Ministry - Structure

Ministry

The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture is divided into three Departments, Department of Education, Department of Science and Department for Cultural Affairs and four Offices, Office of Information and Service, Office of Financial Affairs, Office of Evaluation and Analysis and Office of Legal Affairs. The Departments and Offices are managed by Directors.

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Senior Management

The Minister of Education, Science and Culture is Katrín Jakobsdóttir.

Office of Financial Affairs

The Office of Financial Affairs is responsible, for instance, for preparation of the budget, supervising its implementation, compiling estimates and budgeting for operations, capital investment and transfers connected with the main office, its sub-offices and institutions supervised by the Ministry. It also supervises various types of contractual negotiations and undertakings carried out by the Ministry. In addition, the Office of Financial Affairs supervises main office finances and the implementation of collective bargaining agreements on the Ministry's behalf. The Director of the Office of Financial Affairs is Gísli Þór Magnússon.

Office of Legal Affairs

The Office of Legal Affairs prepares decision-making on legal issues and provides legal counselling within the Ministry. It supervises the drafting of parliamentary bills and regulations and preparations of administrative rulings. The Office serves as liaison with the Althingi secretariat. Furthermore, the Office of Legal Affairs supervises on behalf of the Ministry the legal implementation of the EEA Agreement and other international treaties where the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture represents Iceland. The Office is responsible for personnel issues of institutions under the auspices of the Ministry. The Director of the Department of  the Office of Legal Affair is Jón Vilberg Guðjónsson.

Office of Evaluation and Analysis

The Office of Evaluation and Analysis is responsible for implementation of quality evaluation and supervision of good practice within the educational institutions at all school levels as provided for by the law and regulations, including evaluation of ongoing research studies in higher education and research institutes. Furthermore, the Office of Evaluation and Analysis works on developing methods of quality and outcome evaluation in cultural, educational and scientific matters. The Office of Evaluation and Analysis, in cooperation with other Offices and Departments, is responsible for collecting and analysing data and information as appropriate in order to ensure an overview and to prepare a general policy formulation within issues handled by the Ministry. The Director of the Office of Evaluation and Analysis is Stefán Baldursson.

Department of Cultural Affairs

The Department of Cultural Affairs handles administration and policy formulation in cultural affairs under the Ministry's jurisdiction, for instance, concerning the arts and cultural heritage, the mass media, and sports and youth affairs. Its area of responsibility includes relations with public cultural institutions and museums, sporting organisations and other NGOs, enterprises and individuals. The Department also supervises public support for arts and culture, including the administration of artistic and cultural funds. The Director of the Department for Cultural Affairs is Karitas H. Gunnarsdóttir.

Department of Education

The Department of Education handles educational matters at pre-school, compulsory school and upper secondary school levels and issues curricula for the above as well as being responsible for matters regarding continuing education. The Department directs and takes part in preparing a general policy in these areas and supervises its implementation and handles general administrative affairs. Furthermore, the Department has the initiative for development in innovation in education, including distance learning, and publishing of teaching materials. The Director of the Department of Education is Arnór Guðmundsson.

Department of Science and Higher Education

The Department of Science and Higher Education handles higher educational issues and is responsible for the general administration in the fields of science, research and innovation affairs. The Department prepares the policy formulation of higher educational issues and supervises its implementation. It prepares and advises on scientific and research policy under the auspices of the Council for Science and Technology. The Department supervises the affairs of the Council for Science and Technology and the Scientific Committee and co-ordinates the Ministry's various projects in the fields of science, research and innovation and their integration with the formulation and implementation of the educational policy. The Director of the Department of Science is Hellen M. Gunnarsdóttir.

Office of Information and Service

The Office of Information and Service is responsible for communicating information, including the intranet and internet, publishing issues under the auspices of the Ministry as well as registration and archiving of documents and other data. Furthermore, the Office is responsible for quality control within the Ministry and developing information technology issues. The activities of The Office of Information and Service also include the Ministry's reception, purchases and collective service. The Office is responsible for personnel issues, including continuing education and job development. It is moreover in charge of projects aimed at developing and improving the working environment and general procedures within the Ministry. The Director of the Office of Information and Service is Kristín Jónsdóttir.

Project Managers

Education, Science and Culture Counsellor