Counties do not have responsibility for municipalities. Municipalities and counties have separate tasks. The ministries are at the top of central government administration. Most ministries administer legislation relating to particular subject areas such as housing and social affairs. Each ministry is headed by a minister, who is a member of the Government.
Directorates are central government bodies belonging to a ministry.
Normally, their function is to make specific decisions within a specified area and to advise the minister. Normally directorates are subordinate to the ministry department, but in some cases they have a more independent position. Other types of administrative bodies are councils and boards. They are not only found at the central level, but also regionally and locally, and may be quite differently composed and have a diversity of functions. Their common characteristic is that competence is shared by several people.