- One of the most significant consultancy organisations in Scandinavia….

SIPU International offers consultancy and training in the following areas:

Public Service and Administrative Reform
The goal of public administration is to provide services of value to individual citizens and society as a whole.

SIPU International has wide experience in supporting government institutions on national, regional and municipal levels.

Our approach is based on specific principles, such as:

• Strengthening common ownership and fostering commitment
• Improving the understanding of the role of public services among civil servants and citizens
• Introducing policies and management systems which encourage organisations to be performance-driven
• Analysing strategic processes and developing solutions for service delivery with stakeholders
• Devising appropriate structures for transparency, responsibility and accountability
• Adopting a change-oriented approach
• Stressing the importance of competence development, human resources development and staff participation.
• Ensuring equal possibilities for women and men both as service providers and users.

Transformation and reform are time-consuming tasks in any organisation. Reform requires more than knowledge or skills enhancement. Reform requires changes in attitudes, values, and ways of working. We have extensive experience of facilitating these processes in co-operation with politicians, managers, leaders, staff at all levels, and other stakeholders.

The following are examples of projects in the area of Public Service and Administrative Reform:
Brazil: EuroBrazil 2000
Kenya: Support to the Public Financial Management Reform in Kenya
Russia: Strengthening of public administration in the Lake Bajkal Region

Parliamentary Democracy and Management of Parliaments
- In a democracy everyone has the opportunity to exercise an influence

SIPU International’s approach to supporting members of parliaments and the administrative structure of parliaments is based on some fundamental principles:

• ·The parliament is the representative of the people, and therefore a crucial component of any countries democracy.
• The task of the members of parliament is to represent the people of the country and to ensure that it is the people's will that permeates decisions taken by the parliament.

We therefore believe that openness and information to the public are important ingredients in achieving a representative parliament. In order to facilitate the work of members of parliaments, the parliament needs a modern parliamentary administration that perform its functions and service efficiency and effectively. SIPU International supports parliaments to improve:

• management practices;
• relations with other parliamentary institutions and improved knowledge of European and international relations;
• information and communication with the general public;
• services to members of the parliament; and
• information technology and library services.

The main activities in our support are seminars, workshops, study visits and consultancy support within the areas of Management and Development, Information and Communication, Human Resource Management, IT and Library Services, and EU.

The following are exam ples of projects in the area of Parliamentary Democracy and Management of Parliaments:

Georgia: Supporting the Parliament of Georgia in Management and Administration
Latvia: Management and Administration in the Latvian Parliament (Saima)
Russia: Moscow School of Political Studies
Sweden: International Training Program (ITP) Parliamentary Democracy and Management of Parliaments (Balkans, Caucasus and Central Asia, Southern Africa, Central America and Vietnam)

Institutional and Organisational Development
- Capacity building for institutional development strives to meet current demands, as well as developing and adapting institutions to respond to new needs and requirements.

Capacity building in development co-operation aims at supporting individuals, departments, organisations or a group of organisations to perform their respective missions, functions and tasks efficiently and effectively. Capacity building is a broad concept that encompasses a range of measures and activities:

• Improving service delivery capacity
• Developing a shared vision, values and strategy in an organisation
• Developing policies and appropriate and efficient structures and staffing levels including equal oppurtunities`
• Identifying best practices and implementing effective work methods and processes in combination with streamlined planning, monitoring, reporting and evaluation processes
• Improving the level of professional and managerial competence
• Training individuals in certain target groups in an organisation
• Developing partnerships and joint development programmes to reform the institutional framework for certain sectors of public administration.

People are our focus. An appreciation of their history, tradition, culture and accumulated experience is the starting point for sustainable development. Managers and staff are key players in development activities and both types of player must be involved in bringing about change and improvements.

Managing change is a specialty in its own right and requires skills that go beyond operational management. Because fixed formulas are often inappropriate and each organisation is unique, an approach tailored to particular organisational needs is required.

