Handbook on development policy and management

ABSTRACT

Although the public service logic (PSL) has been an important equipoise to the predominant goods-manufacturing logic, there is potential to broaden its scope. An explicit integration of social context may contribute to an enhanced conceptual understanding of the PSL, at the same time addressing a major challenge in healthcare: disparities among population groups. A ‘representative co-production’ approach is suggested. In such an approach, group representatives’ knowledge and skills are used in evaluating, designing, and delivering services with the purpose of supporting other group members’ value co-creation. A case is provided, demonstrating representative co-production in access to preventive health services.     

Co-Production and the Co-Creation of Value in Public Services: A suitable case for treatment?

Co-production is currently one of cornerstones of public policy reform across the globe. Inter alia, it is articulated as a valuable route to public service reform and to the planning and delivery of effective public services, a response to the democratic deficit and a route to active citizenship and active communities, and as a means by which to lever in additional resources to public service delivery. Despite these varied roles, co-production is actually poorly formulated and has become one of a series of ‘woolly-words’ in public policy. This paper presents a conceptualization of co-production that is theoretically rooted in both public management and service management theory. It argues that this is a robust starting point for the evolution of new research and knowledge about co-production and for the development of evidence-based public policymaking and implementation.     

Co-Production,Interdependence and Publicness: Extending public service-dominant logic

This article argues that while the idea of public service-dominant logic (PSDL) has much to offer, there remains room to extend it. First, the article fine-tunes the argument that co-production is unavoidable in services management, by categorizing the different things co-producers provide and analysing their interdependencies. Second, it seeks to account for collectively consumed public value, which is neglected in PSDL. Third, it recognizes that far from ‘delighting’ customers, many public services entail applying the coercive authority of the state to those with whom they deal. The article proposes a reconceptualization of the notion of ‘client focus’.     

Realizing public values: enhancement or obstruction? Exploring value tensions and coping strategies in the co-production of social care

ABSTRACT

We examine the potential of co-production to enhance or obstruct the realization of public values by analysing what value tensions co-producers experience and what coping strategies they follow. In-depth study of a social care initiative in Flanders shows that co-production enhances the realization of values relating to services delivered, relationships between public servants and citizens, and the democratic quality of the service delivery process. However, public servants and citizen co-producers experience tensions between values, such as efficiency, individual freedom of co-producers, reciprocity, and inclusion. In trying to deal with these value tensions, public servants are found to follow a variety of coping strategies, whereas citizen co-producers tend to escalate tensions or avoid coping with them. The type of coping strategy followed, however, influences if and what values are ultimately represented in the service delivery process and its results.     

Street-level new public governances in integrated services-as-a-system

The paper explores the emergence of street-level public service integration in eight cities, in five countries using a new framework: services-as-a-system to explore new public governances in health and social care integration. Data is analysed from eight cities in six countries (Australia, Canada, The Netherlands, Spain, UK, and USA) gathered in over 100 semi-structured interviews with key agents. We show that whilst culture and context shape the form and processes of governances there are underlying processual drivers of new public governances, in particular where users are involved in the co-design and co-production of integrated services.     

Restoring Trust Through the Co-Production of Public Services: A theoretical elaboration

Abstract

Co-production, the involvement of clients in the delivery of public services, is believed to foster trust. However, there is insufficient research on this topic to prove what is at present merely an assumption. This article gives theoretical insights into this relationship. First, it is identified that co-production relates to identification-based trust. Second, the most important theoretical mechanisms are identified that link the two concepts: increasing self-efficacy and the creation of trust networks. A third step is to move towards a more contingent perspective. This involves not only favourable conditions, but also obstructions to trust-building, such as crowding-out motivations and free-riding.     

Why People Co-Produce: Analysing citizens’ perceptions on co-planning engagement in health care services

Abstract

The aim of this article is to comprehend the motivation of citizens to co-produce. More specifically, it considers citizens’ motivations to engage in co-planning activities of health care services. The article brings together theoretical insights and empirical data. First, we integrate insights from different strands of literature. We combine literature on citizen participation, political efficacy, co-production, volunteerism, public service motivation, and customer engagement to offer a first understanding of citizens’ motivations to actively engage as co-producers of public services. Next, empirical data are derived from one specific case: citizens participating in client councils in health care organizations. Q-methodology, a method designed to systematically study persons’ viewpoints, is used to distinguish different perspectives citizen have on their engagement in co-production. Our analysis of citizens’ motivations to engage in client councils enables us to identify four types of citizen co-producers, which we label: the semi-professional, the socializer, the network professional, and the aware co-producer. Implications for future research studying citizens’ motivations in a broader range of co-production cases are discussed.     

Opportunities and Challenges in Engaging Citizens in the Co-Production of Infrastructure-Based Public Services in Australia

Research and practice have observed a shift towards service-oriented approaches that depend on input from citizens as co-producers of services. Yet in the delivery of public infrastructure the focus is still on managing assets rather than services. Using a Policy Delphi approach, we found that although experts advocate service-centric approaches guidelines and policies lack a service-centric perspective. Findings revealed a range of impediments to effective stakeholder involvement. The paper contributes to co-production and new public governance literature and offers directions for public infrastructure decision-makers to support and reconnect disengaged government–citizen relations, and determine ways of understanding optimal service outcomes.     

Collective Action and the Sustainability of Co-Production

Abstract

This article addresses the sustainability of citizen/user participation in the provision of public services, often referred to as co-production. Co-producing public services not only promises to limit cost, but it also requires a change in the relations and behaviour of public servants and citizens/users, in order for the latter to make a long-term commitment to co-production. The article notes that Olsen proposes two logics of collective action, not just one. Focusing on small group interaction can provide an important strategy for achieving sustainable co-production, particularly of enduring welfare services. However, Ostrom criticizes too simplistic approaches based on size alone for promoting social cooperation in collective action situations. She proposes seven structural variables of importance in resolving social dilemmas. Several of them can also be perceived as factors that facilitate sustainable citizen participation in co-production. Some additional factors are also considered important for sustainable co-production, like the nature of the service itself, organizational diversity, a dialogue between the staff and clients, and facilitating small group interactions in large organizations. This article concludes that governments should develop more flexible, service-specific and organization-specific approaches for promoting co-production, rather than looking for simple ‘one size fits all’ solutions to the challenges facing public service delivery, particularly of enduring welfare services. It also proposes a research agenda on sustainable co-production.     

Co-Production and Value Co-Creation in Outcome-Based Contracting in Public Services

This paper contributes to theorizing and analysing different processes of co-production and value co-creation within outcome-based contracting (OBC). It investigates how different OBC mechanisms are implemented in practice, and with what implications for public service users’ experiences and outcomes. Using realist synthesis techniques, the paper analyses existing evaluations that focus on users’ experiences of OBC in welfare-to-work services and a homelessness project. It highlights how OBC can affect equality, effectiveness and innovation within public services. The paper also exemplifies the importance of analysing how the political and policy context of public services affects both service pathways and their outcomes.     

Operationalizing Co-Production in Public Services Delivery: The contribution of service blueprinting

Abstract

We have argued for public services to move away from product-dominant logic towards a service approach. By taking a services orientation, the experience, inter-organizational, and systemic nature of public services delivery can be considered along with the role of the service user as a co-producer. In this article, we unpack how co-production can be operationalized through the application of service blueprinting. This article presents an example within higher education where the creation of a blueprint brought together staff and students to focus on the design of student enrolment, resulting in improved student experience and supporting co-production.     

Open innovation and the evaluation of internet-enabled public services in smart cities

This article is focused on public service innovation from an innovation management perspective. It presents research experience gained from a European project for managing social and technological innovation in the production and evaluation of citizen-centred internet-enabled services in the public sector. It is based on six urban pilot initiatives, which sought to operationalise a new approach to co-producing and co-evaluating civic services in smart cities – commonly referred to as open innovation for smart city services. Research suggests that the evidence base underpinning this approach is not sufficiently robust to support claims being made about its effectiveness. Instead evaluation research of citizen-centred internet-enabled urban services is in its infancy and there are no tested methods or tools in the literature for supporting this approach. The paper reports on the development and trialing of a novel Co-evaluation Framework, indicators and reporting categories, used to support the co-production of smart city services in an EU-funded project. Our point of departure is that innovation of services is a sub-set of innovation management that requires effective integration of technological with social innovation, supported by the right skills and capacities. The main skills sets needed for effective co-evaluation of open innovation services are the integration of stakeholder management with evaluation capacities.     

The impact of public service values on services of general interest reform debates

Abstract

Competing values complicate debates on the reform of public services. Attention for competition and efficiency is balanced by concerns for equity and universality in service delivery. These potential value conflicts are best visible in the reform of services of general interest. Despite debates at the European and the national level, current research on services of general interest has been limited to scholars in law and economics. Citizens' opinion on the guiding principles of service delivery is generally disregarded. In this article, we analyse a number of Eurobarometer surveys dealing with services of general interest, as well as a general survey of citizens' perceptions of the public sector in Belgium. We delineate clusters of citizens' public service delivery value orientations, and show that one-sided or ideology-based reform strategies probably negate many of the continuing dilemmas in public service delivery.     

