Wellbeing County's €290,000 Consulting Plan Sparks Outrage, Procurement Halted

The Western Uusimaa wellbeing services county ignited controversy with its plan to acquire external communications consulting services for up to €290,000, bypassing a proper competitive bidding process. The proposed contract was with a firm headed by Lauri Korkeaoja, a prominent lobbyist in the health sector. Korkeaoja's spouse, Inka Hopsu, a Member of Parliament for the Green Party, served as an alternate board member in his company, which politicized the situation.

While Hopsu reportedly had no direct role in the deal, her connection to the firm amplified public scrutiny. The wellbeing county's personnel director initially attempted to downplay the situation, describing it as a "misunderstanding." They claimed the county had only tentatively agreed to a five-month consultation period costing €55,000, and the larger figure was a precautionary estimate to facilitate potential contract extensions.

However, the public outcry persisted for two days, forcing the wellbeing county to suspend the procurement. The incident raises significant questions about the county's procurement practices, even if no laws were explicitly broken. It also highlights how the management of a large budget can blur the leadership's perception of financial responsibility. For staff undergoing change negotiations and residents awaiting treatment, €290,000 is not an insignificant sum, and its allocation for communications consulting clashes with public expectations of fairness.

The core issue is principled: the wellbeing county justified the consulting contract by stating they couldn't find a suitable candidate internally for managing societal relations during a recent communications director search. They intended to use the external expertise to build the county's advocacy framework. While securing state funding is an understandable goal, especially given upcoming budget cuts, the necessity of an external consultant for societal relations is questionable. The county's decision-makers are elected politicians with direct ties to national policy-making, making the need for outside help for 'societal relations' debatable.