Joining in on this effort is Ida Miettinen, the Agency's first Finnish intern. Working within the Chief Operating Office, Miettinen supports her team in managing business intake for all services delivered by the Agency. This extends to services delivered to Finland which enable the Nation to continue operating seamlessly as a full member of the Alliance.
In celebration of Finland's first anniversary in NATO, we spoke with Miettinen to learn more about her internship and her experience.
What is your role at the NCI Agency?
My main role during my internship is to process service support packages from Agency stakeholders. Essentially, these are the agreements that detail the quality and quantity of the services the Agency will deliver to NATO, Nations and other organizational elements. These packages are created and updated on a yearly basis to meet the needs of the stakeholder and require a lot of correspondence on both sides. I ensure that the end products which will be prepared and signed by the Agency and the Partner are coordinated properly. I also support members of my team and my branch in completing any necessary administrative support tasks to ensure that they can carry out their work efficiently.
I really enjoy the dynamic environment my team provides and the possibility to learn something new every day. Especially as a newcomer, it is very interesting to learn about the processes in NATO and how they influence the work we do. I am also given a lot of autonomy by my team and I have found that this is really helping me become an independent thinker and develop my skills in my field of work.
What did Finland's accession to NATO mean to you?
It meant the beginning of something new. I have felt more secure since Finland joined NATO and I believe Finland's accession to NATO brings greater stability and security during these uncertain times. I cannot speak for my whole country, but the general Finnish view of Finland joining NATO is positive and we view it as necessary for the security of our country. Additionally, our accession has opened doors and provided a huge amount of interesting work opportunities for Finns like myself looking to work in the international sector.
How does the work of your team support new NATO Allies like Finland and Sweden?
Our team supports new Allies in joining NATO through familiarizing them with the information and communication technology (ICT) used across NATO. We provide new NATO members with support packages that includes the processes, frameworks and guidelines for the new systems they will be adopting, as well as with information on how NATO operates. This service also involves capturing the national requirements of the new member and incorporating them into our development process for the following year. We also provide constant monitoring during the execution year and swiftly handle any problems the Nation may be facing. For several years now, my team has been supporting Finland, and now Sweden, in that direction.
What drew you to an NCI Agency internship?
I have always been interested in working in an international organization and I applied to this internship right after Finland became a member of NATO. I studied Business at university and then became a trainee at the Foreign Ministry of Finland, in the Embassy of Finland in Tel Aviv, Israel. I saw the internship at the NCI Agency as a natural progression in combining the two topics I am passionate about: international affairs and business.