Co-production Of Services Research Articles

What is special about the public service logic?

The article addresses the issues of the public service logic (PSL), one of the avenues of studying public and municipal administration. Developing this concept will contribute to the theory and practice of providing public services in the Russian system of state and municipal government. Methodologically, the paper rests on the provisions of public administration, as well as the concepts of service-dominant logic and public service-dominant logic. It follows the principles of methodological individualism and interdisciplinary approach that allows adding the findings of the existing economic studies to our analysis. Among the research methods applied are comparison, content analysis and systematization. We have identified the following theoretical gaps that need to be bridged to develop the PSL: first, the lack of a scientifically grounded definition of “public service value” as a form of service co-production involving the seller and the buyer, and, second, determining behavioural characteristics of employees of public (non-profit) organizations rendering credence goods-related services. Thus, the PSL outlines an important research area, namely studying value co-creation mechanisms in the public sector. The research findings can be utilized to refine public policy and produce strategic documents for the development of non-profit organizations providing public services.

Empowered service users: peer workers co-production in Norwegian mental health and substance use services

ABSTRACT Employing citizens with first-hand experience as ‘peer workers’ (PW) is increasingly prevalent in mental health and substance use organizations. This Norwegian qualitative exploratory study presents three benefits of PWs identified by managers, health professionals and PWs: empowered co-production, fluid positions, and catalysing cultural change. PWs have less clearly defined roles but can exercise discretion and autonomy. As service user experts, they often have direct access to management and can promote change in professional practice in multidisciplinary settings. PWs have the potential to catalyse change and increase legitimacy and trust, but greater attention is needed to strategies that support their integration.

145 Co-producing a physical activity referral scheme for the German healthcare system: A qualitative analysis of stakeholder experiences

Abstract Purpose Physical activity referral schemes (PARS) are a promising strategy to promote physical activity within healthcare settings. Despite the perceived potential of PARS, no national scheme has yet been implemented in Germany. This study investigated stakeholders’ experiences with the development of a PARS in the German healthcare system using a co-production approach. The focus was on examining facilitators and challenges, along with gathering insights on potential modifications to the joint development process, all from the viewpoint of stakeholders. Methods Based on 25 stakeholders participating in the co-production process, seven stakeholders were purposefully selected for one-to-one semi-structured interviews. Following the maximum variation principle, interview partners represented a variety of participating stakeholders regarding the health sector they belong to, the stakeholders’ position within their organization and their attendance during the development phase. We analyzed the interview transcripts using summarizing qualitative content analysis (software MAXQDA 2022). Results The following factors were identified as facilitators of the development process: co-production approach, process of co-production, multi-sector stakeholder group, possibility of active participation, coordinating role of researchers, communication, atmosphere and interaction. In contrast, differences in roles and hierarchy, merging of different perspectives, clarification of intervention costs, and competition and conflicting interests were pointed out as challenges. Interviewees made a few suggestions for improving group composition and cooperation among stakeholders. Conclusions Overall, stakeholder experiences with the development process were overwhelmingly positive, indicating that co-production is a beneficial approach for the development of PARS intended for integration into healthcare systems. To further improve co-production of PARS models and other interdisciplinary health services, scientists should report on and evaluate the collaborative development processes more frequently and systematically. Support/Funding Source The study is funded by the Federal Ministry of Health based on a resolution of the German ‘Bundestag’ by the federal government.

Ecosystem Services Justice: The Emergence of a Critical Research Field

Ecosystem services justice is an emergent research field. Over the past decade, research on ecosystem services has increasingly developed a justice perspective and incorporated it into its conceptual and empirical frameworks. This perspective aims at providing a review of the emergent strands of research addressing ecosystem services justice, and at creating an outlook on future research needs and frontiers. The review departs from central critiques to the ecosystem service approach, which have been foundational for the research field of ecosystem services justice. To be precise, we address three different research strands on which justice issues arise. First, ecosystem services production, considering the (increasing) commodification of ecosystem services, the concentration of ecosystem services production assets and the role of trade-offs in production capacities. Second, the distribution of ecosystem services benefits under the aspects of unequal vulnerabilities, the consideration of accessibility and individual’s capabilities to obtain ecosystem services. Third, the recognition of ecosystem services pluralisms, including socially differentiated forms of wellbeing, plural values and knowledge concerning ecosystem services. While ES justice has strongly advanced from a scientific perspective, we are still lacking a stronger reflection of these advances in practice. Future research, we argue, needs to develop holistic procedural frameworks for integrating the complexity of ecosystem services justice, addressing the ecosystem services production under consideration of historic inequalities, the distribution of ecosystem services benefits with respect to people’s diverse needs, vulnerabilities, and capabilities, as well as diverse wellbeing-, value-, and knowledge-systems. The social-ecological understanding of ecosystem services co-production, which recognizes the dynamic and reciprocal relationship between humans and ecosystems, is identified as a crucial framing for this endeavor.

