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| Agency for Public Management and eGovernment (Difi) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Agency for Public Management and eGovernment (Difi) |
| Native name | Direktoratet for forvaltning og IKT |
| Formed | 2013 |
| Preceding1 | Statskonsult |
| Preceding2 | Norge.no |
| Preceding3 | eForvaltning Norge |
| Jurisdiction | Kingdom of Norway |
| Headquarters | Oslo |
| Chief1 name | (Directorate leadership) |
| Parent agency | Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation (Norway) |
Agency for Public Management and eGovernment (Difi) was a Norwegian directorate responsible for public administration reform, digitalisation of public services, and management improvement in the Kingdom of Norway. It consolidated functions from predecessor bodies to advise ministries, municipalities and agencies on public sector reform, information technology adoption and procurement strategies. Difi operated in close coordination with national institutions, local governments and international organisations to promote interoperable and citizen-centred services.
Difi was established in 2013 through the merger of Statskonsult, Norge.no and eForvaltning Norge as part of a reform initiated by the Government of Norway and overseen by the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation (Norway). The consolidation drew on models from Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom, Estonia and Netherlands digitalisation agencies, reflecting broader European trends exemplified by the European Commission’s Digital Single Market strategy and the OECD recommendations on public administration. Major milestones included national directives aligned with the Norwegian Digitalisation Strategy, coordination with the Norwegian Directorate of Health on health information exchanges, and collaboration with the Norwegian Tax Administration on identity frameworks. Over its tenure Difi influenced reforms comparable to initiatives led by Gov.uk, Digital Norway, and e-Estonia.
Difi functioned as a directorate under the Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation (Norway), with executive leadership reporting to ministers associated with the Solberg cabinet and subsequent administrations. Its internal structure combined units for policy, project delivery, procurement, and measurement, interacting with agencies such as the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, Statistics Norway (SSB), Norwegian Communications Authority, and Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB). Governance mechanisms included advisory boards with representatives from Oslo municipality, the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS), research partners such as the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), and oversight comparable to that exercised by the Parliament of Norway on executive agencies.
Difi’s remit covered competitive public procurement, user-centred digitalisation, administrative development and open data policies. It provided guidance to entities like the Norwegian Labour and Welfare Administration (NAV), the Norwegian Armed Forces, Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training, and municipal administrations on implementing standards such as national unique identification and interoperability protocols used by the European Commission. Difi advised on compliance with legislation including statutes from the Storting and obligations under international instruments like the Council of Europe recommendations. It also supported capacity building for agencies participating in initiatives similar to those of the World Bank and the United Nations.
Key Difi programmes targeted strategic procurement frameworks, the national portal infrastructure, and competence development. Difi ran procurement initiatives working with stakeholders such as Statnett, Avinor, Bane NOR, and the Norwegian Public Roads Administration to professionalise tendering and contract management. It promoted digital identity projects akin to BankID integrations, collaborated on citizen-facing portals referencing standards promoted by European eGovernment Action Plan and hosted trainings drawing on research from University of Oslo, BI Norwegian Business School, and SENTRAL research groups.
Difi managed and advised on digital service delivery platforms, interoperability frameworks and shared solutions used by ministries and municipalities. It developed approaches for single sign-on and identity verification related to systems like Altinn and co-operated with the Norwegian National eID ecosystem. Projects touched on areas aligned with the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI) digital case handling, electronic invoicing standards linked to the European Committee for Standardization (CEN), and municipal service digitisation comparable to efforts by Stockholm Stad and Copenhagen Municipality.
Difi produced evaluations, white papers and guidelines informed by empirical studies and international best practice. Publications addressed procurement statistics, digital maturity assessments, and user-experience research, often referencing comparative work by OECD Public Governance Directorate, European Commission reports, and research centres such as AIFE and SINTEF. Difi’s analyses supported policy decisions in ministries and agencies including Ministry of Finance (Norway), Ministry of Health and Care Services (Norway), and Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Norway), and contributed to academic discourse through collaborations with University of Bergen and Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education (NIFU).
Difi engaged with international partners including the European Commission, OECD, United Nations Development Programme, and national counterparts in Sweden, Denmark, Estonia and the Netherlands. Bilateral cooperation included peer reviews with Finland and project exchanges with United Kingdom bodies such as the Government Digital Service. Difi represented Norway in fora addressing public procurement reform, interoperability, and digital identity standards alongside organisations like EFTA and the Council of the Baltic Sea States, and participated in conferences hosted by Eurostat and CEN.
Category:Government agencies of Norway Category:Public administration Category:Information technology organizations