Abstract
In recent decades, governments have increasingly accepted the need to engage citizens in public decision-making and public services. This chapter traces the sources of this increased interest in public participation and user and community co-production. Our research suggests that they are important but still under-appreciated by policymakers. While public participation can be effective, even in countries where democracy is still not strong it is not always positive. Similarly, recent research demonstrates that public services are already partly co-produced, as this is not sufficiently recognised by public services, co-production is not being harnessed systematically. More empirical research is needed into what kind of co-production is actually occurring (where, by whom and how?), how it could be further incentivised, and what are its benefits and limitations.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The Palgrave Handbook of Public Administration and Management in Europe |
Editors | Edoardo Ongaro, Sandra Van Thiel |
Place of Publication | London |
Chapter | 21 |
Pages | 403-423 |
Number of pages | 21 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 978-1-137-55269-3 |
Publication status | Published - 7 Dec 2017 |
Keywords
- citizen engagement
- policymakers
- public services