New development: ‘Appreciate–Engage–Facilitate’—The role of public managers in value creation in public service ecosystems

Abstract

IMPACT Public service ecosystems are an increasingly influential concept in public administration and management theory. This article explores their implications for public service management practice. It offers a framework for public service managers to understand how the concept can impact upon their practice. It emphasises the need for practitioners to be able to work across the three levels of the ecosystem identified and how they might most effectively impact upon these levels. ABSTRACT This article argues for the ‘public service ecosystem’ as an organizing framework through which to appreciate the interactions and integration of the institutional, service, and individual levels in public service delivery. It offers a heuristic (‘Appreciate–Engage–Facilitate’) through which to understand and support the role of public managers in value creation at all levels of such ecosystems.