Plenary Session. Strategic thinking: Do we see a part or the whole?
Moderator: Mr Vaidotas Beniušis
Gitanas Nausėda, President of the Republic of Lithuania
Strategic thinking and lessons from Munchausen
Arūnas Dulkys, PhDChanges are always running a race with time and are usually losing it as they get bogged down in the swamp of strategic management. Baron Munchausen believed that a thinking person simply must regularly pull himself by the hair from the swamp. Moreover, it is said that thinking is the worst bugbear of authoritarian societies. Therefore, audits of the National Audit Office of Lithuania invite us to think rather than act blindly and formally. Auditor General will invite the conference participants to discuss what the practice of strategic planning and management in Lithuania says about us and our thinking.
Most effective avenues for public finance reform
Mr Boris CournèdeTax and spending reforms offer numerous opportunities to promote inclusive growth. There are so-called win-win reforms that simultaneously boost economic output and enhance income equality. Other reforms will produce benefits along a single dimension, while some involve trade-offs between average income gains and adverse distributional effects. Empirical analyses provide evidence about which tax and spending reforms influence prosperity and income distribution -- and by how much.
The positive effects of public investment on economic growth
Paul Joyce, PhDThe speech will focus on key questions about public investment. These are: What are its consequences? What are its effects on economic growth? In relation to economic growth, how do different possibilities for the use of public investment compare? How important are government’s arrangements for economic governance and its strategic capabilities in managing tensions between its top priorities (e.g. economic stability, green growth, social well being, reforming and modernising the welfare state).
Parallel Session: Added Value Generating Change
Moderator: Ms Eglė Daunienė
From changing our budget to changing our culture – impacts of Austria’s budget reform
Mr Alexander GruenwaldBy introducing outcome-oriented budgeting on the federal level of government, Austria embarked on a journey towards a more accountable and transparent governance.
But how this shift from input to impact is changing our modus operandi and culture and enables us to address the challenges and wicked problems of our times in a sustainable way are the central questions to be discussed.
Governance and Leadership: The coolest smart society
Mr Mart LaidmetsSuccess story about how Estonia has planned and implemented reforms at the level of general education, in recent decades. The presentation intends to find answer to the following questions: What has influenced defining the priorities in general education and how does it relate to developments in other areas? What are the concrete and measurable results and what are the challenges ahead? Have the reforms shaped the cooperation between central and local government and to what extent?
Speed up change and innovation through circular decision making structures
Mr Pieter van der MechéHow to build decision making structures that integrate change in the ‘operating system’ of an organization. That change does not mean change the system but instead producing (deep) change as a permanent and integral part of the system. Coming from 50 years of experience with sociocratic decision making structures in business, health care and government. Promoting psychological safety, ownership, diversity and commitment to change.
Parallel Session: Social Welfare Puzzle
Moderator: Mr Ričardas Gaurys
Inclusive growth – how to achieve it?
Mr Nicolas WoloszkoInclusive growth has become a major policy objective in OECD countries, that requires an all-of-government approach to be achieved, including redistribution, labour market regulation, trade regulation as well as housing policies. The speech will focus on the key policy implications of OECD research about both income and wealth inequalities.
Social assistance system: Accessible, enabling, adequate?
Mr Mindaugas MacijauskasSocial assistance system is essential in reducing poverty and income inequalities. However, to achieve this, it is necessary to make it accessible to all, encouraging a way out – enabling, and ensuring at least the minimum needs - adequate.
The audit performed by NAOL found that the support system in Lithuania in many cases does not ensure minimum consumption needs for its beneficiaries, opportunities for enabling individuals are not used, whereas information measures lack simplicity and clarity, therefore making it difficult for the population to make full use of social support.
Finnish public policy measures on social welfare and income distribution
Ms Tytti Yli-ViikariThe presentation will highlight the social policy directions and measures, and key elements of the social welfare and tax systems that determine the social welfare and income distribution in Finland. The recent public audits underline structural challenges linked to major changes in demographics and the sustainability gap in Finnish public finances.
Recent UK social policy and the role of social enterprise
Prof. Jo Pritchard MBEDifferent social policies, such as the introduction of the Universal Credit System, have meant changes in a range of areas. There will be a brief review of the key policies and their impacts on people.
Social enterprises, businesses that use profit for social good, are working to address some of these, including social inclusion. The speech will describe their effectiveness and give a couple of case studies.
Lithuania – a country of paradox. What decisions are already needed today?
Mr Laurent Sens
Closing Session: Signals for Changes
Moderators: Mr Mindaugas Jackevičius and Ms Eglė Butkevičienė
Signals of impact journalism: How investigations create room for change?
Mr Mindaugas AušraA question will be raised and answered about goals of investigative journalism and why the so-called cutting of heads is not longer an end in itself. Also, a role of investigative reporter in initiating change and defining types of change will be presented along with a brief analysis of LRT Investigations.