Collective co-production of health and care services – a systematic review of research from the United Kingdom, Germany and Norway

This article reviews all published English-language articles concerning collective co-production of welfare services in the United Kingdom, Germany and Norway, which are countries representing different welfare regimes. The review identifies facilitators for collective co-production and inductively identifies four themes that are important for successful collective co-production: (1) the motivation individuals have for engaging in collective co-production, (2) the institutional contextual conditions for co-production, (3) the relational conditions for co-production, and (4) the facilitation of different effects of co-production. No studies have investigated why public sector entities or voluntary sector organisations choose to engage in co-production, and we lack studies that compare sectors with different institutional settings.

Debate: The future of artificial intelligence for the co-design and co-production of public services—what do we know and what do we need to know?

Debate: The future of artificial intelligence for the co-design and co-production of public services—what do we know and what do we need to know?

The Co-Production of Service: Modeling Services in Contact Centers Using Hawkes Processes

In customer support contact centers, every service interaction involves a messaging dialogue between a customer and an agent; together, they exchange information, solve problems, and collectively co-produce the service. Because the service progression is shaped by the history of conversation thus far, we propose a bivariate marked Hawkes process cluster model of the customer-agent interaction. To evaluate our stochastic model of service, we apply it to an industry contact center data set containing nearly 5 million messages. Through both a novel residual analysis comparison and several Monte Carlo goodness-of-fit tests, we show that the Hawkes cluster model indeed captures dynamics at the heart of the service and surpasses classic models that do not incorporate the service history. Furthermore, in an entirely data-driven simulation, we demonstrate how this history-dependent model can be leveraged operationally to inform a prediction-based routing policy. We show that widely used and well-studied customer routing policies can be outperformed with simple modifications according to the Hawkes model. Through analysis of a stylized model proposed in the contact center literature, we prove that service heterogeneity can cause this underperformance and, moreover, that such heterogeneity will occur if service closures are not carefully managed. This paper was accepted by Elena Katok, operations management. Funding: The authors are grateful for the generous support of this work by the National Science Foundation Division of Graduate Education [Grant DGE-1650441] (A. Daw), the Israel Science Foundation [Grant 336/19] (G. B. Yom-Tov), and the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation [Grant 2022095] (A. Daw, G. B. Yom-Tov). Supplemental Material: The online appendix and data files are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2021.04060 .

Moving beyond the 'PPG': co-production and inclusion health.

We frequently fail to meaningfully incorporate patient voice in the development of health services, in particular the voices of those who are most disadvantaged. To share learning from a co-production project to improve primary care experience for those with multiple disadvantage and lived experience of trauma. We formed a collective of women (Bridging Gaps). Group members had lived experience of poverty, mental health challenges, addictions, homelessness, and sexual exploitation. Other members were researchers, GPs, and members of a third-sector organisation. We worked alongside local GPs to change how services were delivered. We collected interviews (n = 9), ethnographic data from group meetings (n = 3), and reflective notes from group members (n = 19). Data on our process were analysed using a framework approach drawn from the principles of trauma-informed care. We highlight the challenges for those with multiple disadvantages and trauma experience to meaningfully and safely engage in traditional Patient Participation Group (PPG) models. True co-production of services requires adequate resources and close collaborative working with local community organisations. Groups must be facilitated by those with relevant experience and the ability to both notice and manage power dynamics within the room. With sufficient support, co-production models have potential to empower group participants and improve health services. Partnership working between GPs, the third sector, and other organisations is vital. This can allow GPs to benefit from the expertise of those with relevant lived experience in tackling health inequalities.

