New Project Manager Vuokko Lehtimäki:
“We are going to have a busy and interesting autumn with the key project.”
Vuokko Lehtimäki started as a Project Manager for the Government key project Services to be based on customer needs as of 1 June.
Link to video (in Finnish) : https://youtu.be/X6QhixCgwsILinkki toiselle sivustolleAvautuu uudessa välilehdessä
Text version of the interview:
What do your duties include in practice?
“I am working as the project manager of the key project Services to be based on customer needs. In addition to that, I am responsible for two subprojects, the service voucher experiment and the project on introducing a public service pledge of the new counties. ”
Why did you want to work for the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and in this key project?
“Due to my varied work experience and experience from municipal work I think that I am able to contribute to this project, and through the key project also to the ongoing health and social services reform. I have worked in development projects and as municipal officeholder. I also very much value the role of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the work carried out here. It is very exciting and motivating to learn new things at the Ministry.”
What do you want to change as a project manager?
“Nobody can do this work alone. I hope that my own work will help to use all that vast experience they have in counties and municipalities for the benefit of the key project and the recent developments regarding freedom of choice. I also deeply wish that we can, during the whole project, have an open and confidential interaction between all parties involved.”
What is going to happen in the key project towards the end of the year?
“After the summer vacations we will start to assess the ongoing service voucher experiments systematically. We are expecting interesting signals and preliminary results that can be utilised when starting the wider county pilots on freedom of choice. A mode of operation regarding the public service pledge should be ready for counties in October. Even the mode of operation regarding client participation should be in good progress at the end of the year. We also hope that we can include oral healthcare in the service voucher experiment during the autumn. All in all, we are going to have a busy and interesting autumn with the key project.”
Education: MA (University of Helsinki), major subject: applied geography for planning, minor subjects include, for example, national economy (Faculty of Social Sciences) and urban planning and design (University of Technology).
Work experience: 14 years as Planning Officer for Helsinki Metropolitan Area Council; 1.5 years as Project Manager for a regional development company, Kehittämiskeskus Oy Häme; 5 years in management posts developing basic security, health services and services for older persons for the City of Hämeenlinna; 4.5 years as Project Manager for Pikassos Oy, a centre of excellence on social welfare; 4 years as Head of the Unit of customer guidance for older people in Hämeenlinna.
Family: Living in Hämeenlinna with spouse Juha and 16-year-old twin daughters Roosa and Veera. Son Juho, 29 years, and daughter Nina, 28 years.
Interests: Gardening, detective novels and Nordic walking.
Further information (in Finnish):
Palvelut asiakaslähtöisiksi (Services to be based on client needs)