Participation: add-on or core component of public service delivery?

Drawing on a systematic review of the literature, this paper explores the factors which have enabled and/or constrained the transformative potential of public service user participation within the five most influential recent narratives of public service reform. It argues that these narratives have failed either to offer a holistic conceptualisation of such participation in theory or to achieve its enactment in practice for four main reasons: participation is framed as polemic, with limited evidence of efficacy; public service delivery has been conceptualised as a linear process, with participation at its margins; structural changes have been insufficient in embedding participation; and power asymmetries have been reinforced through successive reforms. To combat these long-standing challenges, a value-creation approach is presented, which starts from an assumption of participation as a defining feature of public service delivery and considered how its import can be maximised to create value for individuals and society

Co-experience, co-production and co-governance: an ecosystem approach to the analysis of value creation

This conceptual article explores the interplay between the participation of service users and third sector organisations and the related implications for value creation. It draws on public service logic, which uses value as a lens through which to view public service delivery and presents an ecosystem perspective to understand the interconnectivity and complexity of value creation. To illustrate the conceptual discussion, a contextual case study of the Scottish Social Security Agency and its services is presented. The analysis demonstrates that value creation is enabled and constrained by the congruence of goals among actors, the strategic direction and a participatory approach that combines ‘lived experience’ with expertise. The article adds to theory by understanding value creation from a systemic perspective, emphasising the interplay of participative processes and the wider societal context. For policy and practice, it suggests a change in how value is articulated, promised, created and measured

Understanding the co-production of public services: the case of asylum seekers in Glasgow

This thesis explores the co-production of public services in the case of asylum seekers in Glasgow. It makes contributions on the theoretical and empirical levels. First, it integrates two theoretical standpoints on co-production from the public administration/management and services management literatures. This integration forms the basis for the development of an original conceptual framework which differentiates three modes of co-production at the level of the individual service user: consumer co-production; participative co-production; and enhanced co-production. The thesis then extends co-production to consider organizational modes, considering specifically the role of voluntary and community organizations (VCOs) in the production of services. This discussion contributes to the expansion of the conceptual framework, by introducing the concepts of co-management and co-governance to refer to VCOs co-production in service delivery and in service planning and delivery, respectively. The result is the development of a ‘Typology of Co-production’ which differentiates all five types of co-production according to who co-produces public services and when. These two conceptual frameworks are used to explore the case of asylum seekers and the social welfare services they receive in Glasgow. The case of asylum seekers is particularly interesting given the marginal nature of the group and their legal position as non-citizens. This serves to sharpen the focus on co-production. Three research questions emerged from the theoretical work which are explored in the case of asylum seekers: to what extent is co-production dependent upon citizenship? Can co-production act as a conduit to build social inclusiveness and citizenship? And is individual service user co-production a prerequisite for co-production and partnership working by public service organizations? The study took a mixed methods approach, consisting of policy/practice interviews, a small survey of public service organizations providing services to asylum seekers and an embedded case study design of Glasgow, which involved a series of interviews, observations and document analysis. The empirical context provided a fertile ground to explore and better understand the five types of co-production differentiated in the theory. It further suggests that citizenship is not a prerequisite for each mode of co-production and also that the co-production of public services can positively impact the lives of asylum seekers, particularly around issues of integration

Co-production and the co-creation of value in public services: a perspective from service management

This is an Accepted Manuscript of a book chapter published by Routledge in Co-Production and Co-Creation: Engaging Citizens in Public Services, on 15 March 2018, available online at: https://www.routledge.com/Co-Production-and-Co-Creation-Engaging-Citizens-in-Public-Services/Brandsen-Verschuere-Steen/p/book/9781138700116. Under embargo until 15 September 2019.This case study illustrates the shifting leadership and control in co-production of preventative services by a voluntary scheme in HFRS (Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Services). More specifically, it demonstrates how citizen co-producers can exercise some control and lead initiatives despite HFRS’s rigid structure and its command and control culture.Final Accepted Versio

Asylum seekers and the co-production of public services:Understanding the implications for social inclusion and citizenship

This paper presents an empirical study of asylum seekers in Glasgow and their capacity to co-produce the public services they use. It is divided into three parts. The first briefly examines the theory of co-production, revisiting a conceptual framework for co-production developed through the integration of the public administration and services management literatures (Osborne and Strokosch, 2013). Second, the paper examines the capacity of asylum seekers in Scotland to co-produce, considering their position as a marginalised group in society which significantly challenges many of the assertions about the nature of co-production. Finally, the paper discusses the implications of this new evidence for our understanding of the links between public services consumption and citizenship, asking two fundamental questions: can asylum seekers, as non-citizens, co-produce the public services they receive and, if so, what forms does co-production take; and what are the implications of this for social inclusion and citizenship

Insights on value co-creation, living labs and innovation in the public sector

Citizen participation in the planning, design, and delivery of public services has been of central interest for public administration and management scholars since the 1970s at least (Osborne and Strokosch 2021, 2022). Strengthening citizen participation is often viewed as pivotal in order to meet citizens’ changing expectations and to handle increasingly difficult societal problems (Bason 2017, 2018; Torfing et al. 2016). This is reflected in a shift towards more demand-based approaches to innovation in the public sector, in which efforts of renewal are responding to citizens’ demands and needs (Torfing et al. 2021). Concepts such as co-production and co-creation have become central in studies and analyses of these developments (Voorberg et al. 2015). Understanding of the mechanisms of co-production and co-creation operating at different levels and during different phases of public service processes has been of particular interest in the public administration and management literature. For instance, Nabatchi et al. (2017) suggest that co-production may take place at an individual, group, and collective level during the phase of commissioning, design, delivery, or assessment. In parallel, there is growing scholarly interest in the theorization of value and the dynamics of value creation in public service contexts (Hodgkinson et al. 2017; Strokosch and Osborne 2019; Strokosch et al. 2021). This Special Issue is situated at the crossroads of these research dialogues on citizen participation and value creation. The collection of articles address, in different ways, the links between citizen participation, service user involvement and value, and value creation in public service settings

Value Creation in the Public Service Ecosystem: An Integrative Framework

This article develops the concept of the “public service ecosystem” across four levels—the institutional, service, individual, and beliefs levels. It does this by integrating service management and marketing theory with public administration and management theory. Consequently, it explores both the dimensions of value and value creation within the public service ecosystem at each level, and the interactions and inter-relationships across these levels. It concludes with the key implications for public administration and management theory and practice

Value Creation in the Public Service Ecosystem: An Integrative Framework

This article develops the concept of the “public service ecosystem” across four levels—the institutional, service, individual, and beliefs levels. It does this by integrating service management and marketing theory with public administration and management theory. Consequently, it explores both the dimensions of value and value creation within the public service ecosystem at each level, and the interactions and inter-relationships across these levels. It concludes with the key implications for public administration and management theory and practice