European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network Database, ELGPN Database

National Cooperation and coordination mechanisms in guidance practice and policy development in Norway; The National Unit for Lifelong Guidance

Norway

Public career guidance provision in Norway is available through public services in the education sector and in the work and welfare sector.

In the White Paper „Education Strategy“ („Utdanningslinja“) from the Ministry of Education and Research to the Storting in 2009, it was pointed out that career guidance is an important element in the development of systems supporting education for all. The need for better cooperation and coordination was emphasised.

Since 2006, local authorities have been instructed to develop regional partnerships to enhance cooperation and coordination between the different stakeholders at county level. The partnerships should support the development of cross-sectoral provision of career guidance for certain target groups.

Due to different local situations, such as economy, demography and geography, these partnerships developed differently. There was a need for national coordination and cooperation to support further development of the partnerships, in order to provide a broad range of services for all target groups.

The regional partnerships established career centres in the respective counties. The career centres developed provision based on different local priorities and therefore were quite different. To enhance the quality of these services and ensure development in line with national policy, national criteria for career centres were necessary.

 

The Ministry of Education and Research initiated a project aimed at getting a nation-wide overview of the current career guidance provision and proposing a feasible way of organising future coordinating and cooperation mechanisms at national level. This included a short study of cooperation and coordinating mechanisms in relevant European countries. The project report was put together in close cooperation with national stakeholders, who were represented in a reference group consulted throughout the project period.

The project report was sent out for broad consultancy, and the Ministry of Education and Research concluded the process by establishing a National Unit for Lifelong Guidance in Vox, the Norwegian Agency for Lifelong Learning. This Unit was instructed to establish two national bodies for cooperation and coordination; the National Forum for Career Guidance and the National Coordination Group, and to further develop the field of career guidance in cooperation with the regional partnerships. At present there are nine staff members in the Unit; five working with guidance issues exclusively.

The Ministry of Education and Research follows closely the development of the National Unit, through a dedicated contact person and regular meetings and reporting routines. In addition, as part of the Vox Agency, the National Unit will automatically be included in the quality control routines established for Vox.

One of the many tasks for the National Unit will be to develop a quality framework for career guidance provision in Norway. Various kinds of evaluation of local provision have been used so far, but only locally, and even so, these are scarce and in need of further development. The National Unit will develop overarching systems for quality assurance in cooperation with stakeholders.

The National Unit for Lifelong Guidance has been established and is up and running. These are major focal points of the Unit:
•Coordination of all the different career guidance provisions and the stakeholders involved, including regional partnerships
•Competence development and research, both to develop career guidance as a specific profession and to enhance competence development for professionals
•Quality development and quality assurance.
The overall strategy is based on a lifelong perspective; that career guidance is relevant and necessary in all the different phases and transitions a person faces throughout life.
The Unit chairs a National Coordination Group at directorate level, which is set up to coordinate policy development and implementation in the different sectors. Also, a National Forum for Lifelong Guidance is established, including all relevant stakeholders. Participation in the National Forum reflects representation in the regional partnerships already established in the regions/counties.
Career Guidance Partnerships have been established in most counties in Norway. The objective is to develop cooperation and coordination between the different career guidance services in each county, as well as to enhance the quality of the services. Partnerships include regional authorities, the educational sector, the work and welfare sector, the social partners and other relevant stakeholders.

Involvement of relevant stakeholders at various stages in the process has been a crucial success factor. The importance of involving different sectors and communicating with different administrative levels should not be underestimated.

The challenges ahead for the National Unit are massive, as it has only just been established. One starting point has been to initiate research in the form of various surveys and reports to get a good overview of the status in the field.

 

Hanne Christensen

Senior Adviser in the National Unit for Lifelong Guidance

Vox, Norwegian Agency for Lifelong Learning

P.O. Box 236, N-0103 Oslo, Norway

+47 23381300* / 59

 

hanne.christensen@vox.no

www.vox.no

 

 

Camilla Alfsen and Hanne Christensen