Abstract

This article examines whether Nordic administrative collaboration is still ‘alive and kicking,’ or whether it has been marginalized by increased integration into Europe and strong international reform trajectories. We analyse the scope and intensity of Nordic administrative collaboration from a structural perspective based on the perceptions of civil servants in the Norwegian central government. We also address the implications of Nordic collaboration for policy design and reform measures. The main conclusion is that Nordic administrative collaboration can best be described as differentiated integration. The scope of Nordic administrative collaboration is rather broad, and its internal structural features vary significantly. Nordic collaboration is perceived to have more of an effect on policy design than on specific administrative reform means and measures. However, structural features also matter.

Highlights

  • In the EU literature there is a debate about the rise of a European administrative space resulting from increased European integration as the EU grows and develops (Olsen, 2003; Trondal & Peters, 2013)

  • Another external factor affecting Nordic administrative collaboration stemmed from the New Public Management (NPM) reform trajectory that addressed managerialism, which had its origins in the OECD but came to the Nordic countries largely via certain EU member states

  • We examine how the civil servants perceive the effects of Nordic collaboration on policy design and administrative reform efforts in their own field of work

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Summary

Introduction

In the EU literature there is a debate about the rise of a European administrative space resulting from increased European integration as the EU grows and develops (Olsen, 2003; Trondal & Peters, 2013). The Nordic countries’ establishment of semi-independent regulatory agencies, the reorganization of integrated organizations into single-purpose organizations, corporatization, contracting out and privatizing service production all resonate with the liberal market principles of the EU Another external factor affecting Nordic administrative collaboration stemmed from the New Public Management (NPM) reform trajectory that addressed managerialism, which had its origins in the OECD but came to the Nordic countries largely via certain EU member states. We examine how the civil servants perceive the effects of Nordic collaboration on policy design and administrative reform efforts in their own field of work. We analyse the differences in Nordic collaboration and in the perceived effects based on the theoretical perspective and draw some conclusions

Nordic Administrative Reform
An Administrative Structural Approach
Database
The Scope of Nordic Cooperation
The Drivers of Nordic Cooperation
Findings
Discussion
Conclusion
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