False promises of co-production in neighbourhood regeneration: the case of Dutch community enterprises

Many European countries are implementing austerity measures alongside trends of welfare state retrenchment. Entrepreneurial forms of active citizenship are considered as a new form of public management to fill gaps left by spending cuts and to continue neighbourhood regeneration. Inspired by British practices, Dutch citizens are trying to set up community enterprises (CEs) to provide services or other benefits for residents in deprived neighbourhoods. Based on a qualitative panel study, this article reveals supportive responses but also resistance from local governments and housing associations. Within a positive policy discourse on co-production, institutional responses often encompass forms of ‘counter-production’ that hold CEs in full uncertainty about crucial conditions for their business.     

New roles for end-users in innovative public procurement: case study on user engaging property procurement

Improving valued outcomes of public procurement lies in user and community co-production. Applying insight from network role theory, this case study tackles challenges faced by both procurer and supplier in interacting with diverse service end-users in various procurement situations. The findings are based on interview, participant observation, and documentation data from three innovative property procurement projects. We suggest four situation-specific roles end-users adopt: conventional, cooperative, collaborative, and controlling. The article reasserts the dispute of viewing end-user’s role only through interpretation of either private-sector consumer or public-sector citizen, while a mix of both views is needed.     

Political Authority and Bureaucratic Resilience

Abstract

Consumerism and choice have become prominent ideas in the design and delivery of public services. Often perceived as a way to improve the quality and value of public services, potential downsides and areas of concern that relate to a consumerist approach are frequently ignored. This review essay takes a critical stance on the application of a consumerist discourse to public service provision and management by exploring four key areas of concern: definitional problems, questions about the concept's transferability from a private to a public sector setting, the problematic nature of ‘choice’, and difficulties associated with implementing consumerist ideas within public service contexts..     

中小型公共图书馆网络信息服务的发展策略解析

中小型公共图书馆发展网络信息服务有利于提高图书馆公共文化服务在中小城市的辐射能力,有利于发展地区特色文化,从而让公众享受普遍均等的服务,丰富公众的休闲文化生活。目前服务理念认知尚浅、服务质量欠佳、专业人才匮乏和公众享用信息服务的意识不够等因素制约着中小型公共图书馆网络信息服务的发展。可以从创新网络信息服务理念、拓展立体服务空间、提供特色信息服务、培养新型服务人才以及开展公众信息素养教育等几个方面加以深化和改善,以期提升中小型公共图书馆的网络信息服务能力。     

Designing Public Services: The usefulness of three service design methods for identifying user experiences

This article examines the use of three service design methods in exploring complex public service systems. The methods used were the persona technique, mapping techniques in collaborative design workshops, and observations supplemented by group discussions. In their application to a university service, it was found that through their user-centred and collaborative approach, the service design methods assisted in the analysis of user experiences, including critical incidents, within the service system. It was also identified that user co-production formed the core of the service system and its processes, which highlights the need to actively involve users in public service design projects.     

城乡公共服务一体化的价值导向与制度构建

城乡公共服务一体化是和谐社会建设和城乡统筹发展的内在要求,其核心内容和首要价值导向是维护社会正义、实现社会公平。我国既往的城乡公共服务有失公允,国家包揽了城市所有的公共服务,农村公共服务却要农民自己承担。因此,城乡公共服务一体化的构建,一要纠正农村公共服务的不公正制度安排,二要制定具体的惠及农村社会的措施,并最终消除农村公共服务的盲区和灰色地带。     

城市公共服务的价值估计、受益者分析和融资模式探讨

城市生活质量决定城市价值.城市政府所提供的各类公共服务,直接影响着居民在城市中生活的舒适和便利程度,关系到城市长期发展的动力.围绕此主旨,论文探讨了3个相关的问题.第一,如何估计城市公共服务这些非市场的价值;第二,这些城市公共服务的成本承担和利益享受是否匹配;第三,怎样的公共口融资模式能够使上述关系更为匹配.基于显示性偏好法中的特征价格模型,利用北京市住宅市场和土地市场的徽观和个体交易数据,实证结果表明,居民愿意为居住在地铁站、公交车站和公署周边一定范围(0.8公里)内分别支付住宅价格的17.1%、12.4%和6.4%,但是,这种价值并没有被资本化到土地价格中.这表明,居民对城市公共服务偏好的住处并没有被房地产开发企业以地价的形式传递给政府,开发企业成为实际的受益者.以房地产价值作为税基的物业税的征收使信息可以从居民直接传递至城市政府,将使城市公共服务的融资模式更为合理.