Top global development employers in Finland: A primer

For two days this September, young and established scholars confer in Helsinki on an emerging issue in development economics: Does poverty bolster departures from the standard text book theory of rational choice, and do these departures in turn foster poverty and impede development? The forum is one of the many events organized by the United Nations University’s World Institute for Development Economics Research. Although it organizes similar gatherings in other major global cities, UNU-WIDER has often opted to hold its conferences, lectures and seminars in the Finnish capital, where it is headquartered. In Helsinki, UNU-WIDER neighbors a number of the country’s largest consulting firms and non-governmental organizations engaged in humanitarian and development work. The city is also the base for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the government agency that oversees the country’s overseas aid budget. Other major Finnish aid groups, meanwhile, have settled in the cities of Espoo, Jyväskylä and Vantaa. Here are Finland’s largest global development employers. Check the Devex jobs board for the latest vacancies in humanitarian relief, global health and international development. Destia Ltd. Type: ConsultancyFounded: 2008 (with roots more than 200 years back in the Royal Finnish Committee for the Clearing of Water Rapids)President and CEO: Hannu LeinonenHeadquarters: VantaaEmployees: 2,000 Destia is a company that provides infrastructure and construction services. Its consulting unit, Destia-Finnroad, has been engaged in overseas operations, including feasibility studies, construction supervision, road and bridge engineering design, institutional development and road asset management. It has worked in projects funded by the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and Nordic Development Fund. In 2010, Destia had a turnover of €540 million ($768 million). Finn Church Aid Type: Non-governmental organizationFounded: 1947Executive director: Pauliina Parhiala Headquarters: HelsinkiEmployees: 100 at headquarters, 150 overseas FCA is the biggest development and second-largest humanitarian NGO in Finland. Aside from engaging in development cooperation and providing humanitarian assistance, it undertakes advocacy work and inter-church aid on behalf of the country’s Evangelic Lutheran Church. It has programs in 30 countries and offices in Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Kenya, Liberia, Somalia and Sudan. FCA is a partner NGO of the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the European Commission Humanitarian Office, and has ongoing partnerships in several countries with UNICEF, the U.N. Development Program and U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees. FCG Finnish Consulting Group Ltd. Type: ConsultancyFounded: 1988CEO: Ari KolehmainenHeadquarters: HelsinkiEmployees: 850 employees and a roster of more than 14,000 individual experts FCGrenders technical assistance in policy analysis and advice, organizational development, human resources development and training, and project preparation, implementation and evaluation. It has worked in more than 600 projects in 100 countries, serving clients that include aid-recipient governments and donor agencies such as the Asian Development Bank, European Commission, Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Inter-American Development Bank, Nordic Development Fund and World Bank. Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs Type: Government ministry and bilateral donorFounded: 1918Minister for foreign affairs: Alexander StubbMinister for foreign trade and development: Paavo VäyrynenMinister for Nordic cooperation: Jan Vapaavuori Headquarters: HelsinkiEmployees: 1,607 (start of 2009) The ministry is responsible for Finnish development cooperation, which is based on a development policy program adopted by the government on Oct. 18, 2007. The program accords priorities to climate and environment issues, prevention of crises, and support for peace-building processes. The ministry proposed a budget of €1.073 billion for development cooperation spending, or 0.59 percent of the country’s gross national income, in 2011. Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare Type: Government-run research and development instituteFounded: 2009Director-general: Pekka PuskaHeadquarters: HelsinkiEmployees: 1,639 The institute, which goes by the acronym THL in Finnish, is part of the Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. Its International Affairs Unit provides expert services in planning, implementing, monitoring and evaluating health and social sector development processes and programs in transitional and developing economies. Its operations are financed by donor agencies such as ADB, the European Union, Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs and World Bank. It has worked in projects in several African, Asian and European countries. Finnish Service Center for Development Cooperation Type:NGO coalitionFounded: 1985Executive director: Timo LappalainenHeadquarters: HelsinkiEmployees: 62 Known for its Finnish acronym KEPA, the Finnish Service Center for Development Cooperation is the umbrella organization of Finnish civil society groups engaged in development cooperation and focused on global affairs. It has more than 300 members. KEPA provides training to anyone in Finland who is interested in global issues and developing country challenges, and advice to NGOs on how to design, monitor and evaluate development cooperation projects. KEPA operates country offices in Mozambique, Nicaragua and Tanzania, as well as a small regional office in Thailand, which caters to the Mekong region. Pöyry PLC Type: ConsultancyFounded: 1958President and CEO: Heikki MalinenHeadquarters: VantaaEmployees: 7,000 experts worldwide Pöyry aspires to be “the global thought leader in engineering balanced sustainability for a complex world” by 2020. It offers management consulting services and has expertise in four areas: energy, industry, urban development and mobility, and water and environment. Its 2010 net sales totaled €682 million. Pöyry has 50 overseas offices. Ramboll Finland Oy Type: ConsultancyFounded: 1962CEO: Markku MoilanenHeadquarters: EspooEmployees: 1,200 experts Ramboll Finland is part of the engineering consultancy giant Ramboll Group A/S. It has been awarded several contracts by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The most recent one is for a multiannual rural water development project in Ethiopia. United Nations University’s World Institute for Development Economics Research Type: International research and training centerFounded: 1984Director: Finn TarpHeadquarters: HelsinkiEmployees: 37 staff members and more than 300 network participants UNU-WIDER is the United Nations University’s first research and training center. It carries out applied research and policy analysis on global development and poverty issues. It organizes public lectures, book launches, and seminars to draw attention to research findings. Part of UNU-WIDER’s external network of researchers come from UNU, the International Monetary Fund, World Bank and U.N. bodies such as the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Food and Agriculture Organization, International Labor Organization, UNICEF, U.N. Conference on Trade and Development and UNDP. Several Nobel laureates have been involved in UNU-WIDER’s activities, including one of its founders, Amartya Sen. Väestöliitto Type:NGO coalitionFounded: 1941Managing director: Helena Hiila-O´BrienHeadquarters: HelsinkiEmployees: 100 Väestöliitto, which has 31 member organizations, aims to improve living conditions of families and children. Overseas, it carries out research and provides training and consulting services, mainly on reproductive health and rights of women and young people. Other notable aid groups in Finland - Demo Finland - EduCluster Finland Ltd. - Fida International - Finnish Environment Institute - Finnish Lutheran Overseas Mission - Finnish Refugee Council - HAUS Finnish Institute of Public Management Ltd. - Impact Consulting - Indufor - Kehys - NIRAS International - Nordic Development Fund - Plan Finland - Save the Children Finland - Trade Union Solidarity Center of Finland - UFF Finland - YSP Did we forget any major aid organization based in Finland? Please let us know by placing your comments below.