Sport policy in Norway

Norwegian sport policy and organization leans on a historically developed model of the division of labour between public authorities and voluntary sport organizations. State policy for sport is administered by the Department of Sport Policy in the Ministry of Cultural Affairs. The state funds sport facilities and supports voluntary sport organizations. It articulates various justifications for supporting sport, which relate to health, education and culture. The voluntary sport sector consists of the umbrella organization – The Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee and Confederation of Sports – and its network of national special sport organizations, district sport organizations, regional special sport organizations, local sport councils and over 12,000 sport clubs. The vast majority of the work in sport clubs is voluntarily conducted. The established form of organization and the autonomy of the sport clubs create challenges for the implementation of sport policies. The state lacks adequate policy tools to use to assist in the implementation of its various policy goals through the voluntary system. In that respect, it is suggested that future directions for sport policy should build on a better understanding of (1) the local sport clubs providing sport activities and (2) youth – often the target group for policy intervention.