KEHA centre

Change management coaching provided targeted support for a major regional government reform

A historically wide-ranging reform of Finland’s regional administration placed managers’ change capability in a decisive role. KEHA Centre responded with change management coaching programmes that helped managers lead change, build shared ways of working and maintain organisational reliability during a period of transition.

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OBJECTIVE

A change-ready and resilient organisation

At the beginning of 2026, one of the most extensive reforms in Finland’s regional administration came into effect, as all 15 ELY Centres were replaced by 10 regional Vitality Centres. The change has had a visible impact on the everyday work of thousands of employees, increasing multi-location working, reshaping teams and changing managerial roles.

The Employment, Development and Administrative Centre (KEHA Centre) was tasked with supporting the successful implementation of the reform. Proactively delivered coaching programmes for managers played a significant role in the change programme. Their aim was to build peer support and a shared understanding at a time when the change was still ahead, but uncertainty and strain were already present.

“Managers play a crucial role in changes like this, and their actions affect the entire workforce. We wanted to support managers in change leadership, provide peer support during the reform and at the same time create nationally consistent ways of working for the new organisation,” says Kirsikka Soikkeli, Development Specialist at KEHA Centre, whose team was responsible for designing the change programme.

SOLUTION

Practical change management coaching for senior leaders and managers

Gofore delivered a change management coaching programme for a total of 10 manager groups. The programme consisted of two focused two-hour coaching sessions per group. Designed to fit into busy working lives, the sessions explored managers’ roles in the change and provided practical tools for processing and leading change. Between the sessions, managers worked in peer sparring groups.

“As is typical for us, the coaching was strongly practice-oriented. We kept the theoretical sections concise and devoted plenty of time to facilitated discussions and small group work,” explains Carita Hällsten, Change Management Coach at Gofore.

The coaching sessions were delivered to manager groups across Finland, with content tailored to the specific characteristics of each region. For many participants, these sessions were among the first occasions on which colleagues from the new organisation met each other. For this reason, it was important that most groups met face-to-face to build a shared understanding.

“This was one of the most successful collaborations of my entire career! The coaches were immediately on the same wavelength as us, and we truly worked together. We also received a situational overview and feedback from Gofore after each session, which helped us track how the change was progressing,” Soikkeli says.

This was one of the most successful collaborations of my entire career! The coaches were immediately on the same wavelength as us, and we truly worked together.

Kirsikka Soikkeli, Development Specialist, KEHA Centre

RESULT

A well-managed organisational change ensures high-quality and reliable services

As a result of the coaching, managers at the ELY Centres received support and tools for leading change at a time when their own roles and futures within the new Vitality Centres were still uncertain. At the same time, a shared language and common understanding were built – even before the reform officially came into force.

“The coaching contributed to the development of nationally consistent ways of working. This has a direct impact on the ability of Vitality Centre staff across Finland to provide services with the same level of quality and reliability. Without the coaching, support for change leadership would largely have been left to the regions themselves, and practices could have diverged,” Soikkeli notes.

The coaching sessions gave managers space to pause and share experiences in the midst of an uncertain change. This reduced the burden placed on managers and supported their wellbeing. When managers are able to lead themselves and the change in the midst of uncertainty, the effects are reflected in the entire organisation’s change capability.

“The coaching was one of the most impactful and positively received forms of support in our entire change programme. We received even more from Gofore than we expected! In the future, we plan to revisit the lessons from the coaching through recorded lecture content,” Soikkeli adds.

The coaching was one of the most impactful and positively received forms of support in our entire change programme. We received even more from Gofore than we expected!

Kirsikka Soikkeli, Development Specialist, KEHA Centre

Project highlights

Objective

A historically extensive reform of Finland’s state regional administration simultaneously transformed structures, teams and managerial roles. KEHA Centre’s objective was to support the transition of ELY Centres into Vitality Centres by strengthening managers’ change capability in particular.

Solution

Gofore delivered a compact and practical change management coaching programme for manager groups across Finland. The coaching explored managers’ roles in the change and provided concrete methods for processing and leading change. Content was tailored regionally, and most sessions were delivered face-to-face.

Result

The coaching supported managers in leading an ongoing change and laid the foundation for nationally consistent ways of working. This strengthened the operational reliability of the new organisation, reduced managers’ workload and helped ensure the quality and reliability of services across Finland.