The following are examples of projects in the area of Institutional and Organisational Development:
Ethiopia: Support to Addis Ababa Chamber of Commerce HUB
China: Human Rights Capacity Building Program
El Salvador: Organizational Analysis and Proposals for Improvement of the Notary Section of the Supreme Court of Justice
Georgia: Institutional Strengthening of the State Chancellery and the Civil Service

Human Resource Management & Development
Civil servants are the lifeblood of the public service. Effective and efficient use of personnel requires professional management, competent use of procedures, supporting systems, training and linkages to organisational objectives.

Human Resources Management (HRM) and Human Resources Development (HRD) enable an organisation to achieve its objectives through its staff. The scope and content of how to acquire, retain, administer, train, develop and retire personnel is therefore driven both by general principles and the needs of the specific organisation.

There are two main aspects of HRD and HRM:

• Development of leadership and management
• Development of competence

Both aspects are necessary to maximise human capital. Strategies applied by managers to develop their human resources may make the vital difference between success and failure in an organisation.

We support our client organisations to:
· Develop explicit, clear linkages between business and human resources plans
· Develop skills and improved systems and procedures for HRM and HRD, in recruitment and selection, job design   and analysis, performance appraisals, redeployment, labour relations, control of staff costs and assessing the number of employees required
· Develop and implement capacity building strategies and plans for individual, organisational and institutional development
· Strengthen the capacity of HR functions to make informed decisions about skills and attitudes within the organisation
· Support line managers in managing their staff
· Move towards a merit-based and equal opportunity oriented organisation.

We do not advocate any particular solutions. Instead we support the organisation to find the most appropriate solution. Local conditions, management capacity and previous experience are guiding principles. We simply start out where the client organisation is.

The following are examples of projects of Human Resource Management&Development:
South Africa: Human Resource Management and Institution Building and HIV / AIDS in the Workplace, Eastern Cape Provincial Administration
Sierra Leone: Development of a Staff Management Manual and Feasibilty Study for Computerised HR system
Serbia: Development of Modern Human Resource Management (HRM) in the Civil Service
Thailand: Rightsizing and Simulation Model, Office of the Civil Service Commission
Vietnam: Curriculum development and Training of Trainers of the Ninh Binh Public Administration Reform Program

Management Development

Leadership is about getting people to change….
Management is the art of getting things done, and leadership is to know where you are going. Successful organisations have both capable managers and leaders.

Management development is one of our core competence areas. We provide managers with new knowledge and skills in management, we give them a broader outlook and new perspectives as managers, we train them to become personally more efficient and effective and we equip them with practical models, tools and instruments.

We believe that in successful management development what goes on in the classroom must match the realities in the workplace and be applied in real working situations.

We believe that management development is dependent on a clear commitment and support by top management.

The following are examples of projects in the area of Management Development:
Albania: Development of a Management Training Programme for the Albanian Training Institute for Public Administration
South Africa: Management Development, Institution and Capacity building of the Provincial Administration
Thailand: Public Service Reform: “Management of Change in Thai Civil Service Commission”

Democracy and Human Rights

SIPU International believes that democratic devel opment, good governance and compliance with human rights standard are closely related. The best ground for promotion and respect for the human rights standards is democracy, with a system based on the rule of law, an open, an accountable and efficient public service and a vibrant civil society. Governments which are accountable to the people and represent the will of the people as genuinely expressed by the people are more likely to respect human rights standards.

SIPU International aims to improve the preconditions and promote the implementation of human rights in our projects. It is our conviction that democracy, good governance and respect for human rights are generated from attitudes, basic values and behaviour. We therefore bring these values into our projects by:

· Promoting respect for equal rights and opportunities for every individual, by focusing on diversity and gender issues,
· Create preconditions for a democratic culture by promoting tolerance, respect, openness and the importance of a vital public relations,
· Providing a role model by using participatory and democratic working techniques, and being transparent in our operations,
· Analysing and assessing our project documents, training material, operational methods and reports in a right based perspective,
· Providing a network of consultants with specific competence on human rights and democracy.

In combination with mainstreaming of values and attitudes that we strive to integrate in our work, the majority of the projects of SIPU International are directly aiming at strengthening democratisation, good governance and respect for human rights within governments and public sectors.

