Partners

SIPU International is a Swedish consultancy and training organization specialising in capacity building and institutional development in transitional and developing countries. We are one of Scandinavia’s leading consultants in the area of public service development. SIPU was established in 1979 as a Government agency - the Swedish Institute for Public Administration - providing training and consultancy services to the Swedish civil service. In 1992, the institute was privatized and transformed into a company group owned by its senior staff. Since 2007 SIPU forms part of the FCG Group (Finland).

With a turnover in 2008 of € 9 million, we are currently operating in around 20 countries and we have a record of consultancies in more than 60 countries globally. SIPU International employs more than fifty full time staff in the headquarters in Stockholm and project offices abroad. In addition, we contract a large number of short term experts every year, and we have a roster of more than 15,000 consultants and experts of various nationalities in all areas of public management and related fields.

One of SIPU’s main assets is our maintained good working relations with the Swedish public administration and government institutions at central, regional and municipal level. SIPU frequently co-operate in joint ventures and projects with public service agencies. They offer us up to date practical experience which complements the services and expertise we can offer our clients. SIPU has also developed active working relations with the main Swedish universities who provide us with additional academic depth when so required. Furthermore, we can draw upon the expertise of public and private organisations in a number of countries around the world.

SIPU has a long history of successful implementation of technical assistance projects, with beneficiaries both in the public sphere and civil society. Our clients include National, Regional, and Local Govern¬ments, Parliaments and non-governmental organisations, and the projects are financed by donor organisations such as Sida, the World Bank, European Commission etc.

www.sipuinternational.se

The Estonian School of Diplomacy (ESD) was established in 1990 with an aim to provide education that would ensure future competent personnel for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Today the ESD has 405 graduates working in various fields, among them ministers of foreign affairs. About ten ESD graduates have been or are Ambassadors. In addition to the Estonian foreign service, our graduates are successful in other institutions both in public as well as in private sector.

Currently the ESD operates as a non-governmental institution with an objective to promote theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of international relations and European Studies in Estonia. In that framework the ESD organises and carries out:

- scientific research and development;
- advanced training courses;
- project management;
- consultations;
- publishing.

On 23.12.2002 a new 5-member Board was elected for the school. The ESD and its staff are members of some organisations for studies in international relations and teaching related institutions, such as:

The European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), the European Information Network of International Relations and Area Studies (EINIRAS), the International Affairs Network (IAN), the International Forum of Diplomatic Training (IFDT), the International Studies Association (ISA) and the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES).