Norwegian Survey Finds State Grant Programs Create Excessive Paperwork Burden

State grant programs are perceived as the most demanding funding sources for voluntary organizations in Norway, according to a new survey conducted by Menon Economics on behalf of Lottstift.

The study mapped documentation requirements that voluntary organizations face when applying for and reporting on grants, revealing that many organizations feel these requirements have increased in recent years.

Control vs. SimplificationThe findings indicate significant work remains before the government's ambitions to simplify processes for the voluntary sector are achieved.

"Put simply, the state's need for control conflicts with the voluntary sector's need for simplification," said Simen Pedersen of Menon Economics.

While voluntary organizations acknowledge the need for documentation requirements in grant schemes, they often find these requirements too extensive and poorly targeted. The survey also revealed significant variations in documentation requirements between different administrators and schemes, creating an inconsistent system.

Ranking of Grant SourcesMunicipal and county-level schemes were perceived as the second most demanding to apply for, while programs from savings banks and foundations were rated as the least time-consuming.

"Fortunately, few organizations have refrained from applying for grants because the documentation requirements are too extensive," noted Marianne Skjeldestad Hove of Lottstift.

Path ForwardThe report includes several recommendations and measures for the state to implement.

"Our goal with this survey was to identify simplification measures for voluntary organizations, so they can spend more time on activities and less time on administration. We will incorporate these recommendations into our ongoing work to simplify processes for the voluntary sector," Hove concluded.