Centre of Excellence (CoE) is a politically initiated financing scheme from the Research Council in Norway aiming for long term, high quality and innovative research, contributing towards solving the big challenges of our society. Two evaluations conclude that this scheme is a success. These evaluations does not however pay much attention to the role of the administration in that regard. This master-thesis investigate how administrative leaders in the CoE contribute towards goal achievement. This has not previously been studied. For the data collection individual interviews was chosen, because they provide an open and investigative approach, well suited to gather relevant information. The analysis are based on organizational theory for public organizations, theories about organization types and previous research regarding the role of administrative personnel in research and higher education. The administrative leaders in CoE work in the interface between academic work and administration. My research shows that most of them have an academic background. They are highly educated, on master or PhD level, and some have research experience beyond that. Most of them have relevant work experience with a good overview of how the research and university systems work. The administrative leaders can further be recognised by their ability to create a good work environment and their social integration skills. This is very important in CoE, not the least because the centres depends heavily on recruitment of international research staff. In this regard good language skills and intercultural competence are also important. These leaders contribute to goal achievement through relieving the researchers and facilitating research related tasks, like conferences and meeting places, and haveing a good overview and ensure internal and external information flow. They also organize social activities and function as a central hub or connector. The administrative leader role demands a mix of knowledge and competencies, resembling the role of the classic middle range leader in the professional bureaucracy of today. With a great variety of different assignments coupled with being a connector for tasks and functions, both vertical and horizontal in the organization. In addition the administrative leader in a CoE also works close with the research leaders and the research activities at the centre. CoE are organized as time-limited projects with high demands and expectations. My study shows that the administration apparatus in CoE is important for goal achievement, but also that it is necessary with one 100% administrative leader or coordinator in a CoE, in order to take care of and coordinate the interests of the centre, both internally and in relation to the host institution. These CoE administrative leaders are a highly selected group regarding qualifications and background, which is something to be aware of when planning these kinds of research units, but also concerning the status- and role of administrative research personnel in general. ; publishedVersion
Begrepet siida er kjent over hele Sápmi. Så langt tilbake i tid vi kan vite, har siidaer vært der som noe som vi kan forstå som samiske lokalsamfunn. Det som i dag gjenstår av videreførte næringsutøvende og levemåtepraktiserende siidaer, er siidaer som har arbeidet med reinflokker som sitt sammenbindende element. Denne siidatradisjonen har vært levende frem til i dag spesielt i Kautokeino- og Karasjokområdet i Norge, det vil si i det området hvor det foreliggende studiet er gjort. Imidlertid lever den fortsatt i krysspresset mellom representasjonen av tidligere østlige siidaer i litteraturen og den forvaltningsmessige praktisering av reindriftsloven. Bildet av en fasttømret organisering i de østlige siidaer og opphør av de såkalte veidesiidaene har usynliggjort forbindelseslinjene mellom tidligere og dagens siidaer og også ført til oppfattelse av siidasystemet som ikke-eksisterende. Reindriftslovgivningen har på sin side skapt og utviklet et alternativt reinbeitedistriktssystem. Etter at siidaen i prinsippet ble anerkjent ved reindriftsloven av 2007, har problemstillinger og forvaltningspraksis med opphav i reinbeitedistriktssystemet allikevel fått lov til å prege tilnærmingen til siidasystemet. For å kunne rehabilitere siidaer og siidasystemet er det ingen veg utenom å plukke opp og ta utgangspunkt i forbindelseslinjene som ligger i videreføringen av siidaer gjennom tidene. Det går ut på å ta utgangspunkt i siidasystemets egne begreper, forståelsesformer og prioriteringer. I dag dreier det seg først og fremst om å ekstrahere og fremlegge siidaers felles begrepsbruk og tradisjonelle kunnskaper i arbeidet med reinflokker, men også å rette blikket mot tradisjonelle anskuelsesformer som ligger bak praksisene i siidautøvelsen. Blant annet ligger i dette et grunnlag for å synliggjøre settinger og tilpasning i forholdet mellom siidautøvelsen og dens naturgitte omgivelser, og også problemstillinger og sider ved avklaring av forhold mellom siidaer i prosessen mot rehabilitering av siidasystemet. Fastsettelse av ytre rammer for reinbeitedistrikter og siidaer har tematisk sett vært et møtepunkt mellom reineierne og offentlig forvaltning, et møte som så langt ikke har hatt siidaers tradisjonelle kunnskaper og tenkemåter som sitt utgangspunkt og sentrum for oppmerksomhet. Det foreliggende studiet tar for seg eksempler på