CMC Finland’s new policy brief examines cross-sector mobility among Finnish civilian crisis management experts. The findings suggest that mission, secretariat and election observation positions largely constitute distinct career paths.

CMC Finland deploys experts to international mission, secretariat and election observation positions. In recent years, the EU’s Civilian Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) has emphasised the value of diverse workforce. CMC Finland has also considered how expertise gained in one type of role can support work in another. For example, practical experience and contextual knowledge acquired in missions can provide valuable insights for experts working in secretariat positions, where planning, monitoring, evaluating and supporting missions are key responsibilities. However, there is still limited research on cross-sector mobility within civilian crisis management.

New policy brief Three different career paths? Study on Finnish experts’ cross-sector mobility between mission, secretariat and election observation addresses this knowledge gap. In the publication, Research and Development Coordinator Nanna Hallikainen examines whether and how often Finnish experts move between mission, secretariat and election observation roles during their careers.

Many experts work only within one sector

The study found that 89 per cent of all experts deployed by CMC Finland have worked in only one of the sectors. Cross-sector mobility was particularly rare among mission and election observation experts. Among experts deployed to missions, 81 per cent had not worked in any other sector, while the corresponding figure for election observation was 72 per cent.

Cross-sector mobility was more common among secretariat experts, 59 per cent of whom had also been nominated or recruited to positions in other sectors. The study also identified a common career path from mission or/and secretariat positions to election observation but not back to operational or secretariat positions. Among experts who had worked in more than one sector, 35 per cent had followed this career path.

Several factors explain the limited cross-sector mobility

Just over half (54 per cent) of all experts deployed by CMC Finland have been recruited more than once, meaning that many have not yet had the opportunity to move between different sectors. In addition, the number and type of open positions vary between sectors. As a result, experts may not always find positions in other sectors that match their experience, skills and interests. Moreover, CMC Finland has deployed election observers only since 2022, meaning that cross-sector mobility between election observation and other sectors might still become more common in the future.

Read the English summary: Three different career paths? Study on Finnish experts’ cross-sector mobility between mission, secretariat and election observation (pdf)

Read the full policy brief in Finnish: Kolme erillistä urapolkua? Selvitys asiantuntijoiden liikkumisesta operaatio-, sihteeristö- ja vaalitarkkailutehtävien välillä (pdf)