Norway - Digital Public Sector Strategy (2019-2025)

Overview

One digital public sector: Digital strategy for the public sector 2019–2025 is Norway's cross‑sector strategy to create a coordinated, user‑centric and secure public sector. Published by the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation on 11 June 2019, and presented on the government documents site, the strategy sets the primary objective of a "simpler everyday life" for citizens and businesses and defines goals and focus areas to be achieved by 2025. The strategy emphasises seven core focus areas (user‑centric services, data sharing, digital‑friendly regulation, national ecosystem and common solutions, governance and coordination, cooperation with the private sector, competence and cybersecurity) and assigns lead roles to ministries, the Norwegian Digitalisation Agency (Digdir) and KS for operational follow‑up. The full English text is available as a PDF on the Government of Norway website: One digital public sector — full text (PDF).

Definitions

The strategy uses several working definitions central to implementation: "digitalisation" as organisational and service transformation supported by technology; "common solutions" as national shared components and platforms (e.g. identity, authentication, basic registers, service platforms); "life events" as prioritised user journeys defined to drive cross‑agency service integration; and "ecosystem" as the governed set of architectures, standards, interfaces and roles that enable cross‑sector collaboration. These definitions align with terminology in the earlier Digital Agenda White Paper and OECD digital government reviews.

Governance and Institutional Framework

The strategy sets out a collaborative governance model where ministries retain sector responsibility, while national coordination is delivered through territorial cooperation with KS and operational follow‑up by the Norwegian Digitalisation Agency (Digdir). The strategy assigns life‑event ownership to specific ministries for political anchoring and requires joint handlingsplaner (action plans) produced by Digdir and KS. It also references existing oversight bodies (e.g. the Office of the Auditor General) and the need for clearer roles and responsibilities; these recommendations respond to OECD findings that Norway required stronger central coordination. Governance is therefore a hybrid: ministerial accountability combined with a cooperative, programmatic model implemented by directorates and agencies.

Key Focus Areas

The document organises digitalisation around interconnected focus areas: (1) Seamless, user‑centric services built around prioritised life events (such as having children, serious illness of a child, losing and finding work, new in Norway, starting and running a business, starting and running a voluntary organisation, and death and inheritance). (2) Increased sharing and reuse of data — including publication of open data and strengthened use of national registers — to enable better services and promote innovation. (3) Digitalisation‑friendly regulation and legal reviews that remove unnecessary obstacles to digital service delivery. (4) Development of a common ecosystem of national solutions, common architecture and shared components to avoid duplication and reduce costs. (5) Strengthened governance, incentives and funding models for cross‑level cooperation between state and municipal actors. (6) Enhanced public‑private cooperation to stimulate innovation while safeguarding public interest. (7) Measures to increase digital competence across the public sector workforce. (8) Cybersecurity and privacy, requiring that security be built into service development and operations, in line with national guidance and NSM principles (NSM). The strategy enumerates expected benefits and places a strong emphasis on systematic benefit realisation and measurement.

Implementation Framework

Operational follow‑up is assigned to Digdir and KS, with ministries maintaining political responsibility for life events and sector objectives. The strategy envisages action plans, common architectures, prioritisation of common solutions over bespoke systems and use of existing national building blocks (identity services, registers and platforms). It calls for funding models and incentive structures to encourage reuse and cross‑jurisdictional adoption, with Digdir producing guidance and technical standards. The strategy does not create new statutory obligations but sets expectations and governance mechanisms to drive implementation through directives, handlingsplaner and agency instructions.

Monitoring and Evaluation

The strategy mandates monitoring through periodic reporting, indicators linked to 2025 goals and a requirement for systematic realisation of benefits. Digdir, KS and responsible ministries are expected to publish follow‑up plans and progress reports and to use common indicators (service usage, share of digital communications, reuse of data, accessibility metrics). The Office of the Auditor General and other oversight bodies play a role in reviewing benefit realisation and use of public funds.

Penalties, Liability, and Appeals

The strategy itself does not set out novel criminal penalties. Accountability is achieved through governance instruments, budgetary incentives, reporting requirements and existing legal frameworks. Where digitalisation activities intersect with data protection or security obligations, supervisory authorities such as the Norwegian Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet) and NSM retain enforcement powers under existing laws (e.g. GDPR and national security legislation). Administrative consequences for non‑compliance may include corrective orders, audit findings, funding restrictions and reputational consequences; liability and appeals follow standard administrative law processes.

Relationship to Other Instruments

The strategy is a follow‑up to the White Paper "Digital Agenda for Norway" (Meld. St. 27 (2015–2016)) and aligns with Norway's National Cyber Security Strategy and sectoral strategies (e‑health, AI strategy, Digital21). Instruments such as the Digitaliseringsrundskrivet provide operational guidance to agencies, while sector laws (health, social services, public procurement and privacy law) provide binding legal constraints and enforcement regimes that must be respected when implementing the strategy.

International Alignment

The strategy recognises international frameworks and EEA/EU developments (e.g. GDPR, EU digital policy and standards) and references OECD recommendations. Norway positions the strategy to be compatible with EU/EEA rules and international best practice for interoperability, data protection and cybersecurity. The document also highlights the need to follow EU initiatives on digital public administration and data sharing to maintain alignment and interoperability across borders.

Implementation Timeline

Sources and References