# Civil Service under Extreme Stress This note brings together everything related to how the civil service works during major crises — when the state is seriously tested. That can mean war, military occupation, cyberattacks, institutional collapse, pandemics, natural disasters, or any event that disrupts normal government operations. The focus is on how public servants, agencies, and governments react, adapt, break down, or reorganize. It’s a space to collect examples, ideas, strategies, and questions about how public administration functions when things get out of control. --- ## Entries **[[2026-01-04]]**: I got to know the Finnish model of _[Kokonaisturvallisuus](https://turvallisuuskomitea.fi/en/comprehensive-security/)_ (Comprehensive Security), which establishes a permanent administrative ecosystem for _whole-of-society_ resilience. A central pillar is the [National Emergency Supply Agency](https://www.huoltovarmuuskeskus.fi/en) (NESA), which secures material readiness through legally embedded sector-based cooperation with private companies and NGOs. These arrangements integrate private operators into national crisis planning and continuity-of-operations frameworks, supported by an extra-budgetary National Emergency Supply Fund. The _Emergency Powers Act_ enables extraordinary governance regimes that recalibrate civil service functioning during crises. Key mechanisms include: work obligations for compulsory reassignment of public employees to essential functions across administrative boundaries; a shift toward centralized command that constrains municipal autonomy; and personnel reservation designations that exempt critical civilians from military conscription - preserving institutional memory and operational expertise precisely when most needed. The model's roots trace back to the post-WWII doctrine of _Total Defence_, progressively adapted to Finland's evolving security landscape (most recently following NATO accession in 2022). The _[Security Strategy for Society](https://turvallisuuskomitea.fi/en/security-strategy-for-society/)_ (updated January 2025) identifies seven interdependent _Vital Functions_ - including leadership, psychological resilience, and defence capability - represented as a diamond with individuals at the center. Socialization into this culture occurs through _National Defence Courses_ (since 1961) for civilian and military leaders, and the _[National Defence Training Association](https://mpk.fi/en/)_ (MPK), which trains ~50,000 volunteers annually. At the household level, the _[72 hours](https://72tuntia.fi/en/)_ campaign establishes a baseline expectation: every family should be able to survive three days without external assistance. **[[2025-06-02]]**: I read about the concept of _[chaos testing](https://public.digital/pd-insights/blog/2025/05/chaos-testing-how-crisis-forces-organisations-to-change)_ in an article by [[Public Digital]]. Originally used in software engineering to test systems by deliberately introducing failure, the idea is applied in the piece to organisational design, including public administration. The article describes how simulating disruption can help institutions identify vulnerabilities, strengthen resilience, and avoid reactive, short-term fixes after crises. **[[2025-04-30]]**: I came across something through [[Bastien Scordia]] (from _[[Acteurs Publics]]_) that really caught my attention: France is updating its plans to prepare its civil service and ensure that public services can continue even in [extreme crisis](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bastien-scordia-579b1686_plan-de-r%C3%A9silience-des-services-publics-face-activity-7323607879289102336-GqSy/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABJfvIUBLMnEUSA-EbpMEBKTnb3K9do__SQhttps://www.linkedin.com/posts/bastien-scordia-579b1686_plan-de-r%C3%A9silience-des-services-publics-face-activity-7323607879289102336-GqSy?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAABJfvIUBLMnEUSA-EbpMEBKTnb3K9do__SQ) contexts like war. They're introducing measures such as resilience and crisis management training for all managers by 2028, embedding these issues in initial civil service training, raising awareness of cybersecurity, and making it easier for civil servants to join and be valued in the national reserves. It feels crucial, especially after the pandemic highlighted how unprepared many governments are for major disruptions. It makes you wonder: what's the "day after tomorrow" plan for public services if, say, Russia invades the Baltics? Or if a nuclear conflict breaks out? I doubt that the civil service in Brazil has concrete answers. But I do know that this is a research focus here in Germany at the [Mannheimer Institut für Personal und Management der Bundeswehr (MIP)] (https://www.maipm.de/team).