Skills provision in Swedish public administration

The Swedish Government's political objectives, strategy and

measures

Address at the OECD/PUMA symposium Learning Government in Paris, 4 February

2003Kerstin Borg Wallin, Director-General,

Swedish National Council for Quality and Development

Main content of the address

• The Swedish Government's objectives and strategy concerning the Swedish form of Knowledge Management

• Action plans and measures • How Swedish central-government

agencies work• Current issues

Skills

Individuals' ability and desire to perform specific

tasks by applying their knowledge and abilities.

Skills provision

A process of continuously ensuring a supply of the right

skills for attaining the objectives of the organisation's

work and meeting its needs.

Knowledge can be of various types

• Knowledge that can be described and identified, such as vocational know-how acquired through formal training

• Knowledge that cannot be clearly identified and described - 'silent knowledge'

Knowledge management

The organised, purposeful and methodical steps an organisation takes to keep relevant sources of

knowledge accessible, irrespective of the presence of

the people who brought the knowledge to the organisation

Swedish public administration

Size of agency

No. of agencies

and percenta

ge of total

1-200employee

s

201-999 employee

s

1,000-1,999

employees

2,000-9,999

employees

10,000 -23,235

employees

135

58%

56

24%

17

7%

19

8%

No. of employee

s and percenta

ge of total

4

2%

9 369

4%

26 347

12%

21 247

10%

90 433

42%

70 097

32%

Total: 231 agencies with 217,493 employees (September 2001)

Central Government Administration in Public

Service(Government Bill 1997/98:136)

The agencies must carry out their assigned tasks in a manner characterised by

- high quality,- openness,

- well-motivated and skilled employees,- competent managers and

- a capacity for change.

The Swedish National Council for Quality and Development works for more efficient public administration in the citizens'

service. The Council offers government agencies support in the form of knowledge, exchange of experience, and methods in the

areas of work development, administrative know-how,

managerial development and the provision of skills.

The state as a model employer

• Generation shift and its opportunities

• Skills

• An adequate supply of managerial skills

• Ethics

Measures• Agency governance

adapted to activities

• Government's policy for state leadership

• Training of board members

• Follow-up of skills provision

• Evaluation of the employer-policy reform

• Opinion surveys among staff

Our functions: examples

• Managerial training and development programmes

• Master's Degree courses• Induction programmes

for young administrators• Quality training courses• Forging links between

researchers and public administration

• Investigating the causes of mobility among young employees

• Surveying quality work in public administration

• Devising a model and method for self-evaluation of skills provision

http://www.sweden.gov.se/

The Swedish Government’s Managerial Resource Policy

Public Administration in the Service of Democracy