Local government and administrative structure in Norway – an introduction

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! Strong central gov. control over local government Do not focus too much on the formal side of our system Constitutional foundation

3. ”Local government” is a consequence of a difficult geography, political traditions (1837), social norms and expectations) A strong feeling of independece and expectations of participation in national matters, creates the idea of local self-government

4. Political system Administrative system Political and adminstrative structure Government: PM+17 Ministers Ministry of local government and regional development 169 members Managed trough legislation and budget ”Directorates” ”Independent” agencies County Governors (18) Parliament - Storting County Councils 18 (19) Counties Government staff on local level 19 Counties Communes Service providers General election Local election 431 Communes (2007) 2005-2009 2003-2007 Elections 2-4 year Cycles

5. Levels and institutions Communes (Municipalitis) Service providers

6. What is a commune? • 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, education, transport..  ”The ”large” rural policy

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

8. 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”) The communes are Villages Communes

9. The central – local relationship • Communes are financed through: • 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, • Communes are controlled through: • Legislation!! Other legal instruments (National guidelines) • Communes are parts of the political system • Dialogues, planning, research initiatives, educational intiaitives, partnerships  “Politics”, “Initiatives” “drives”

10. The communal role in land planning and land use • THE land-use planning authority • The Planning and Building Act (1985) • Land use is political questions • Land use vs. conservation - difficult Local National

11. Trend • On a formal level – the PBA – and the local role is stronger than ever – but is it so in practise? • Is partnerships where communes as political entrepreneurs connevct with private owners undermining the participatory and democratic dimentions in the PBA? • Who is actually governing on local level?

13. Power and influence in land-use Changes in the PBA over time Central government Public initiative Private initiative Decison making moved to communes Initiatives moved to private actors (owners, contractors Local government (communes)

14. Total population 2006 = 4 600 000

15. Norway is NOT a rural sanctuary!!

17. Omtrentlege bu- og arbeids- marknadsregionar

19. 2005 = 106 899 2006 = 106 233

20. A commune: Førde • Biggest in our county • Growing fastest • In the middle of the county • Services • Could have been ”Inverness”.. • 590 km2 • 11430 inhabitants

21. Re-classified

22. Total spending 441 mill NOK (£ 38 684 210) Number of people employed: 884 Man year: 610 Førde kommune

23. Office of the Chief Exec.Officer (32 operational units responsble to the CEO) Central administration Accounting Tax Office Land Planning Agricultural Office The ”Service Market”

24. 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

25. 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

26. ”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

27. 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)

28. 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

29. 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 Physioterapy/rehabili-tation (8) 22000 routine medical consultations 9000 non-routine 162 patients in rehabilitation Health care

30. 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 • Transport: An inter-municipal bus-company

31. Tension in the system:

32. What is different

33. 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 Norwegian nobility was killed or died out in the middle ages (The Black Plague) The farmers never lost their right to their own land (odal law still exist). A strong power base for the individual farmer – and a political force Norway extremely diffcult for a centre of power to control due to climate and transport problems. Poor land (agriculture). Difficult to exploit..low tax base!! 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 historical facts

34. Personal observations.. • Housing – newer heard of it! • The commune level is important – but we (Norwegians) don’t see it! • There is a stronger local dimension in Norwegian social and political life – creating a higher level of local dynamics.. • There is something about the ”big” and the ”small” rural policy..?