The concept of coproduction of public services has captured increased attention as a potential means of increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of local government. In this article we explore the concept of coproduction in an effort to sharpen the definition of that concept and add rigor to our understanding of the effects of coproduction in local service delivery and the processes by which coproductive activity occurs.In recent years, attention to the productive activities of consumers has increased. This attention is most common for service production (Fuchs, 1968;and Garn, et al., 1976 The role of consumers in producing public services has received particular attention. Partly in response to fiscal pressures and partly due to evidence regarding the inefficacy of their own unaided efforts, some public producers are increasing consumer involvement in service production (e.g., community anticrime efforts such as Neighborhood Watch or solid waste collection agencies' replacement of backyard with curbside trash pickup). In other service areas, consumers are demanding an increased role (e.g., parents and students working with groups like PUSH FOR EXCELLENCE to improve education services or the Wellness movement among health service consumers). Most analysts of pub-*This paper results from regular discussion among the several authors that have extended over the past 2 years. Parks took responsibility for getting these ideas on paper at this time.
The value of Police-Community Relations programs as effective crime reduction policy is investigated in 161 American cities.The comparison of high and low PCR-commitment cities over the period 1960 to 1975 with respect to rates of reported crime indicates that the rate of increase in crime has been somewhat lower in cities where a high degree of commitment has been made to PGR training.Evidence is also presented suggesting that the rate of reporting of crime to the police is higher in high PCR cities, a finding which means that the actual impact upon crime of PCR programs might well be even greater than the simple time series comparison of crime rates indicates. FORMATION OF POLICE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICY The Public Service Production Process: A Framework for Analyzing Police ServicesElinor Ostrom, Roger B. Parks, Indiana University Gordon P. Whitaker, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and Stephen L. Percy, Indiana UniversityInterest in evaluation research is rampant in both academic and practitioner communities. This interest stems largely from increased concern about, and frustration with, the functioning of public agencies. Fiscal stringencies and political pressures have forced policy makers to re-examine both priorities and the mechanisms and structures by which policies are implemented.Careful and complete evaluation of the performance of a public agency (or even part of its performance) is, however, no easy task. Probably the greatest hindrance to evaluating the performance of public agencies is the problem of identifying and measuring an agency's output and its effects upon community conditions. Yet, we must be able to specify what is being produced and how it is being produced to evaluate agency performance.In this article a model of the public service production process is presented and applied to the case of police service delivery. The model identifies a "production flow" through which organizational arrangements structure inputs into activities that produce outputs and outcomes. With a model of this type, the components of the production process may be identified and their impact on performance traced. Only with greater comprehension of the process by which public services are produced can we hope to accurately evaluate public agencies.
Procedures intended to provide accountability in relationships between governments and nonprofit organizations often focus on ways to catch and punish mistakes rather than on ways to improve service to the public. Usually, this is because the parties create their expectations for the relationship independently. However, many public services can be improved if governments and nonprofits work together to learn what needs to be done to address public needs more effectively. Mutual accountability involves key stakeholders in dialogue to determine responsibilities, authorize discretion, establish reporting procedures, and create review processes for the relationship. Mutual accountability requires extra time and effort but may be appropriate when the parties are unclear about how best to address public problems and when they have altruistic values.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.