Change in mindset: service as a whole, focus on the customer
Traditional internal management tends to focus on departments, tasks, and work processes. This was also the case with the Land and Spatial Development Board, as all functions were transferred from the merged institutions as a whole. However, this can lead to a situation where the customer, be it a landowner, developer, or local government, has to contact several employees or departments of different institutions to get an answer to their question. What's more, in some cases, they have to wait several weeks for a response. Service-based management takes a different approach – the focus is on the client and their needs. We first define what services we offer to society and then organize our work processes, systems, and responsibilities accordingly. We are changing the decision-making process from the current "we know best" model to a "we ask the customer and understand their needs" model.
Our goal is for every service at the Land and Spatial Development Board to be managed holistically: it has a clear owner, measurable goals, and continuous development. Service-based management helps us see the big picture and makes it possible to make smarter decisions about where to improve the customer experience, where there are bottlenecks in the process, and it also helps us manage our resources better. Service-based management is not just a reorganization of work – it is a way of seeing the people, or customers, we work for.
For customers: clarity, speed, and a better experience
For our customers, service-based management means, above all, clearer and smoother service. If, for example, a person wants to build a new building, merge plots of land, or obtain information about map data, they no longer have to figure out where to turn, what legislation they need to be familiar with, or what steps to take in what order. Our services are designed from their perspective: simpler, clearer, and more accessible – both in e-services and in communication with our staff. The service guides the customer smoothly and efficiently to an effective solution.
In addition, service-based management helps us accelerate and digitize many processes, providing more proactive information and reducing duplication.
For employees of the Land and Spatial Development Board: responsibility, cooperation, and impact
This change also creates more meaning and clarity for our own people. When you work with a specific service that is described and targeted, you know exactly who you are doing it for and why. The service has its own goals and results, which can be monitored together with the team and used as a basis for developing the service. We make the impact of the service visible. This type of management gives responsibility to our own field experts – those who have in-depth knowledge and experience so that they can apply their skills in designing and improving services, creating solutions that are truly meaningful and valuable to the user. Responsibility is clearly divided – it is not an additional burden, but an opportunity to influence how the service is designed and how it reaches the people of Estonia.
Service-based management helps break down silos and promotes cooperation between teams. Our task is not only to do "our part well," but to ensure that the customer receives a good and comprehensive response to their needs. This is what makes our work more meaningful.
Work that creates real value
I dare say that public sector employees do not want to work just for the sake of working, even though this is often the image portrayed to the public. The word "civil servant" should not be a negative label, but rather indicate a desire and commitment to serve the Estonian state. As the name suggests, public servants serve the people and the state, and the aim here is to create value for the customer, i.e. the citizen. Our people are here because they care about our country, our people, and our businesses, and because they want public services to work better. However, the value that each person creates often remains invisible or unrecognized.
Service-based management allows us to link our daily work to the specific impact it has on the customer and society. When we see how our actions help someone solve a real problem or make their life easier, our work becomes more meaningful, motivating, and effective.
A solid foundation has been laid
In order to move towards service-based management, we have started by taking an honest and thorough look at ourselves. We took a look at all of the Land and Spatial Development Board's services – there were 186 institutions on the list – and asked three simple but important questions about each one: 1. Why are we doing this? 2. Who needs it? 3. Should Estonian taxpayers be funding this?
This exercise helped us understand the real value of our work. As a result, we reorganized and harmonized the logic of our services, and 32 clearly defined services were created.
We assign a person in charge of each service – a service manager whose task is to ensure that the service is purposeful, meets customer needs, and is constantly evolving. To ensure that service-based management does not remain just a concept, we are also implementing organizational structural changes: we are forming teams, roles, and responsibilities in such a way that we can offer our services in a more comprehensive, smoother, and customer-centric manner.
This has created a strong foundation on which to move forward. The change has begun!
The long road we are traveling together
Service-based management is not just a structural change – it is a promise that every Estonian will receive better services and every employee of the Land and Spatial Development Board will be able to create greater value. We are working to make the state more accessible to people and better every day. This is a journey and a cultural change that takes time and requires constant learning. We are at the beginning of this journey. We have many good people whose experience and knowledge are invaluable in initiating this change. We are building a new management model step by step, learning from others, experimenting, and adjusting as necessary. Not everything may work perfectly right away, but that is part of the learning process.
Our goal is clear: to create value, not bureaucracy. Our services must work for the customer – and work better. Service-based management is the cornerstone of this. We are working to create valuable land and the best space together!
If you have any thoughts, suggestions, or questions about this change, please let us know. If you want to be part of this change, get involved!
Author: Kati Tamtik, Director General of the Land and Spatial Development Board
Loomise kuupäev: 13.11.2025
