Government. These projects seek to generate innovative solutions that make it possible to improve the standard of service, reduce bureaucracy and unnecessary regulation as well as promote employment and entrepreneurship.

Advisory board members

Anu Vehviläinen, Minister of Local Government and Public Reforms

Martti Talja, Centre Party parliamentary group

Mirja Vehkaperä, Centre Party parliamentary group

Olli Immonen, Finns Party parliamentary group

Maria Tolppanen, Finns Party parliamentary group

Sari Raassina, National Coalition Party parliamentary group

Juhana Vartiainen, National Coalition Party parliamentary group

Krista Kiuru, Social Democratic  Party parliamentary group

Joona Räsänen, Social Democratic  Party parliamentary group

Antero Vartia, Green Party parliamentary group

Jari Myllykoski, Left Alliance parliamentary group

Mikaela Nylander, Swedish People’s Party parliamentary group

Antero Laukkanen, Christian Democrats parliamentary group

Permanent Advisers

Chief Executive Officer (CEO Jari Koskinen, Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities

Director Paula Laine,  Finnish National Fund for Research and Development

Director of Development Sirkku Linna, Aalto University

Ministerial Adviser Taina Kulmala, Prime Minister’s Office (secretary to Advisory Board)

Inquiries: Ministerial Adviser Tuomas Vanhanen, tel. +358 (0)295 530 216, Ministry of Finance, and Counsellor Taina Kulmala, tel. +358 (0)295 160 184, Prime Minister’s Office