Leadership and provider responsibilities in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care

Purpose This article investigates the relationship between centre leaders and providers in Norwegian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) centres, studying the shared responsibility for implementing national framework goals. The study examines both public and private ECEC services, focusing on the tensions between the administrative capacity of providers and the autonomy of centre leaders. We ask: How do centre leaders assess providers’ resources and priorities, and how do they perceive their professional autonomy within these structures? How do public and private providers view their responsibilities towards centre leaders? Design/methodology/approach The research employs a mixed-methods approach, including data from a survey sent to all ECEC centre leaders in Norway in 2022, qualitative interviews with nine centre leaders and qualitative interviews with 14 providers. The study builds on multi-level governance theory and draws on concepts of administrative capacity and tensions of autonomy and control to analyse the centre leader–provider relationship. Findings The study identifies four main categories of centre leader–provider relationships based on levels of autonomy and capacity. We find that centre leader autonomy varies significantly based on provider capacity. Some centre leaders enjoy high autonomy and access to well-coordinated networks, enhancing leadership capacity, while others face constraints due to provider-imposed standardisation or limited resources. Originality/value The article finds that the centre leader–provider relationship significantly influences leadership in ECEC, impacting service quality. The analysis highlights a paradox between standardisation and local adaptation, suggesting that current efforts to strengthen provider responsibility might exacerbate inequalities. Further research is needed to address these challenges and ensure balanced, equitable ECEC services.