We examine the potential of co-production to enhance or obstruct the realization of public values by analyzing what value tensions co-producers experience and what coping strategies they follow. In-depth study of a social care initiative in Flanders shows that co-production enhances the realization of values relating to services delivered, relationships between public servants and citizens, and the democratic quality of the service delivery process. However, public servants and citizen co-producers experience tensions between values, such as efficiency, individual freedom of co-producers, reciprocity, and inclusion. In trying to deal with these value tensions public servants are found to follow a variety of coping strategies, whereas citizen co-producers tend to escalate tensions or avoid coping with them. The type of coping strategy followed, however, influences if and what values are ultimately represented in the service delivery process and its results.

Purpose The temporary use of vacant spaces as a format to co-produce public services is becoming popular. Research addressing the question of whether the public outcomes created in temporary co-production lead to sustainable results is lacking. The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential sustainability of public outcomes created through temporary co-production. Design/methodology/approach The paper builds on the literature on creating sustainable outcomes in policy making and on co-production to design a theoretical framework that captures the sustainable co-production of public outcomes. Attention is directed to problem solving and capacity building, and to addressing the needs of society today and being responsive to the needs of tomorrow. A study of 8 temporary initiatives set in a large city in Flanders and 35 in-depth interviews with public servants, project coordinators and citizen co-producers provide empirical data for this exploratory study of the creation of sustainable outcomes in temporary co-production. Findings The data indicate that lasting collaborations, institutionalized (flexible) processes and empowered citizens support the creation of sustainable results from temporary co-production. Originality/value The paper bridges the literature on policy capacity, the co-production of public services and value creation. By doing so, the paper sheds light on the temporary use of vacant spaces as a way to effectively create outcomes. In addition, the paper addresses the paradox of temporary co-production and the creation of lasting outcomes. Finally, the framework presented offers a tool for analysts and practitioners to take into account various conditions for co-production to create lasting effects.

The article investigates the substantive and dimensional aspect of advisers’ policy work in the cabinets of European Commissioners. Advisers’ roles are mapped using Connaughton's (2010a) typology of four adviser types and Maley's (2015) framework of three arenas. Using data collected via a survey and follow‐up face‐to‐face interviews with European Commissioner cabinet advisers in the Juncker Commission in 2015, it is shown that the majority of those agents perform policy coordination and political bodyguard functions. They are both policy managers who steer policy and political bodyguards who mind the Commissioner. It is also their core work responsibility to be highly active across three arenas: orientate and mobilize officials in the Directorate Generals, coordinate policy across Commissioner cabinets, and build political support through consulting and bargaining with external stakeholders. European Commissioner cabinet advisers are individual agents active within a variant of the ministerial cabinet system tradition.