KDD will try out a new district policy tool in the form of rural development contracts. The measure is aimed at district municipalities. The pilot comes from the fact that the current challenges faced by the district are complex and must be solved through new working methods. The trial consists of five pilots in two counties, and runs from January 2023 through 2025. The scheme consists of two phases: In phase 1, the municipalities will prepare suggestions for a possible contract. Phase 2 is the implementation of the contract.

The assignment is considered to be a combination of follow-up research and evaluation. It will follow the projects from the start of phase 1, through negotiations with the state and up to the funded implementation of the contract in phase 2.

The goal of the assignment is to provide the contracting authority with a good basis for assessing the appropriateness of contracts as a district political instrument.

For a more detailed description of the assignment, see annex 1 of the contract (the contracting authority’s description of the assignment).

The government at KDD will try out a new district political instrument (a pilot) in the form of rural development contracts. The measure is aimed at district municipalities. The pilot comes from the fact that the current challenges faced by the district are complex and must be solved through new working methods. The work is an experiment, which gives the municipalities themselves room to explore ways of working across roles, services and levels and to develop proposals for the content of a possible contract with the state. The trial consists of five pilots in two counties, and runs from January 2023 through 2025. The scheme consists of two phases: In phase 1, the municipalities will prepare suggestions for a possible contract. Phase 2 is the implementation of the contract.

The assignment is follow-up research. The assignment is considered to be a combination of follow-up research and evaluation. It will follow the projects from the start of phase 1, through negotiations with the state and up to the funded implementation of the contracts in phase 2, i.e. until 2025.

The main goal of the assignment is to give the contracting authority a good basis for assessing the appropriateness of contracts as district political tools. A resource group will be established that consists of the ministry, the county authorities and the state administrators in the relevant counties. The contractor must also contribute with professional assessments of barriers and success criteria that are uncovered along the way, as a competence partner to the resource group.

The expected contract value is NOK 3,000,000 excluding VAT. The estimated value is not binding for the contracting authority.

For a more detailed description of the assignment, see annex 1 of the contract (the contracting authority’s description of the assignment).