Activating Co-production of Rural Service Delivery: Examining the Role of Nonprofit Organizations Using a Case Study in China

AbstractAlthough co-production between the government and society can improve service outcomes, the two parties may lack the willingness and the capacity to cooperate. Can nonprofit organizations play an active role in facilitating government–citizen co-production? If so, how? The role of nonprofits in social services co-production has received increasing attention, but studies on developing countries are limited. Therefore, this study conducts an in-depth case study of a rural social work institute in Z village, Beijing, China. Using on-site observations, semi-structured interviews, and secondhand materials, we found that social workers adopted four strategies to engage community officials and rural residents in service co-production. They established trustworthy relationships, facilitated effective communication, fostered shared motivation, and built co-productive capacity. The results showed that nonprofit organizations use third-party roles and professional skills to shape government-citizen interactions through service co-production. These findings can improve rural service provision in developing countries.

Designing for Co-Production in a Territorial Lab for Mental Health

This article explores the co-production of mental health services involving informal actors, patients, and healthcare providers, specifically focusing on the potential of territorial laboratories as experimental spaces for co-producing recovery-oriented services. The research centers on the CoLab Torre Cimabue in the city of Brescia (Italy), where the co-production of mental health and well-being services occurs at the community level, engaging users, family members, local actors, and service providers. Through a thematic analysis of interviews on the experiences within CoLab Torre Cimabue, seven main dimensions emerged, shedding light on the potential role of territorial labs in supporting the co-production of mental healthcare with informal resources. These dimensions encompass informal settings and resources, real-life and recovery-oriented experimentations, tangible and welcoming space, horizontal and equitable relationships, exchange of information and service continuity, omnichannel communication and promotion, and urban regeneration and participation. While the co-design process successfully nurtured a collaborative approach and culture among participants, certain factors have proven indispensable. From these dimensions, the research elaborates on seven pivotal factors—Time, Value, Participation, Co-design, Scale, Space, and Attitude—critical for the co-production of mental healthcare with the active engagement of informal resources, encompassing both service design and service delivery phases. These factors suggest a gap between service design and the service delivery phase, where the actual transformative impact can be generated.

Conceptualising performance in public services co-production: from ideas to measures in neighbourhood watch schemes

PurposeThis paper delves into a pivotal juncture within the co-production literature, intersecting with the ongoing debate about performance challenges in public sector accounting scholarship. It explores how public managers conceive and measure the performance of co-produced public services.Design/methodology/approachA case study is conducted on three instances of neighbourhood watching – that is, a type of collective co-production – in a homogeneous institutional setting. The analysis and interpretation of empirical data are guided by a systematic conceptual space delineating the qualities that performance criteria can take in contexts where public services are produced.FindingsFindings reveal that when the co-production activation is driven by both state and lay actors, public managers tend to conceptualise and measure its performance in a way that contributes to building a more structured co-productive space, where the roles to play, how to interact and what to achieve are clearly defined.Originality/valueThis paper breaks new ground by scrutinising the conceptualisation of performance in settings where public services involve actors beyond traditional public administrations. By exploring the diverse “shapes” and meanings that performance can take in co-production arrangements, this paper enriches discussions on how public sector accounting can inform co-production literature.

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller populations and mental health in the UK: a need for real working together and co-production of services

Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) communities have considerably worse mental health outcomes than the general population and many other ethnic minority groups. We argue that there is a dynamic, interplaying ‘accessibility mismatch’, resulting in a failure of healthcare services to adequately understand and work with GRT communities in a meaningful way. The consequences are limited engagement and poor health outcomes. Contact with services is often at crisis points, such as in forensic services, which reinforces existing prejudice. Research is limited, and therefore so is the evidence base. It is critical that the UK's National Health Service takes a culturally informed approach to co-produce services that are accessible and responsive to GRT communities. Here we offer practical actions that healthcare organisations can undertake to help redress imbalances and increase equity of healthcare outcomes for these overlooked populations.

Commissioning and co-production in health and care services in the United Kingdom and Ireland: An exploratory literature review.

