5 Work on oppenness in Norway outside the Open Government Partnership

Norway is recognised as one of the most open societies in the world. The country often scores well on various comparative statistics for security, trust, health, political participation and anti-corruption, among other things. In 2021, the OECD conducted a survey of the population’s trust in public administration in Norway (similar surveys were conducted in all OECD countries).3 Norway did well here, but was advised, among other things, to improve the opportunities marginalised groups have to exert influence.

Not all openness work in Norway is encompassed by the OGP. The public administration and civil society cooperate in a number of areas:

5.1 The role of civil society

Civil society plays an important role in Norwegian society and has done so for two hundred years.

Figures from the Institute for Social Research (ISF) and “Frivillighet Norge” (Association of NGOs in Norway) on voluntary work – indicate a high degree of participation in organisations in the population. ISF has found that a majority of the adult population performs voluntary work every year. It is estimated that the annual production of services from the efforts of the voluntary sector totals NOK 50 billion. Several civil society organisations work to promote good governance and good public administration, often through campaigns for increased openness about government revenues and the fight against corruption. They also monitor the achievement of goals and the quality of public policy and contribute to the dissemination of information and knowledge about public policy.

Civil society organisations have contact with the public sector in various ways: This can take place through, e.g., the Storting’s committees, through contact with ministries (political leadership or civil service), or through directorates. Similarly, there is extensive contact with local government. In addition, they often participate actively in consultations and other input. Civil society organisations can also participate in councils and committees where they help to lay the foundations for later action in elected bodies.4

5.2 Tripartite cooperation

Norwegian society is based more on consensus than on conflict. Tripartite cooperation between the government, trade unions and employers is therefore an important tool. One important issue on which the three parties cooperate is income policy. The main objective of the income policy cooperation between the government and the social partners is to coordinate wage formation. In this way, income policy will contribute to moderate price and wage growth. This in turn will strengthen the basis for sustained high employment and low unemployment. The parties are responsible for collective bargaining. Income policy cooperation between the government and the social partners is anchored in the Government’s Contact Committee, which was established in 1962 and is chaired by the prime minister. This cooperation has contributed to Norway having lower unemployment and a lower level of conflict in the labour market than most other countries.

5.3 The trust reform

The trust reform is one of the Government’s most important projects, and a key part of the work to modernise and develop the public sector. This is not a traditional reform where the Government determines the structure and design and then instructs the public administration how to implement it. The content of the reform is created in close collaboration with user organisations, elected representatives and management in all major public agencies. The work on the trust reform is therefore a crucial part of the renewal efforts in the public sector. The goal of the reform is greater welfare and better services for citizens throughout the country. We will achieve this by increasing trust in the public sector. The reform must be concrete, and the ministries are now working, among other things, to provide more professional freedom to the first line and to reduce unnecessary reporting and documentation requirements.

If employees are given more time and latitude to use their expertise on what they are primarily responsible for, resources will be better utilised, and users can receive better services. The knowledge and expertise of employees is the public sector’s most important resource. It must be safeguarded and utilised as best as possible.

5.4 Instructions for Official Studies and Reports

The purpose of Instructions for Official Studies and Reports is to provide a sound, independent professional basis for decisions on central government measures, such as reforms, regulatory changes and investments, not least for political decisions. It is important that central government decisions are well founded and thoroughly thought through. Incomplete or insufficient investigation increases the risk of decisions being made that cannot be implemented, that have unfavourable effects or that entail a waste of society’s resources. One of the requirements in the instructions is that the public administration must involve those affected by the measure at an early stage in the assessment process.

5.5 Public committees

Public committees have long played a central role in the Norwegian system of governance. Different parts of society, such as interest organisations and academia, participate in public committees. The aim of setting up public committees is to develop the knowledge base for policy and propose concrete measures, such as new laws. The committees must submit a public report (sometimes several), which formally constitutes advice to the ministry that has appointed the committee. Public committees also help to ensure openness about who advises the government or ministers on the development and implementation of public policy, and what kind of advice they give. The reports are often published in the established system known as NOU (Official Norwegian Reports), but they can also be published in other ways.

