Driftsinnsatser

Driftsinnsatser is a Norwegian term used in economics, public administration, and project planning to denote standard operating inputs or cost rates that are used in budgeting, pricing, and cost estimation. The concept covers the expected resource consumption required per unit of activity or per time period and serves as a basis for calculating operating costs.

Scope and components: Driftsinnsatser can include personnel costs (wages and benefits for staff such as nurses, teachers, or technicians), energy (electricity, heating), consumables and materials, maintenance, transport, and overhead charges. They may be derived from historical data, supplier quotations, tariff schedules, or official guidelines and can be adapted to reflect local conditions and sector-specific factors.

Usage: In practice, organizations apply driftsinnsatser by multiplying the rate for a given input by an activity measure (for example hours worked, units produced, or service units) to estimate total operating costs for a project, department, or contract. They are widely used in budgeting, price-setting for public procurement, activity-based costing, and cost-benefit analyses.

Relation to other concepts: Driftsinnsatser are distinct from capital costs or investments and from operating revenues. They are often presented alongside other cost categories in financial reporting and in lifecycle cost analyses.

Variability and management: Driftsinnsatser may be updated periodically to reflect changes in prices, productivity, or volume effects. Proper documentation and clear methodological rules are essential for comparability across units and time.

See also: activity-based costing, operating cost, lifecycle cost analysis, budgeting.