This exploratory literature review seeks to examine the literature around commissioning processes in the co-production of health and care services, focusing on two questions: How do health and care commissioning processes facilitate and/or pose barriers to co-production in service design and delivery? What are the contextual factors that influence these processes? A systematic search of three databases (Medline, Public Health and Social Policy and Practice) and a search platform (Web of Science) was conducted for the period 2008-2023. A total of 2675 records were retrieved. After deduplication, 1925 were screened at title and abstract level. Forty-seven reports from 42 United Kingdom and Ireland studies were included in the review. A thematic synthesis of included studies was conducted in relation to the research questions. The review identified one overarching theme across the synthesised literature: the complexity of the commissioning landscape. Three interconnected subthemes illuminate the contextual factors that influence this landscape: commissioners as leaders of co-production; navigating relationships and the collective voice. Commissioning processes were commonly a barrier to the co-production of health and care services. Though co-production was an aspiration for many commissioners, the political and economic environment and service pressures meant that it was often not fully realised. More flexible funding models, longer-term pilot projects, an increased emphasis in social value across the health and care system and building capacity for strong leadership in commissioning is needed. Patients and the public did not contribute to this review as it was a small piece of work following on from a completed project, with no budget for public involvement.

Neuverteilung von Verantwortung? Brandschutzerziehung als Strategie zur Zukunftssicherung Freiwilliger Feuerwehren

Volunteer firefighters are an established institution in many rural areas across Europe. In spite of this ubiquity, many volunteer brigades have been increasingly facing challenges in discharging their functions. Issues such as undertaking necessary investments, and ensuring daytime availability have become particularly critical against the backdrop of an increase in the number of interventions. Many of the measures intended to futureproof volunteer firefighting are based on transferring responsibility to different actors. To this end developing and expanding the reach of fire safety education functions to enhance the public’s prevention and self-protection skills. The aim of this paper is to explore the process of institutional change induced by innovative initiatives, which aim to advance fire safety education. For the study, we draw on empirical research, which follows the development and mainstreaming of two projects in Austria and Germany. These initiatives aim to standardise disparate approaches and are underpinned by new forms of multi-level cooperation. Our inductive analysis identifies five key steps which define the successful long-term implementation of projects in coproduced services of general interest. We conclude with observations on the redistribution of responsibility for fire services and hazard prevention in contemporary societies.

How Does Homeownership Shape Public Service Coproduction? Evidence from a Public Complaint System in Beijing, China

Homeownership has been widely regarded as a critical determinant of public participation in social science research. However, the role of homeownership in public service coproduction has been under-researched. This study advances a theory of public service coproduction that accounts for the effect of homeownership and its underlying mechanisms by theorizing that homeownership increases coproduction participation by directly motivating individuals to protect their financial investments and indirectly improving their knowledge about government. Original data from a random telephone survey of 2,167 residents conducted in August 2022 in Beijing, China were used to test the hypotheses, and a series of analytical tools (e.g., weighted models, matching, and sensitivity analysis) were used to validate the theorized effects and mechanisms. Results consistently show that homeowners are more likely to report public service complaints to the government than nonowners. These findings have important implications for future theoretical research and practical efforts to promote public service coproduction.

How Does the Government Facilitate the Co-Production of Digital Public Safety Services?—Based on Empirical Evidence from Shenzhen

The application of big data technology provides support for the co-production of public safety services. Existing research often focuses on how technology influences co-production, but lacks attention to the key actors that drive co-production and the mechanisms that facilitate it. This study examines the role of government in the digital co-production of public safety services, using the practice of Shenzhen as a case study. Shenzhen has built 125 information systems based on over 100 billion pieces of big data, forming a model of digital safety service co-production. The study reveals three types of digital co-production, characterized by “government-business joint planning, passive participation of businesses and the public, and active cooperation among government, businesses, and the public” in the “design-production-application” stages. The study shows that the government is not only a co-producer but also a proactive actor in activating the willingness of non-governmental entities to participate. Local governments mobilize non-governmental participation through three mechanisms: empowerment, profit enhancement, and value co-creation. The “power-interest-value” paradigm is applicable for analyzing the co-production of public services and helps to explain the transformation mechanisms of co-production behavior.

