Trust surveys for municipalities

Our trust surveys provide knowledge about the level of trust important development actors have in each other in your municipality or region.

Trust and regional development

Through many years of research on regional growth, we have become more and more aware that trust can be of great importance for regional growth and attractiveness.

Trust between important actors in a place contributes to a good climate of cooperation and can make it easier to decide, initiate and implement policies and measures to improve qualities in a place, and thereby improve attractiveness. Trust can also have a positive effect on a place's culture and identity, so that the place stands out as more attractive, has a better reputation and thus increases growth.

Our trust survey

Telemark Research Institute has developed a method for measuring trust for municipalities and regions that reveals how much trust important social and development actors have in each other. The trust survey is aimed at these groups: the municipal politicians, the municipality's employees and business leaders in the municipality. The voluntary sector is a fourth group that can also be included.

A questionnaire reveals the level of trust both within and between the groups, as well as these groups' trust in other important actors: the county municipality, neighbouring municipalities and visitors. The survey also contains questions about the general level of trust, place identity and optimism.