Gender Equality and Equity

Equal rights, equal opportunities, equal obligations and equal remuneration for men and women – a precondition for sustainable development of human resources and for service delivery.

We recognise equality as one of the cornerstones of democracy. Gender equality is usually part of an overall equity policy that could also encompass race, age, disability and other types of discrimination.

We support client organisations in fully integrating a gender perspective in projects and policies. This can be done by ensuring the equal participation of men and women in activities; by structuring activities to address different needs; by promoting gender awareness at all levels; by developing opportunities for women in leadership through training and the promotion of networks; by setting gender equity targets; and by balancing the composition of consultant and expert teams.

We share our experiences from our international work in equity and equality, as well taking an active part in developing gender methodologies and collaborating with a network of gender experts.

The following are examples of specific Equity Management projects or projects with an Equity Management component:
EU: Integration of gender issues in development cooperation, for ACP countries
Former Soviet Union: Gender Conference
Georgia: Mainstreaming Gender Equality into the Government Institution
Russia: Gender training
South Africa:   Local Government Development Support Programme
Vietnam: Strengthening Personnel Management Practices in the Civil Service

Performance Management

Performance management focuses on what the organisation produces. Performance management - or results-based management - is a powerful tool for managing the objectives, activities, costs and operations in a coherent and consistent framework.

The following are examples of specific performance management projects or projects with a performance management component:
Ghana: Performance Auditing at Ghana Audit Service
Kenya: Public Financial Management

Financial Management, Accountability and Budgeting

Without good state-of-the-art tools and procedures to control limited financial and other resources and to relate them to the services produced, it is difficult to evaluate the productivity and impact of public services and to provide a reliable basis for informed decisions on priorities and resource allocation.

Sound management of financial resources in harmony with good management of human resources and business plans, and supported by effective and efficient systems are the tools available for the delivery of high quality public services. These resources are essential for integrated planning.

We work with all aspects of public financial management. This covers financial issues at the macro level, system analysis, poverty reduction modalities, tracking of expenditure, accounting, matters concerning the overall public financial situation and economic and financial policies, budgeting and financial forecasting, monitoring and control, IFMIS, revenue, audit and corruption, and financial management at the local level.

The following are examples of projects in the area of Financial Management Accountability and Budgeting:
Cambodia: Public Financial Management Reform – Institutional Arrangements
Kosovo: Municipal Financial System
Mozambique: State Financial Management Project
Sweden: Training in Public Financial Management for Sida staff

Public Procurement

Transparency and consistency in procurement are essential to achieve effectiveness and efficiency in public services. Procurement management will produce savings in public expenditure.

Public procurement is an increasingly important and complicated aspect of public administration in all spheres of government.

Globalisation, international treaties and regional multilateral groups influence national procurement rules and procedures and may conflict with national preferences and traditions.

Highly specialised expertise in public procurement regulations may be needed, along with extensive experience in public administration and reform in general, to satisfy conflicting influences and prevent fraud and corruption. We have access to a pool of highly qualified experts that we work regularly with.

The following are examples of specific procurement projects or projects with a procurement component:
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Procurement seminars
Mozambique: Capacity building in the Ministry of State Administration
Ukraine: Public Procurement

Urban Development

Urban centres have been the stimulators and generators of innovation and development throughout human history. They have always been the focal points of trade and commerce, and centres of wealth creation, as well as the seats of advanced learning. The concentration of people in towns and cities creates the pre-conditions for competition, debate, and change. Today, urban centres have also the greatest concentration of poor and disadvantaged people, and the greatest disparities in income and living standards.

Good, democratic and inclusive governance, adequate physical and social infrastructure, safe for women and children and ready access to appropriate resources are needed to ensure sustainable urban development and the eradication of poverty.

SIPU International can strengthen the local management, planning and implementation systems by applying professional expertise in human resource development, with some special niches such as financial management, inter-agency integration, the interface between the political and the administrative spheres and public-private partnerships. As well as in housing, strategic and participatory urban planning, informal settlement upgrading, land adjudication and registration and (geographic) information systems. Planning of settlements and infrastructure which satisfies the needs of women and children is one of the key elements of gender sensitive urban development. SIPU staff also has some competence in natural resource and environmental issues, with experience in urban planning in coastal and other environmentally sensitive areas.

