10.2 Administration and governance of youth work
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Governance
There is no single ministry or governmental department that is responsible for youth work policy, but the Ministry of Children and Families is the main actor involved in policymaking on youth work. While the Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs has a national advisory function towards municipalities and the voluntary sector in the field of youth work and provides funding through national grants, Youth Work Norway [Ungdom og Fritid] is the main non-public actor at the national level. The organisation represents young people, employees and volunteers in municipal-supported youth clubs and youth centres. Youth Work Norway receives public funding through the national annual budget and is recognised as a leading source of information and expertise on youth work. The organization trains youth workers, sets quality standards, contributes to research on youth work, and works with policy makers, educators, and employers to promote youth work.
Municipalities are expected to deliver youth work in accordance to national priorities in the area of children and youth. However, the delivery of youth work is not a statutory function and funds are not earmarked for this purpose. Youth work is delivered either directly through the municipal services or through the voluntary sector (or by co-operative efforts between the two).
Cross-sectoral cooperation
There are no established frameworks for ensuring cross-sectoral cooperation specifically in the area of youth work. The “0-24 cooperation” was a former cross-sectoral initiative of the Directorate of Health, the Directorate for Children, Youth and Family Affairs, the Directorate of Labour and Welfare, the Directorate for Integration and Diversity and the Directorate for Education to support and strengthen necessary coordination and cooperation in counties and municipalities, for the benefit of children and young people and their families. The 0-24 cooperation has been replaced with a new cooperation across ministries and welfare directorates to ensure national coordination and cooperation concerning children and young people living in vulnerable situations.