Performing systematic quality work in Sweden: Frontstage and backstage practices in local education authorities

This study aims to understand and analyse the complex performativity involved when local education authority (LEA) officials implement systematic quality work (SQW). The article is based on a 3-year co-operative study with LEA officials in five Swedish municipalities, including observations of local SQW in action, interviews with LEA officials, and analyses of SQW documentation. Inspired by Goffman, we understand LEAs’ SQW as a performance conducted frontstage and negotiated backstage. We did discern four different and partially overlapping roles that LEA officials were engaged in frontstage: as experts, colleagues, guardians, and directors of SQW. Backstage, the LEA officials shared critical reflections and negotiations concerning their frustration, self-critique and feelings of disillusion related to SQW. While the SQW as a governing system continues to be produced and reproduced, LEA officials also continue to struggle to find proper measures for identified problems.