How the administration between the state and regions is organized in Finland

State Provincial Offices
The State Provincial Office represents multi-sectoral expertise within its territory. It acts as the joint regional authority for seven different ministries, promoting the national and regional objectives of the central government.

The State Provincial Office is active within the administration of the following domains: social and health care, education and culture, police administration, rescue services, traffic administration, consumer, competition and foodstuff administration, veterinary services and animal protection, judicial administration and sports and youth affairs.

The State Provincial Office supports and evaluates the implementation of local services within its territory. The basic services universally available to each Finnish citizen are primarily produced by the municipalities, but the State Provincial Offices monitor and evaluate the manner in which the municipalities fulfil this task.

The State Provincial Offices also oversee monitoring and inspection activity within their territories and grant various licences and permits. The safeguarding of general security is another important part of the Provincial Offices’ activity, as this is where the provincial commands of police and rescue services are located.
The State Provincial Office is directed by the Governor, who is also responsible for its profitability. The Governors are appointed by the President of the Republic, and their maximum term of office is eight years.

Towns and munincipalities
According to the Finnish Constitution, the municipalities have a dual function. Firstly, they function as the basic regional administrative units of our country, and secondly, as the basic units of the self-government of the citizens. In Finland, the municipalities have a long tradition of self- government, and thus, the municipal system provides an important arena for political participation. In addition, the municipalities play a central role in society through organising most of the welfare services.

Within central state administration, municipal affairs are covered by several ministries. The Ministry of the Interior has the responsibility for the development of municipal legislation and administration, calculations and analyses relating to local government finances and the promotion of functioning cooperation between the State and municipalities. The Ministry also performs regional development tasks related to municipalities.

The Ministry of Justice is responsible for developing, preparing and implementing legislation concerning the municipal election and referendum procedure. The Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Transport and Communications as well as The Ministry of Trade and Industry develop and carry out tasks related to municipal infrastructure and develop and implement related legislation. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health develop basic municipal services and related legislation and handle central government transfers concerning these services. The Ministry of Finance, in turn, handles municipal tax matters, such as calculating the shares of corporate tax.

Regional Councils
The main idea in the work of the Regional councils in Finland is to defend the interest of the member communities and their citizens by promoting the social and economical welfare of the region. The council is working as a regional development and planning authority defined by law and also to look after the interests of the region and its communities by regarding:

• the overall development of region
• the typical features of the communities
• the regional and social balance and
• the unique of the environment and the principles in sustainable development

Sources:  Ministry of the Interior and  Regional Council of Lapland

Administrative structure in Norway

The public administration in Norway is organised at three different levels: state, county and municipalities or rural districts. The counties are governed by two democratically elected political councils, the County Council and the County Executive Board which is the leading body of the administration. The County council is the highest local authority and concentrates mainly on developing policy and longer-term strategies. The Executive Board decides the day-to-day affairs of the county. The County Governor or Mayor is the head of the County Administration, and is liable to the Executive Board.