Administrative Level Documentation
Overview of how units are structured within the public administration hierarchy
This section provides information about internal administrative levels (e.g., office, department). The data in this variable should be interpreted in conjunction with the affiliation type variable, which indicates the type of affiliation (ministry, directorate, etc.).
Note that the Norwegian State Administration Database includes internal administrative levels within ministries, and the categories used reflect this structure.
| Code | Level | Documentation |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Highest level | "Highest Level" is used in cases where we refer to units at the main level, i.e. to the ministry itself. For example, a newly established ministry would receive the value "0" for this variable (and 10 for affiliation type). The chief administrative officer is the Secretary General. |
| 5 | Directorate in Dual position | Directorate in a dual position act partly on behalf of the minister (i.e., as a ministry department, AFFILIATION TYPE= "Ministry" and LEVEL= "Department") and partly as an "independent" directorate (i.e., AFFILIATION TYPE= "Directorate" and LEVEL= "Top"). This category includes only those placed at the department level within ministries, while those below this level (and thus also part of a department) are considered semi-sections. Consequently, AFFILIATION TYPE will always have the value "10" (ministry) when this category is used. |
| 10 | Department | Ministry department (AFFILIATION TYPE=10, ministry) is a part of the Secretary General's staff and report directly to the minister and make decisions in their name and on their responsibility. As a result of this definition, some units with "directorate" in their name are classified under this category. For example, the Personnel Directorate, Tourism Directorate, etc. A ministry department is usually led by a Director General. |
| 15 | Department in Directorate in Dual Position | Some directorates in dual positions are divided into departments, which report to the directorate in a dual position they are part of. |
| 20 | Semi-Department | A semi-department resembles a department but has a slightly different formal status. It reports directly to the minister and is usually led by someone at the Director General level. Examples of such units may be Communication Units. |
| 30 | Section | Sections within ministries (AFFILIATION TYPE=10, ministry) report to a ministry department and are usually led by a Deputy Director General. |
| 40 | Semi-section | In cases where units resemble sections but have a more ambiguous formal status, "semi-section" is used as a classification code. This mainly includes units within ministries below the department level, i.e., with a Director General above them. |
| 50 | Office | Offices within ministries (AFFILIATION TYPE=10, ministry) report to a section or department and are usually led by a Principal Officer. |
| 55 | Office in Directorate in Dual Position | Offices in directorates in a dual position report to a department in a directorate in a dual position or directly to the directorate in a dual position. |
| 60 | Semi-office | Semi-offices include units that are part of a department and thus have a Director General above them. |
| 70 | Secretariat | Secretariats usually report directly to the minister (ministry leadership) but are led by someone below the Director General level. |
| 80 | Group | Groups are usually within a department but are not clearly linked to the hierarchical structure of the department. |
| 90 | Staff Unit | Staff units usually report directly to the minister (ministry leadership) but are led by someone below the Director General level. |