Beyond New Public Management: Agencification and Regulatory Reform in Norway

In this paper we describe some trends in the development of regulatory reform in general and the agency form in particular. The focus is on the case of Norway by describing the reform process and some lessons learned. We discuss the development through the prism of different theoretical lenses such as instrumental, cultural and institutional environmental features. Finally, we draw some conclusions and discuss possible future developments beyond New Public Management by using a linear, a cyclical and a dialectical scenario.