Adopting, implementing and assimilating coproduced health and social care innovations involving structurally vulnerable populations: findings from a longitudinal, multiple case study design in Canada, Scotland and Sweden

BackgroundInnovations in coproduction are shaping public service reform in diverse contexts around the world. Although many innovations are local, others have expanded and evolved over time. We know very little, however, about the process of implementation and evolution of coproduction. The purpose of this study was to explore the adoption, implementation and assimilation of three approaches to the coproduction of public services with structurally vulnerable groups.MethodsWe conducted a 4 year longitudinal multiple case study (2019–2023) of three coproduced public service innovations involving vulnerable populations: ESTHER in Jönköping Region, Sweden involving people with multiple complex needs (Case 1); Making Recovery Real in Dundee, Scotland with people who have serious mental illness (Case 2); and Learning Centres in Manitoba, Canada (Case 3), also involving people with serious mental illness. Data sources included 14 interviews with strategic decision-makers and a document analysis to understand the history and contextual factors relating to each case. Three frameworks informed the case study protocol, semi-structured interview guides, data extraction, deductive coding and analysis: the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, the Diffusion of Innovation model and Lozeau’s Compatibility Gaps to understand assimilation.ResultsThe adoption of coproduction involving structurally vulnerable populations was a notable evolution of existing improvement efforts in Cases 1 and 3, while impetus by an external change agency, existing collaborative efforts among community organizations, and the opportunity to inform a new municipal mental health policy sparked adoption in Case 2. In all cases, coproduced innovation centred around a central philosophy that valued lived experience on an equal basis with professional knowledge in coproduction processes. This philosophical orientation offered flexibility and adaptability to local contexts, thereby facilitating implementation when compared with more defined programming. According to the informants, efforts to avoid co-optation risks were successful, resulting in the assimilation of new mindsets and coproduction processes, with examples of how this had led to transformative change.ConclusionsIn exploring innovations in coproduction with structurally vulnerable groups, our findings suggest several additional considerations when applying existing theoretical frameworks. These include the philosophical nature of the innovation, the need to study the evolution of the innovation itself as it emerges over time, greater attention to partnered processes as disruptors to existing power structures and an emphasis on driving transformational change in organizational cultures.

Does cash transfer program improve recipients' social participation? Evidence from low‐income households data in China

AbstractEnhancing social participation among low‐income households has long been regarded as a component of building an inclusive and equitable society. This study examines the association between China's Dibao program and social participation among beneficiaries. Furthermore, it explores the heterogeneous effects between urban and rural groups as well as across age groups. We analyzed panel data from 2015 to 2017 and combined propensity score matching and differences‐in‐differences methods to examine the effects of Dibao on recipients' social participation in participatory governance (PG) service co‐production (SC), and relational participation. This study demonstrates that receiving Dibao greatly enhances beneficiaries' social participation, PG, and SC, but has minimal impact on relational involvement. According to heterogeneity analysis, urban and middle‐aged recipients are significantly affected by Dibao. Future reforms of Dibao and similar welfare programs need to tailor based on geographic differences and demographic diversity to enhance recipients' social participation.

Technology-enabled value co-creation in healthcare: a configurational approach

ABSTRACT Based on the well-recognized multidimensionality of public value and the increasing role of technology in public service co-production, this paper investigates how combinations of the caregivers’ antecedents stemming from the Health Co-Creation Evaluation Framework, can either support or hamper value-in-use co-creation by being empowered in carrying out telemedicine. This article employs a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) of 23 cases and shows different but functionally equivalent configurations of conditions that lead to the co-creation and co-destruction of public value. The findings also reveal practical insights that public managers and policy makers could use to foster the co-creation of public value.

Exploring Interactions in the Co-Production of Social Care Services with Vulnerable Citizens

ABSTRACT ‘This study examines the interactions that occur among researchers, service providers and vulnerable citizens during the co-production of social care services, which is where value is co-created. An in-depth study of co-design and co-assessment workshops with vulnerable citizens revealed that co-production could be reached only at some points of the overall group discussion. Results highlight that vulnerable citizens need time to share and compare their personal experiences and need to be guided in the process by expert facilitators. This study also provides four innovative communicative strategies for supporting the facilitators in involving vulnerable citizens during the co-production of social care services.