The Swedish government has in 2023 decided on a new public reform regarding the aid policy in Sweden, which is yet to be fully implemented in 2025, leaving actors in a gap between the decision making and implementing phase. The new approach has sparked debate in the public and civil administrative apparatus due to the different opinions of how to approach and execute a new public reform, and to its potential consequences and effects. Previous studies have shown that public reform have great impact on the relationships within public sector, however, less can be said about the actors perceptions and approach to new public governance in the said gap. The purpose of this study is to generate knowledge about how staff within aid management navigate in an administratively uncertain context, such as the ongoing reform in Sweden, and analyze how the interpretations and perceptions of governance affect the relationships there in. The study concludes by a thematic analysis that the majority of the actors perceive the new management style as deviating from the trust-based management culture that previously dominated Swedish administration. Majority of actors perceive mistrust and uncertainty to permeate the reform process and have affected their relation to government authorities negatively due to the failure of upholding relational norms. The study contributes to empirical research on actors’ perceptions and relations in ongoing public administration reforms and theoretical research on effects of different organizational management styles.