NOUs are usually circulated for public consultation and are therefore often part of the professional basis for reports and propositions that the Government submits to Norway’s parliament, the Storting. The public committees are governmental and appointed by the Government or a ministry. The committees have external representation and are time-limited, for example to one year. The external members may be party representatives or independent experts. The committees can also have members from public authorities.

Committees appointed to perform official studies shall have flexibility in their work where the participants are equal, and that they are authorised to find the best solutions. This means that they can have dialogues and discussions with whomever they wish limited, if applicable, by the mandate.

A total of approximately 1,650 NOU committee reports have been published since the series began in 1972.

5.6 Consultations

Consultations are used to allow citizens, organisations and businesses to express their opinions and control what the public administration does and how it carries out its tasks. The consultation period is normally three months.

Cases are circulated for consultation because:

• it is a democratic right for everyone to be involved in shaping public policy.
• the views of affected interests must be known to those who make the decisions.
• cases must be informed as well as possible before decisions are made (ref. the Public Administration Act).
• participation creates better support and facilitates the implementation of initiatives.

Cases circulated for consultation may concern proposals for laws and regulations that regulate people’s rights and obligations, the organisation of the public administration, changes to areas of authority, and investigations. Anyone and everyone can contribute to public consultations, regardless of whether they are on the consultation list or not.

5.7 The Public Administration Act, Freedom of Information Act, Archives Act, Environmental Information Act and Transparency Act

The Public Administration Act provides general rules on procedure in public administration. The Act regulates the processing of cases when a decision is made, and in particular the rights of the parties during the process.

The Freedom of Information Act gives everyone the right to access case documents, records and similar registers for all bodies covered by the Act. It applies to all government agencies, municipalities and county authorities and certain other entities. The main rule is that access must be granted, and exceptions require authorisation by law or accordance with the law. The Act also contains rules on the handling of requests for access and the right to appeal against decisions in access cases.

The Archives Act shall safeguard archives that have important cultural or research value or that contain legal or important administrative documentation so that these can be preserved and made available for posterity. Detailed rules on archiving and journalling of documents are set out in the Archive Regulations.

The Environmental Information Act is intended to ensure that the public has access to environmental information and thereby makes it easier for individuals to contribute to the protection of the environment, to protect themselves against health and environmental harm and to influence public and private decision-makers on environmental issues. The Act also promotes the public’s right to participate in public decision-making processes that affect the environment.

The Transparency Act entered into force on 1 July 2022. It aims to promote the enterprises’ respect for fundamental human rights and decent working conditions in connection with the production of goods and provision of services and ensure the general public access to information regarding how enterprises address adverse impacts on fundamental human rights and decent working conditions.

5.8 Central Government communication policy

The communication policy contains the central goals and principles of the central government’s communication with citizens, businesses, organisations and other public sector activities. The aim of the Central Government communication policy is to ensure that citizens receive correct and clear information about their rights, responsibilities and opportunities, have access to information about the central government’s activities, and be invited to participate in the formulation of policies, schemes and services.

5.9 Dialogue with the municipalities (the consultation scheme)

The Government and the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) agree on the need for a good dialogue between the central government and the municipal sector on central government framework conditions and goal achievement within municipal activities. From and including the work on the national budget for 2001, there have been regular consultations between the central government, represented by the Government, and the municipal sector, represented by KS (the local government sector’s interest and employer organisation), through regular political meetings.

The main purpose of the scheme is to reach agreement on what can be achieved within the municipal sector’s revenue framework.

5.10 Norwegian participation in the OECD’s work on openness and democracy

Norway participates in the OECD’s work on openness through the Working Party on Open Government (WPOG). The work on openness in the OECD covers many of the same topics as the OGP, but often with a slightly different angle, often with greater emphasis on how the public administration should organise its work. WPOG is a working group under the PGC (Public Government Committee).