Harald Baldersheim

This book explores local autonomy as measured by the updated and extended Local Autonomy Index, and considers the underlying issues related to this multidimensional concept. It analyses dynamics spanning over three decades concerning the dimensions of local autonomy and its variables and indicators.Adopting an international comparative perspective, authors examine common and differing features of various states to show how these features pertain to local autonomy, as well as what impacts derive from local government configurations. Chapters cover 57 countries situated on six continents over a span of 31 years, including almost all member states of the European Union, Council of Europe and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The authors define local autonomy as a multifaceted concept which can be measured through legal, functional, financial, organizational, administrative and central-or-regional-access dimensions. With fresh empirical data and findings on local autonomy, they capture its evolving nature.Dynamics and Issues of Local Autonomy is an essential read for scholars of public administration, regulation and governance, public policy and political science. Providing a better understanding of the factors that influence local autonomy and its implications for governance and service delivery, this book is a vital resource for practitioners and policymakers alike.

I denne boka inviteres leseren med på en oppdagelsesreise i kommunen. Temaet er hverdagshelter – mellomledere i kommuneorganisasjonen: rektorer, barnehageledere, ledere for tekniske tjenester, helsestasjoner, pleie- og omsorgstjenester, mv. Boka kan leses på flere plan: For det første som en serie av eksempler på hvordan ledere løser oppdrag i krevende situasjoner i den kommunale hverdagen. Sentrale områder er organisasjonsutvikling, rekruttering av nøkkelmedarbeidere, samspillet med folkevalgte og etiske utfordringer. For det andre som praktiske anvisninger i hvordan kommuneorganisasjonen kan utforskes for å avdekke mer enn det som møter det blotte øye – leseren får en innføring i teorier og metoder som utvikler «det indre blikk» for mellomlederens betydning. For det tredje som veikart for fremtidskommunen og transformative mekanismer. Boka er skrevet for studenter i ledelsesfag og kommunalkunnskap på universitets- og høyskolenivå. Den er nyttig som kurslitteratur i etter- og videreutdanning, og passer godt for alle som interesserer seg for leder- og organisasjonsutvikling i offentlig sektor. Harald Baldersheim er professor emeritus ved Universitetet i Oslo. Han har som forsker og rådgiver fulgt organisasjons- og demokratiutviklingen i kommunene gjennom flere tiår. Are Vegard Haug er seniorforsker ved Velferdsforskningsinstituttet NOVA ved OsloMet og Senter for anvendt kommunalforskning (SAKOM) ved Universitetet i Agder. Han har bl.a. forsket på digitalisering av offentlig sektor og velferdsstatens utfordringer i møte med demografiske endringer. Linda Hye er forsker ved Senter for anvendt kommunalforskning ved Universitetet i Agder og underviser i etter- og videreutdanningsprogrammer for kommunale ledere. Morten Øgård er professor i statsvitenskap og ledelsesfag ved Universitetet i Agder og faglig leder av Senter for anvendt kommunalforskning (SAKOM). Han er leder for det erfaringsbaserte studieprogrammet Master i ledelse, og underviser i flere nasjonale lederprogrammer.

First published in 1999, this volume is a study of regional and local co-operation across national borders in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and also of regional co-operation out of the area - across the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and in the Barents region. The focus of the study is on processes of region-building. Co-operation between regions across national borders is seen as a creative process, and as something that has to be nurtured and guided. The authors recognised the need for a work which examined issues crossing Nordic borders and made the information more publicly accessible, emerging within evolving discussions of regional governance, cross-border collaborations and Nordic co-operation. The editors have featured three forms of contributions: a series of regional case studies, collations of data on sub-national governments and relating these sub-national factors to debates on Nordic co-operation and European integration. Authors with specialist regional knowledge examine these processes in detail, through case studies which represent the most important of this type of Nordic area and provide a view of what may constitute 'success' in such ventures. The authors also discuss what such processes may signify for general Nordic co-operation against the backdrop of European integration and seek to indicate what Nordic regions may bring to European regionalism. Such a discussion is of particular interest since the EU acquired a new Nordic dimension when Sweden and Finland joined. Contributors’ articles focus on areas including the Kvarken Council, the ARKO co-operation, the internationalisation of Finnish and Norwegian local government and the Øresund region. The collaboration was published in English in order to better contribute to discussions on cross-border interaction more widely, particularly in the case of Europe.

First published in 1999, this volume is a study of regional and local co-operation across national borders in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and also of regional co-operation out of the area - across the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and in the Barents region. The focus of the study is on processes of region-building. Co-operation between regions across national borders is seen as a creative process, and as something that has to be nurtured and guided. The authors recognised the need for a work which examined issues crossing Nordic borders and made the information more publicly accessible, emerging within evolving discussions of regional governance, cross-border collaborations and Nordic co-operation. The editors have featured three forms of contributions: a series of regional case studies, collations of data on sub-national governments and relating these sub-national factors to debates on Nordic co-operation and European integration. Authors with specialist regional knowledge examine these processes in detail, through case studies which represent the most important of this type of Nordic area and provide a view of what may constitute 'success' in such ventures. The authors also discuss what such processes may signify for general Nordic co-operation against the backdrop of European integration and seek to indicate what Nordic regions may bring to European regionalism. Such a discussion is of particular interest since the EU acquired a new Nordic dimension when Sweden and Finland joined. Contributors’ articles focus on areas including the Kvarken Council, the ARKO co-operation, the internationalisation of Finnish and Norwegian local government and the Øresund region. The collaboration was published in English in order to better contribute to discussions on cross-border interaction more widely, particularly in the case of Europe.

This book considers local autonomy, measured as a multidimensional concept, from a cross-country comparative perspective, and examines how variations can be explained and what their consequences are. It fills a gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive study of the different components of local autonomy across a large number of countries, over time. It offers a theoretically saturated concept to measure local autonomy and applies it to 39 countries, including all 28 EU member states together with Albania, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland Turkey and Ukraine, over a period of 25 years (1990-2014).

This book considers local autonomy, measured as a multidimensional concept, from a cross-country comparative perspective, and examines how variations can be explained and what their consequences are. It fills a gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive study of the different components of local autonomy across a large number of countries, over time. It offers a theoretically saturated concept to measure local autonomy and applies it to 39 countries, including all 28 EU member states together with Albania, Georgia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland Turkey and Ukraine, over a period of 25 years (1990-2014).