The survey was conducted by TNS Gallup for Norges Bank and polled key individuals in Norges Bank’s professional environment and members of the general public. The results reveal that Norges Bank is perceived as professionally sound and independent, both by key individuals and by the general public. The Bank achieved a score of 55 on TNS’s Reputation Index, giving it a high ranking. The analysis also provides pointers to areas in which scope exists for improvement.

The results of the survey show that the standard of external communications has improved in recent years, but that there are still gains to be made in terms of openness and accessibility. The survey reveals that many of the people with which the Bank has close contact perceive it as somewhat closed and unresponsive. The Bank could also be better at reaching a broader audience.

“Efforts to increase knowledge and understanding of the activities of the central bank amongst school pupils and students have already started. We are also looking at ways in which we can increase the number of people we reach, for example by using social networking media,” says Ms Meisingseth.

41 key individuals were interviewed in depth and 1001 members of the general public answered questions in a web survey. The reputation survey was conducted during the course of the first half of 2010.