Preconditions for implementing the trust reform through the lens of professional teachers

Abstract: In 2018 the trust delegation assigned by the Swedish government presented an inquiry called “Discretion grows by trust – Trust-based steering and leadership of the welfare sector” (Medtillit växer handlingsutrymmet – Tillitsbaserad styrning och ledning av välfärdssektorn), which also is called the trust reform. The recommendations presented in the document were to counterthe negative consequences of New Public Management (NPM) on the work of professionals in the Swedish public sector by incorporating seven principles into the organizations: Citizenfocus, holistic approach, discretion, support, knowledge, openness and trust. One of the firstareas of the public sector to be re-organised according to NPM-principles was that of education,which had profound effects both on the organization of the education system and the role of theteachers, especially secondary school teachers. By interviewing secondary school teachers from public schools in two municipalities and by using the categories understand, will and can of implementation theory, the prerequisites for implementing the trust reform among this group of professionals are examined. The main opportunities are that many of the principles werep revalent in the work of the teachers already, meaning that it is not foreign for them to work with them. None of the principles were either deemed unimportant by the teachers, as they expressed a will to develop them if they were not prevalent, but also had a will to develop other aspects of the principles even if they were prevalent. The main challenges were posed by their perception of can, and that many of the principles could not be developed with the tools they had at the present.