The Ministry of Government Administration, Reform and Church Affairs is coordinating ministry for the government’s reform efforts. The ministry also has these responsibilities:
National ICT policy
The Ministry is conductive in the development of public ITC solutions that are effective, secure and user friendly. It investigates and follows up how new technology and the increased use of ICT applications influence society and create new possibilities and needs for change.
Competition policy
Through its competition policy the Ministry aims at contributing to increased value creation to the benefit of consumers, industry and commerce, ensuring that competition considerations are sufficiently attended to in all areas of politics. The Competition Act, Law on Public Procurement and Law on Public Support are central tools of the competition policy.
Government employer policy
Having the responsibility for wages and work conditions for the government employees, the Ministry aims at an including and stimulating personnel policy. The Ministry manages and develops laws, enters into nationwide and superior wage agreements and regulations in addition to framework conditions for the government’s personnel and employer policy. The Ministry has the role as a driving force, advisor and supporter of readjustments and organizational development in the government administration, personnel issues and leadership development.
Building and property policy
The Ministry has the superior responsibility for building and property policy in the state civil sector. The Directorate of Public Construction and Property (Statsbygg) is in charge of construction management and the administration of large parts of state owned property. Through this directorate, the Ministry provides functional premises for the state’s different activities. Central considerations are accessibility, environment, architectonic quality and culture historic values.
Samis and national minorities
By means of its Sami policies, the Ministry sees to it that Sami interests are included in the policy formulation in all relevant fields. The Ministry coordinates the contact to the Sami Parliament. Considerations are taken to national minorities, citizens of Finnish heritage, jews and romanies/gypsies according to the aims laid down in the European Council’s framework convention on protection of national minorities and the Minority Language Pact.
Church policy
The church policy aims at contributing to an organizational and economic framework to enable the Norwegian Church to live and operate as a confessional, evangelizing, serving and open national church.
Administration policy
The Ministry is responsible for the government administration policy, which determines the government sector’s choice of organizational forms and investigation procedures. These are supposed to secure democratic control and good executive work. By means of the state communication policy the Ministry shall contribute to good communication between the government and the citizens, businesses and media.
Privacy protection
Having the responsibility for parts of the government’s privacy protection policy, the Ministry shall make necessary adjustments for a society in which the citizens may feel certain that sensitive information do not go astray.
The County Governors
The county governors are the foremost representatives of the state government in the counties, administratively placed under this ministry. The Ministry has a superior responsibility for organizing, securing and controlling the quality of the administration model, organizational development and for the constraints of the governor’s offices. The county governor carries out tasks for 12 ministries and each ministry has the supervisory control in the relevant professional field. The ministry has a superior responsibility for the organization and division of the regional state administration.
Political parties
The Ministry is responsible for the provision of public subsidies to the political parties and the Act concerning these. The act includes provisions for registering a political party and transparency requirements concerning the parties’ book keeping accounts.
The Ministry of Government Administration, Reform and Church Affairs was established 1 January 2010. The ministry is contact ministry for the Royal Court. It carries responsibility for a number of state and government common services on the basis of the political areas mentioned. The ministry is responsible for the supervision of the following government agencies:
- Agency for Public Management and eGovernment (DIFI)
- Statsbygg – Directorate for Public Construction and Property Management
- Government Administration Services (DSS)
- The Data Inspectorate
- The Competition Authority
- The Church Diocese Councils
- Practical Theological Seminary
- The Church Council
- The restoration work at Nidaros Cathedral
- The Norwegian Church Endowment
- Gáldu – Competence Centre for the Rights of Indigenous People
- International Professional and Dissemination Centre for Reindeer Husbandry
