Performance guidance

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry steers the activity and use of resources of the agencies and institutes in its administrative branch by the so-called performance guidance. After the Parliament has approved the State Budget at the turn of each year, the ministry establishes the priority objectives for the administrative branch and for the performance and resource management of the agencies and institutes concerned.

Performance targets are presented, where possible, using the relevant indicators for these, supplemented by qualitatively expressed targets if deemed necessary. Based on the strategic outlines for the policy sectors, specific targets are established for the budget year, while preliminary targets are set for the following four years.

Agencies and institutes under the performance guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry are the Finnish Food Authority, Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Finnish Agency for Rural Affairs (Mavi), National Land Survey of Finland (MML), Metsähallitus (a state enterprise), Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), regional state administrative agencies (AVI) and centres for economic development, transport and the environment (ELY). In addition, the ministry also steers the Finnish Wildlife Agency (SRK) and Finnish Forest Centre (SMK).

The performance objectives for the agencies and institutes established by the ministry are published by the performance agreement document signed by the ministry and the agency or institute concerned.

The realisation of the performance objectives is followed by mid-term reports and financial statements drawn up and published by the agency and institute for each year in the following spring. The ministry gives an opinion on the financial statement of each agency or institute.