Governance model

MR-U owns NLL but has delegated decision-making authority to EK-U, which serves as the steering group for NLL. EK-U appoints an Advisory Programme Committee, tasked with qualifying NLL's annual business plan and ensuring national political anchoring.

Committee of Senior Officials for Education and Research (EK-U)

The Committee of Senior Officials for Education and Research (EK-U) has the overall responsibility for the operation and development of NLL. This entails processing NLL’s business plan and budget proposal, as well as annual reporting.

As the steering group, EK-U must process NLL as a standing item on the following meetings:

EK-U 02/XX – Annual reporting and accounting
EK-U 04/XX – Draft business plan and budget for the upcoming year

Additionally, EK-U appoint the management body and national host organizations.

Advisory Programme Committee

EK-U appoints representatives to an Advisory Programme Committee, whose purpose is to ensure political anchoring and relevance through input and sparring in the development of NLL’s annual business plan.

The Advisory Programme Committee consists of representatives working with adult education, lifelong learning, or competence policy at governmental level in each of the Nordic countries as well as the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The group also includes two representatives from the labour sector and one representative from the network group under the Nordic Council of Ministers' Integration Programme.

The Advisory Programme Committee is established based on the following principles:

The Advisory Programme Committee is appointed for a period of 3 years at a time in accordance with the two work plan periods (2025-2027 and 2028-2030)

The Advisory Programme Committee meets annually with the main coordinator, current and incoming presidency, and the secretariat of the Nordic Council of Ministers in connection with the preparation of the business plan for the upcoming year
The Advisory Programme Committee is tasked with ensuring coherence with national political priorities and translating and disseminating results and experiences from NLL in their respective countries
The Advisory Programme Committee has no decision-making authority but functions as an advisory body to EK-U and NLL.