Participation of third sector in implementation of Regional Structural Fund programmes in Finland

Authors

• Kanerva Kuokkanen Svenska social- och kommunalhögskolan
• Hilkka Vihinen MTT

Abstract

The role of the ‘third sector’ – or associations and funds – in regional policy can be linked to the search for new forms of governance. In our study, we were interested in the following questions: What is the role of the third sector in the partnerships of the Regional Structural Fund programmes (especially Objective 1)? Have the programmes and the partnership principle led to a shift from ‘government’ to ‘governance’? Do partnerships cover also the participation of the third sector? The article is based on a study on Objective 1 programmes in Eastern and Northern Finland. New forms of governance were reflected in the rise of partnerships and project-orientated action. However, the strong position of the public sector, the market-orientated conception of partnerships and the rigid functioning of the system – linked both to the Finnish administration and to the regional Structural Fund programmes – give relatively little space for the third sector.