Samenvatting

The government seeks to restore public trust by prioritising customised services and a citizen-centred approach in its public service delivery. While frontline workers are granted greater discretionary authority, they face dilemmas in justifying tailor-made decisions that sometimes deviate from formal rules. This study, based on twelve interviews with managers and frontline workers at the Dutch Employee Insurance Agency (UWV), examines the critical role of frontline managers in balancing customisation with accountability. Managers encourage collective discretion, critically examine decisions, and justify them to higher management. These practices ensure that customisation and accountability are not viewed as conflicting but as mutually reinforcing. Theoretically, this paper adds an accountability perspective to the literature on managing frontline workers. Practically, it highlights the importance of actively fostering learning communities and promoting reflection within teams. This enables managers to not only support customised service delivery but also reshape the relationship between management and the frontline.