2017
Report on the Defence Forces’ administrative assistance, its current status and development
The Ministry of Defence studied the current status and development needs of administrative assistance that the Defence Forces provide on request. Providing administrative assistance to other authorities is seen in the defence administration as an appropriate and rather well-functioning system. While key requesters have been largely satisfied with the support from the Defence Forces there are, according to the report, development needs.
The most significant notion was administrative assistance as one component of cooperation among authorities. This support mechanism should not be resorted to in cases which would be better dealt with through other forms of cooperation. Efficient cooperation among authorities and administrative assistance require joint situational awareness and leadership as well as joint planning and exercise. Appropriate joint procurement of equipment, joint maintenance, and cooperation in training and exercises would support efficient cooperation. If authorities shared a view on the desired state of administrative assistance it would make the development work easier.
There is currently no uniform legislation on the Defence Forces’ administrative assistance and the report proposes that the fragmented pieces of legislation should be developed. It should be noted that the future country government model requires clear procedures. In connection with administrative changes such as incorporation and privatisation processes it should be ensured that essential capacity remain.
The Åland Islands were specifically mentioned in the report as they are the only county which is allowed to request and receive administrative assistance. Ordinary form of administrative assistance functions well also in this context although problems might occur in demanding cases such as how to interpret demilitarisation and neutrality pacts of the Åland Islands.
Also the use of different personnel groups - conscripts, reservists, voluntary workers, salaried personnel - should be studied in view of restrictive provisions so that skills and voluntary contributions could be used in a meaningful way in administrative assistance tasks. Both legislation and the Defence Report provide the basis for developing the National Defence Training Association (NDTA) and voluntary national defence activities; the report however considers it necessary to carry out a comprehensive review of the overall situation. In this context the NDTA could be seen as an actor governed by public law.
The project was carried out, on request by the Ministry of Defence, by Kalle Liesinen (Col., ret.) and Risto Karinen and Katri Liesinen from Ramboll Management Consulting Oy.
For more information, please contact:
Antti Lehtisalo, Director of Unit, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 295 140330, antti.lehtisalo@defmin.fi; and
Max Arhippainen, Director of Communications, Ministry of Defence, tel. +358 295 140120,max.arhippainen@defmin.fi
