Towards a Trust–Control Balance Assessment Framework for Public Governance

In contemporary public governance the relationship between trust and control becomes an essential factor defining its administrative culture, approach to governance development and ability to adapt and build resilience. Yet, despite increasing scholarly attention, this relationship remains difficult to capture and assess in practice. Recent studies have shown that trust and distrust can coexist, and that trust and control are not the opposing but intertwined elements. However, there is still a lack of empirical frameworks that would allow researchers and practitioners to evaluate how these dynamics manifest within specific governance environments. This paper introduces the framework for assessment of the trust-control balance - a preliminary conceptual and methodological approach for examining how both elements are expressed and interact across different levels of governance. The framework draws inspiration from models analysing the coexistence of trust and distrust, adapting their logic to explore the balance between trust and control in governance relations. It combines theoretical insights from various strands of academic research concerned with control, collaboration, and organisational behaviour, and identifies key dimensions that shape how trust and control take form in governance processes. These dimensions provide the foundation for developing indicators that could later support empirical assessment and representation of their balance. To demonstrate framework potential, the paper refers to the case of the Curonian Spit in Lithuania - a multi-level, cross-sectoral, and environmentally sensitive governance. By connecting conceptual discussion with an emerging analytical framework, the paper contributes to ongoing debates on trust-based governance and opens pathways for further empirical testing. The proposed framework can also be developed as a reflective tool for policymakers and public organisations seeking to understand and rebalance the trust–control dynamics that shape their governance practices.