The following are examples of projects we have performed in the area of Urban Development:
Egypt: Support to the General Organisation for Physical Planning in Planning and Geographical Information Systems
Honduras: Follow-up of the Housing Reconstruction Programme in Honduras
South Africa: Housing and Urban Development

Public Health Management

Our focus is on how Public Health Management can contribute to realisation of the official health care policies set by Governments. We see as the central objective in the long-term strategy, a strong emphasis on quality and equity in primary health care for all.

One of many challenges facing the Health service is the implementation and financing of decentralisation strategies. We believe that strengthening the management capacity in the health care sector is a key priority in facing this and other challenges for development of the health administration and services. Our management capacity building programmes target Ministries of Health, management of hospitals and management of local health care clinic managements.

The following are examples of specific Public Health Management projects or projects with a Public Health Management component:
Nicaragua: PROSILAIS – Decentralised Health Care
Rwanda: Local Government Capacity Building
South Africa: Health Economics
Vietnam: Vietnam-Sweden Health Cooperation – Health Policy and System development

Local Government Development

Local government has many names  – municipalities, districts, provinces – and is characterised by being close to its citizens and by providing services that are important for people on the ground, such as education, child and elderly care, communal service, health, roads and other amenities. However, a fragmented local government structure, often under-financed, may find it difficult to bridge the gap between available resources and the satisfaction of basic needs.

We work within generally accepted principles of decentralisation and devolution and distribution of power.  We support our clients in rationalising and restructuring their local government institutions by examining the coordination of financial flows and identifying improvements in financial information and management systems, as well as helping to define service boundaries. Our local governance projects are often part of integrated development plans in which our role ranges from initial advice to actively developing elements of the plan and working in partnership to strengthen implementation. We can also help evaluate the performance of local government in developing and transitional environments and identify how to sustain progress and achievements.

Support in eststablishing or strengthening national/regional associations of local authorities is also an important field of work. For this purpose it is vital to build capacity for elected members and appointed officials as well as improve administrative and political routines.

The following are examples of projects we have performed in the area of Local Government Development:
Albania: Decentralisation and Local Governance in Korca
Moldova: Local Self-Government Development
Mongolia: Capacity Building for Decentralisation and Local Self-Governance
Rwanda: Local Government Capacity Building
South Africa: Nothern Cape

Project Management and Development

We see project work as a method, as a concept, and as a process.

Project work is a method in the sense that it is an efficient and proven way of accomplishing well defined goals and objectives within set limits of time and financial resources. It is a concept in the sense that it is a training tool for human resources development, for team building and teamwork and for its orientation towards results. It is a process in the sense that each project has to be identified, formulated, appraised, implemented, monitored, terminated and finally evaluated.

Our approach to project work stresses all three aspects and additionally emphasises the integration of the skills achieved into the organisation after project completion.

The following are examples of projects we have performed in the area of Project Management and Development:
Lake Victoria: Support and Facilitation of Co-operation project Union of Baltic Cities and Lake Victoria Regional Local Authorities Cooperation (LVRLAC)
Malawi: Preparation of a Plan of Operation for the Decentralised Governance Programme
Tanzania: Cooperation Programme between Department of Antiquity, Tanzania and National Heritage Board, Sweden
Vietnam: PAR Loan Preparation

Feasibility studies, appraisals, evaluations, monitoring of progress, LFA and other administrative studies

We are experienced in conducting feasibility studies, design, appraisals, implementation, management and evaluation for a wide range of bilateral and multilateral organisations. Many of our consultants are certified users of the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) and are skilled in team building.

The following are examples of Feasibility studies, appraisals, evaluations, monitoring of progress, LFA and other administrative studies we have performed t:
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Evaluation of Finland’s development cooperation with Bosnia and Herzegovina
China: Logical Framework Approach workshop for the project Strengthening Employment Services
Laos: Public Administration Feasibility Study for the Department of Statistics
Malawi: Review of the Anti-Corruption Bureau
Vietnam: Policy and Administrative Reform Studies Support