Translation from the Norwegian

At a general meeting of Foreign Ministry employees on 22 March 2006, Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and International Development Minister Erik Solheim presented their thoughts, ideas and proposals for the organisational structure of the ministry, leadership and working procedures and methods. These were based on the Government’s policy platform, which states: “The Government will give priority to modernising the foreign service to be a more open, dynamic and future-oriented knowledge organisation.”

The following are some of the main points from Foreign Minister Støre’s presentation:

• There is a great deal of knowledge and expertise in the Foreign Service, and the employees are very receptive to the idea of changing the organisation and have great expectations as to what can be done. Some problems can be resolved by altering the structure of the organisation, but most of them must be dealt with by changing aspects of the organisational culture and mentality and the way we work. We must bring out the best in each other through teamwork.
• The priority areas for the ministry as a knowledge organisation will be: the High North; an active European policy; peace, reconciliation and development; just global governance; fighting poverty; safeguarding Norway’s security: further developing and strengthening the UN and international law; human rights; promoting Norwegian trade and industry abroad; women and gender equality; and service to the general public.
• The political leadership fully endorses the proposals set out in the employee survey on organisational culture in the Foreign Service: good leadership skills as a criterion for recruiting senior management personnel; professionalisation of personnel management; systematic follow-up of senior management personnel; including the officer responsible for a matter in the entire process, including decision-making; simplification of decision-making procedures and reduction of the number of approval levels.
• The political leadership fully endorses the proposals put forward by the two internal working groups: establishment of more clearly defined strategic leadership in the ministry; closer integration of the foreign service missions and the ministry in dealing with day-to-day matters; more cooperation between the various levels in the organisation; fewer departments and simplified approval routines; new leadership criteria, leadership targets and evaluation of leaders.
• Eight departments will be established: a department for Europe and trade; a department for security policy and the neighbouring areas; a department for the UN, peace and humanitarian issues; a department for regional issues and development; a legal affairs department; a department for protocol and the promotion of Norway abroad; a department for human resource development and resources; and a department for general services. A separate communications unit will be established for the Foreign Minister, and an analysis unit for the International Development Minister. The new organisational structure is intended to ensure a clearer distinction between strategic and operational management.
• A strategic leadership group will be established; there will be more meetings on specific themes involving employees from different departments; the new departments will be given more leeway to decide their internal organisation, and greater responsibility for determining the priority to be given to areas and themes in the light of available resources.
• There will be greater openness, both internally and externally, and employees will be encouraged to think along new lines and express disagreement. A project will be established to develop guidelines for information activities within the ministry and in relation to the general public. The foreign service missions will be more closely involved in the ministry’s day-to-day work.
• As regards the further process, the new structure and a new leadership group will be in place in May/June. The sections will then be reorganised and projects will be set up. All changes that affect positions and employees will be submitted to the ministry’s liaison committee on 23 March. Recruitment policy, personnel management and the organisation’s responsibility for providing services to the general public and its own employees will also be reviewed.
• The Foreign Minister concluded his presentation by saying that “Organisational structure is only one of the measures we have for achieving the ministry’s aims; organisational culture and working procedures are the most important factors for change.”

[The complete presentation ( linkvedleggmorganiserinudbilder/0323_blankpdf – 1,4 MB / linkvedleggmorganiserinudbilder/0323_blankpower point – 4,9 MB), only in Norwegian.