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KOSTRA: Enhancing Local Government Data in Norway

Learn about KOSTRA - its purpose, history, and organization, how it improves public services, and aids in benchmarking. Understand the electronic data reporting process and benefits for users. Explore the key figures and how the data is used for resource allocation and productivity.

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KOSTRA: Enhancing Local Government Data in Norway

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  1. Main topics • Local governments in Norway • KOSTRA: Background, purpose, history and organisation • Data and key figures • Electronic chain of reporting • Publishing • Use of the statistics

  2. Local Governments in Norway • The regional level: 18 Counties • The local level: 433 Municipalities - from 250 to 500 000 inhabitants • Responsible for important services • schools, health care, care for the elderly, water, wastewater treatment, garbage removal, fire protection .... • Use about 17 per cent of GDP

  3. The chain of reporting before KOSTRA Statistics Norway Municipality Ministry Municipal agency Govern-ment agency

  4. KOSTRA’s purposes • Better information about the local authorities • Coherent system • Comparability - benchmarking • Timeliness • More efficient reporting • No data redundancy • Electronic data reporting

  5. KOSTRA’schainofreporting Municipal agency Municipality Ministries Govern-mental agencies Statistics Norway

  6. Better information - organisation • Task forces (for kindergartens, primary schools, etc.) make annual reports: • Changes in the reporting • Coordination to avoid double reporting • Reduce the burden of reporting • The Council for KOSTRA discusses the reports • The ministries responsible for the reporting and SN makes the formal decision

  7. Coherent information system Recource allocation Productivity Services and users Priority Coverage Requirements (population characteristics)

  8. Accounting regulations • Classification by Function, example: • 201 Kindergarten • 211 Extra care for children in kindergartens • 221 Localities and transport for children in kindergartens • Classification by Types of Expenditure, ex: • Services produced by the municipalities • Services bought from others (private companies, other municipalities or the state) • Transfers

  9. Electronic Data Reporting (EDR) • Both the national authorities and the municipalities need statistical information - FAST! • KOSTRA collects information 15 February, year n+1 • KOSTRA publishes the first figures 15 march, year n+1 • This timetable is only possible with electronic data reporting

  10. External data Municipality Electronic form Statistics Norway Metadatabase WWW publishing KPD STT SMT Client systems Accounts Statistical auditing systems

  11. Electronic control of data • Before reporting • Controls in the electronic forms • Control program for file extracts • When SN receive data • Control program for file extracts (the same as before reporting) • Auditing systems in SN • The municipalities have the ultimate responsibility for correct reporting and data quality

  12. KOSTRA calendar • 15.1. Reporting of file extracts for client data from municipalities (year n-1) • 15.2. Reporting of other data from the municipalities (year n-1) • 15.3. Publishing of data (not revised figures) (year n-1) • 15.4. Reporting of corrected data from municipalities (year n-1) • 15.6. Publishing of revised data (year n-1) • 30.6. Annual reports from the task forces • 1.10. Final decision about reporting (year n) • 1.10. Final decision about changing of file extracts (year n+1) • 1.11. Letter to the municipalities with information about reporting (year n)

  13. Users of the statistics • The central authorities • Municipalities • The Association of Local Authorities: A project to help municipalities start benchmarking within networks. • SN have arranged courses for local politicians in how to find and use the data. • The figures are used in research • The press uses the figures • And the national accounts get much better specifications

  14. Conclusions • The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development’s involvement helped a lot: By giving status, opening doors and funding much of the costs • Organization was important: Close contact with both the local and the central governments • Benefits for Statistics Norway: Improved data, electronic reporting, new systems for auditing, processing and publishing statistics • KOSTRA has been an expensive, long-lasting project, but is still considered a success due to the benefits for the many users of the statistics

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