Forvaltningskapasitet

Forvaltningskapasitet refers to the capacity of a government or public administration to plan, implement, manage, and evaluate public policies and services. It covers the resources, institutions, and processes necessary to achieve policy objectives, deliver public services, and uphold the rule of law. Capacity is not static; it evolves with political priorities, organizational design, and available resources.

Key dimensions include:

- Human resources and leadership: staffing levels, professional skills, training, and managerial competence.

- Institutional framework: organizational structures, mandates, governance arrangements, and interagency coordination.

- Financial resources and management: budget availability, fiscal sustainability, procurement, and financial controls.

- Information and digital infrastructure: data systems, ICT, analytics, transparency, and user-friendly information flows.

- Service delivery and operations: process efficiency, quality, accessibility, and monitoring of outcomes.

- Performance management and accountability: monitoring, evaluation, reporting, audits, and external oversight.

- Stakeholder engagement and legitimacy: citizen participation and trust in public institutions.

Measurement often uses indicators such as budget execution, service delivery metrics, staff qualifications and turnover, procurement cycles, project completion rates, digital maturity, and transparency scores. Strengthening forvaltningskapasitet may involve organizational reform, capacity-building programs, improved governance and accountability mechanisms, digitalization, more stable financing, and enhanced cross‑level coordination. Common challenges include fragmentation of mandates, resource constraints, corruption risks, political interference, and data gaps. Understanding capacity is central to assessing reform readiness and the likely effectiveness of public policies.