Review of awarded grants

42 Document 3:13 2012–2013 Report The primary target group is clubs and organisations involved in activity-promoting measures for outdoor recreation. Goal achievement must be documented through the performance indicators in the performance area active outdoor recreation. 3.2 Public administration 3.2.1 The Ministry of the Environment’s overall responsibility The Ministry has the overall responsibility for subordinate agencies organising activities in line with the Storting’s decisions and intentions and in accordance with the Ministry’s established goals and priorities. 15 It emerges from Section 8 in the Regulations on Financial Management in Central Government The Finance Regula- tions that the ministries for the individual grant schemes are to describe goals, goal achievement criteria and award criteria, as well as stipulating provisions relating to follow-up and supervision. It emerges from the Provisions on Financial Management in Central Government the Provisions that the Ministry is to ensure that the manage- ment of grant schemes is organised in an ei cient and suitable manner. The Directorate for Nature Management is the Ministry of the Environment’s central advisory and executive expert agency within nature management. The Directorate’s work is a precondition for implementing national policies and implementing specifi c measures at national, regional and local levels. The Directorate for Nature Manage- ment has, in cooperation with the Climate and Pollution Agency, the scientifi c instruction authority and guidance responsibility vis-à-vis the county governors in environmental issues. 16 The Directorate shall, in accordance with the 2011 allocation letter from the Ministry of the Environment for 2011, provide guidance for the county governors. The county governors manages some of the grant funding covered by this audit. The Ministry of the Environment shall therefore, in the allocation letter or in special regulations for the individual scheme, specify the requirements relating to goals, goal achievement criteria, award criteria, follow-up and supervision and evaluation to the extent necessary, cf. the Chapter 6.2.2.1 of the Provisions. The county authorities have the management responsibility for several of the grants covered by this audit. This is a responsibility they have been given as a result of the public administration reform, cf. Odelsting Proposition No. 10 2008–2009 Concerning the Act relating to changes to public administration legislation etc. implementation of the public administration reform and Recommendation O No. 30 2008–2009, recommendation from the Standing Committee on Local Government Public Administration to Odelsting Proposition No. 10 2008–2009. The public administration reform entails that central environment authorities must follow up two regional agencies instead of one. This involves follow-up, communication and guidance of the county authorities. It also emerges from the Provisions, Chapter 6.2.2.2, that the Ministry shall prepare assignment letters defi ning criteria for goal achievement, award criteria, follow-up and supervision and evaluation. The Ministry shall supervise that the public administration is exercised in a prudent manner. Management by objective and results is an overall management principle for state agencies, cf. Section 4 of the Regulations on Financial Management in Central Government the Finance Regulations. The Ministry shall follow up the Storting’s decisions and intentions in the annual allocation letter to the agencies. 15 Provisions on Financial Management in Central Government, Chapter 1.2. 16 Proposition 1 S 2011–2012.