Färre barn betyder inte färre utmaningar : En kvalitativ studie om kommunalt omställningsarbete vid minskat personalbehov i förskolan

Sammanfattning

The declining birth rate in Sweden has created new conditions for municipal preschool operations. When the number of children decreases, the need for preschool enrollment and staffing is affected, which creates demands on municipalities’ transition efforts. The study aims to understand how a municipality’s in Västra Götaland is managing this transition, in practice, in relation to a reduced need for staff in preschool operations, and how this is managed within the municipality’s workforce planning. The study is based on a qualitative case study with semi-structured interviews. The respondents consist of individuals from various organizational level within the municipality, including the operations manager, HR consultants, principals and preschool staff. The empirical data has been analyzed using thematic analysis. The theoretical framework of the study is based on Lewin’s change model and new institutional theory, which provides an understanding of the transition as a change process and as shaped by institutional demands, norms and expectations. The results show that the municipality’s transition work is characterized by a continuous balance between financial conditions, the quality of the operations and long-term competence and workforce planning. The study shows that legitimate and responsible transition depends on the municipality’s ability to manage these needs simultaneously. In the short term, the transition is managed through organizational adjustments, such as changes in staffing and internal mobility. In the longer term, the competence supply emerges as a central part of the work, where the municipality needs to retain and utilize existing skills in new ways. The study also shows that the transition is affected by the institutional demands such as economic frameworks, political governance, legal requirements and expectations on quality.