tradisjonell samisk livsanskuelse og måter å nærme seg siidaer ut fra deres egne begreper og praksiser. Som reingjeteren forholder seg til kantene av flokken så forholder disse tekstene seg til betydningsfulle aspekter av siidaer generelt og ikke til det indre liv i noen spesifikk siida. ; Siidadoaba lea oahpis miehtá Sámi. Siiddat leat leamaš juo nu áigá go mii oba diehtit. Dat siiddat mat leat buolvvas bulvii doalahuvvon otnážii birgejumi ja eallinlági vuođđun, lea dat siiddat main boazoealut dahket siiddastallama. Dát siidavierut lea leamaš eallevaččat gitta otná rádjái, Norgga bealde erenoamážit Guovdageainnus ja Kárášjogas. Dat dattege ain almmolašvuođas cahket duvdahuvvan dilis, girjjálašvuođa dološ nuortalaš siiddaid ja boazodoallolága hálddahuslaš meannudeami gaskkas. Nuortalaš siiddaid čavga organiserema ja bivdosiiddaid bieđganeami govat leat jávkadan ovdalaš ja dálá siiddaid čanastagaid ja dagahan vel dan ipmárdusa ahte siidavuogádat ii leat šat doaimmas. Boazodoallolágaiguin fas lea ásahuvvon ja ovddiduvvon boazoguohtundistriktavuogádat dasa buohta. Maŋŋel go 2007 boazodoallolágain siida vuođđojurdagis dohkkehuvvui leat buorrin ieš sadjásis, leat aŋkke boazoguohtundistriktavuogádaga vuolggahan áššečoavdimušat ja hálddahuslaš doaibmavuogit beassan báidnit vugiid mainna lágiin ipmirdišgoahtit siidavuogádaga. Jus galgat máhttit fastain árvvosmuhttit siidda ja siidavuogádaga, de eat sáhte garvit bargamuša geaži gávdnat dain čanastagain mat leat doalahan siiddaid áiggiid čađa. Das ii leat earágo vuođđun atnit siidavuogádaga iežas doahpagiid, ipmárdusvugiid ja vuoruhemiid. Dálá dilis ovddemussan fertet lavdit ja ovdan bidjat siiddaid oktasaš doabageavaheami ja árbevirolaš máhtu eallogohkkema birra, muhto maiddái geahččalit čalbmat ipmárdusvugiid mat leat dagolaš siiddastallama duohken. Earret eará lea dás vejolaš oidnosii dahkat siiddastallama ja eatnamiid gaskavuođa meriid ja heivehusaid, ja nu maiddái siiddaid gaskavuođa gažaldagaid ja čilgejumi dárbbuid das go galgat bargagoahtit fastain árvvosmuhttit siidavuogádaga. Siiddaid ravdameriid čilgejupmi lea leamaš boazoeaiggádiid ja almmolaš hálddahusa deaivvadeami sáhkafáddán, deaivvadeapmi mas dán rádjái eai leat adnon siiddaid árbevirolaš máhtut ja jurddavuogit sáhkavuođđun. Čállagiin maid dás bijan ovdan, guorahalan ovdamearkkaid das maid sápmelaččat leat árbevirolaččat diđoštan ja vugiid beassat siiddaid lagabuidda alddeset doahpagiid ja doaibmavugiid bokte. Dáid čállagiid lean jurddahan lohkamuššan sihke siiddaid olbmuide ja earáide. Nugo guođoheaddjit bissot ealloravddain, de dáid tevsttaid guorahallamat nai bissot siidaravddaid diđošteapmin, eaige mana guđege siidda sisa. ; The concept of siida is well-known throughout the Sápmi. Far back in time there have been local Sámi communities called siidas. Siidas having reindeer herding as their unifying element are today the only ones representing a continuous practice of traditional siida livelihood and way of life. They represent an ongoing siida tradition up to now, especially the siidas in Guovdageaidnu and Kárášjohka in Norway, i.e. in the region where the present research has been carried out. This tradition, however, still lives under pressure from the representation of the eastern siidas in literature on the one side and the administrative way of practicing the Reindeer Husbandry Act on the other side. The image of a stable organization in the eastern siidas and the end of the hunting siidas has veiled the connecting lines between the past and present siidas and also led to an understanding of the siida system as non-existent. On the other hand, legislation on reindeer husbandry has led to construction and development of an alternate organization, the Reindeer Herding District system. The new Reindeer Husbandry Act now has acknowledged the siida as a basic unit, but issues and governing practices originating from the reindeer herding district system have still been allowed to shape the approach to the siida system. The process towards rehabilitation of siidas and the siida system contains no ways round the method of picking up the connecting lines between past and present siidas and taking them as our starting points. This implies taking the siida system's own concepts, premises of thought and priorities as our starting point. Today it means primarily to extract and present the siidas' shared concepts and traditional herding knowledge, but also to look towards the traditional world view behind the siida practices. This provides, among other things, a basis to elucidate settings and adaptation in the relationship between siida and its natural surroundings, and also issues and ways of settling different matters in the process of rehabilitation of the siida system. Determination of outer limits for reindeer herding districts and siidas has been a thematic meeting point between reindeer herders and government. So far these meetings have not taken the siidas traditional knowledge and ways of thinking as their primary starting point and focus of attention. The present research examines examples of traditional Sámi beliefs and ways to approach siidas based on their own concepts and practices. These texts are meant to be read by both siida members and others. As the reindeer herder primarily relates to the edges of the herd, likewise these texts relate to important aspects of all siidas and not to the inner life of any specific siida.
