The GFOA annual conference from a Swedish perspective.

• Author: Larsson, Johnny
• Position: Government Finance Officers Assn

GFOA members attending the 1997 annual conference in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, welcomed a delegation of public finance officials from Sweden. There have been groups from Sweden attending every year since 1992. The 25 delegates were representatives of two groups: board members and top management of the company that handles the pension funds for local government employees, and representatives of local governments and counties, the National Audit Commission, and WM-data - a company specializing in the design and implementation of information management systems for private companies and government.

Although Swedish delegates have attended GFOA's annual conferences since 1992, the relationship between GFOA members and their Swedish counterparts started in 1988 when the city manager for the City of Sunnyvale, California, spoke at The Swedish Association of Local Authorities conference. The local officials in Sweden found Sunnyvale's management of public services so intriguing that they invited the city's finance manager to participate in a number of other conferences. A few years later, the finance manager - then a member of the GFOA Executive Board - suggested that the Swedes pay a visit to the next GFOA annual conference, which was in Orlando, Florida. They have attended every year since.

The relationship between the GFOA and Sweden has grown during these years. Today GFOA and the sister organization in Sweden - Foreningen Sveriges Kommunale-konomer - are partners and have signed an affiliation agreement. (See Government Finance Review, August 1994, p. 49.) As part of this agreement, a GFOA delegation attends Sweden's biannual conferences. GFOA's 1996-97 president, executive director, and other members attended the 1996 conference in the City of Malmoe.

In contemplating why it is so interesting for Swedes to attend the GFOA conference each year, several explanations can be pinpointed. The GFOA conference is always well organized, and delegates know what they can expect before they arrive. This provides "value for money," which is of great importance for public employees. The program covers many topics, offering sessions that the delegates will benefit from despite the fact that the daily business in U.S. and Swedish local governments is quite different. Many Swedes speak English and have no problem following a normal professional discussion held in English. In addition, the attendants from the U.S. are quick to discuss the differences and...