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Local government and administrative structure in Norway – an introduction

Local government and administrative structure in Norway – an introduction. Øyvind Glosvik Associate Professor Sogn og Fjordane University College. Norway is a unitary state with no formal, constitutional role of local self–government

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Local government and administrative structure in Norway – an introduction

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  1. Local government and administrative structure in Norway – an introduction Øyvind Glosvik Associate Professor Sogn og Fjordane University College

  2. Norway is a unitary state with no formal, constitutional role of local self–government ”Local government” is a consequence of a difficult geography, traditions (1835), and policy A strong feeling of independece and expectations of participation in national matters creates the idea of local self-government. Constitutional foundation

  3. Political and adminstrative structure Government:PM+18 ministers Ministry of local government and regional development 169 members Managed trough legislation and budget ”Directorates” ”Independent” agencies County Governor Parliament - Storting 18 Counties Government staff on local level Counties Service providers General election Local election 434 Municipalities (2003) 2001-2005 2003-2007 2-4 year sycles

  4. Levels and institutions

  5. What is a municipality? • An independent political unity – direct elections every 4. year. Council, Mayor, The Executive • Responsible for compulsory service provision: • Primary schools, primary health services, nursery schools, libraries, local roads, fire protection, social service, child protection, old age care • Voluntary service provision: Cinema, sports arenas, • Planning (social, but first of all LAND PLANNING!) • A general public authority with legislative power in some matters • The most important implementor of Central Government policies in land plannning and management, welfare policies, school policies, transport..

  6. They are communites (kommune) The lowest functional level in political and social sense Main arenas for participation: cultural activites sport politics (the role as citizen) production and consumption of public services (where the welfare state meets the ”customer”) But most important..(?) Villages Municipality

  7. The municipalities are deeply rooted in our community as an organising concept..

  8. Financed trough • Direct taxes (firms and ind.taxpayers • Designated grants from central government • General grants on objective criteria (centrality, age structure, size and so on..) • Income from own property (power companies, transport companies (usually subsidised..)) • Parking fines! Cinemas,, beer sale monopolies,

  9. A municpality: Førde • Second biggest • Growing fastest • In the middle of the county • Services • Could have been ”Inverness”.. • 590 km2 • 11200 inhabitants

  10. Total spending 441 mill NOK (£ 38 684 210) Number of people employed: 884 Man year: 610 Førde kommune Central administration Education and nursery schools Health and social care Culture Technical

  11. Office of the Chief Exec.Officer Accounting Tax Office Land Planning Agricultural Office The Service Market Central administration

  12. 9 Primary schools (1-4 or 1-7) 1 Secondary school (5-10) Norwegian-for- immigrants-centre Adult training centre The music and culture school 6 Municipal nursery schools (+ 8 private) 188 Teachers (qualified pedagical..) 40 Assistants to special care pupils 39 Nursing school teachers + 40 assistants Total of 376 employed Education and nursery schools

  13. Most of the activities trough voluntary organisations The municipality: Running of ”Førdehuset” (Library, cinema, sports arenas, theatre, art facilities, concert hall). Parks Supporting organisations (festivals, museums, youth activities, the theatre) Total budget: 8 476 204,- Culture and sport

  14. ”In-door”-section 11 emplyoyed Mapping of building sites Building regulations Building permissions! Project management of municipal property development ”Out-door”-section 18 employed Fire chief Chimney sweepers Water supply Sewer system Municipal roads The Fire Brigade: Part time Building and technical

  15. 410 inhabitants needed economical support (down from 462) 15 ”addicted” sent to institutions. 22 in open care 95 children in some kind of care or action-required Social services Child care (5,4 man year) Immigration service Activity centre for Mentally disabled (?) Psyciatric Day Centre Support service Social services (Numbers and services close to national average for this kind of municipality)

  16. 1 Nursing hospital (69 beds) Special care homes (79) (22 senior appartments) Home nursing (332 patients) Home care (259) Practical home service (ca 500 users in 2004) Nursing and care

  17. 10+ 1 GP at the MHC 24 hour regional acute (?) medical service The Health station (children, pregnant, family planning, innoculations (11 nurses and mid-wifes) School health service Fysiotherapy/rehabili-tation (8) 22000 routine medical consultations 9000 non-routine 162 patients in rehabilitation Health care

  18. On the side..: • The Church – self governed but parts of the religious services are financed over the municipal budget • Renovation – trough inter-municipal service organised as a ltd. • Business development organised trough an inter- municipal organisation

  19. Tension in the system (a): The national view (seen from Oslo) The lay perspective The professional perspective The local view

  20. Tension in the system (b): The national view (seen from Oslo) Sivic society Market solutions The local view

  21. Our ”civil” wars are 1000 years behind us. The relationship between us, Denmark and Sweden was never as brutal as between the English, the Scots and the Irish The Norweigan nobility were killed or died in the middle ages (The Black Plague) The farmers never lost their right to their own land (odal law still exist) Extremely diffcult to control due to climate and transport problems. Poor land (agriculture). Difficult to exploit.. The Union between Norway and Denmark 1200-1814 was important culturally and administrative. The one between Sweden and Norway between 1814-1905 was not. The story of each county and municipality reaches far back - into to this period. Our county: Nordre Bergenhus amt: Set up in 1776 Some political facts about our history (why are we different..)

  22. What is different (personal observations)? • Housing? Never heard of it.. • Who cares about the county level..? • There is always the municipality to blame.. • The dynamics of local development.. Point:The muncipality is always there to fix whatever needs to be done..

  23. Skotter, svensker og pakistanere Trodde du at innvandring til Norge var et moderne fenomen? -Gjennom alle tider har Norge vært attraktivt for utlendinger, Edvard Grieg og Petter Dass er eksempler på nordmenn med skotsk blod i sine årer. Mange stedsnavn viser skotsk tilknytning. Langs hele kysten finner vi skotske bånd Publisert 20.01.2003 12:26.

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