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The County Governor is the state’s representative in local counties and is responsible for monitoring the decisions, objectives and guidelines set out by the Storting and government. In addition, the County Governor provides an important link between municipalities and central government authorities.

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Published 8/16/2013

The County Governor performs different administrative tasks on behalf of the ministries. The County Governor supervises municipal activity and serves as the administrative appeals body for many municipal decisions. As such, the County Governor possesses a specialist understanding of a wide range of overarching social issues, as well as key local knowledge.

The County Governor is also tasked with safeguarding the rule of law for individual citizens, businesses and organisations alike, by ensuring that fundamental principles such as non-discrimination, equality, predictability, independence, impartiality and justice form an integral part of administration.  

  • The County Governor is the sectoral government authority for a range of important policy fields. As the sectoral government authority, the County Governor represents several ministries, as well as the directorates and central supervisory authorities which these encompass.
  • The County Governor works to safeguard the rule of law, both as the administrative appeals body for municipal decisions and as the supervisory authority for central welfare issues which fall within the municipalities’ remit.
  • The County Governor is the state’s co-ordination authority for the region. Among other things, the County Governor must co-ordinate government entities and their work for the municipalities.
  • As the government’s representative within each county, the County Governor must work on behalf of the latter, implementing initiatives that represent their best interests.
  • The County Governor must keep central government authorities informed about issues that are important to county authorities, and must pass on relevant information to the municipal, county and government agencies concerned.

The County Governor also performs duties for the royal family. In its administration, the County Governor falls within the remit of the Norwegian Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation.