Institutionalizing innovation in welfare local services through co-production: toward a Neo-Weberian State?

Abstract

Innovative practices based on the involvement of citizens as co-producers of welfare local services have been increasingly adopted by the public sector to effectively tackle emerging social problems. Despite the development in the literature on this subject, recent studies still do not clearly indicate which are the challenges for the institutionalization of such practices. By applying a governance lens to the analysis of co-production of local public services, this article aims to contribute to bridging this gap through the empirical analysis of the childcare experience in four European cities. More in detail, it debates the concepts of co-production and innovation in public service delivery within the context of the different waves of public administration reforms; and it investigates how three different sets of conditions – namely, state support and capacity; organizational cultures which support innovation; and integration with facilitative technologies – integrate to facilitate or hinder the institutionalization of co-production initiatives. The findings show that the enabling role of the state actor is a sine qua non to guarantee an institutionalization of these practices, particularly concerning the promotion of trust-building processes. Doing so, the article contributes to the international debate about the possible co-existing of the paradigms of public administration that are arising in the last decades to remedy the problems with the New Public Management; and it provides professionals working in public management and administration with key policy recommendations for the elaboration of new governance systems for the provision of social and welfare services.

Street‐level bureaucrats as policy entrepreneurs and collaborators: Findings from Israel and Germany

“…These trends have led to a growing emphasis on coproduction and collaboration governance (Campomori & Casula, 2022; Kekez et al, 2019; Lahat et al, 2021). Collaboration has many definitions and includes diverse modes of governance (Emerson, 2018; Lahat et al, 2021; Stout & Keast, 2021).…”

Gestión pública y desarrollo del sector educativo y de salud de la Región Amazonas, Perú

“…Se entiende por gestión pública al conjunto de lineamientos orientados a la coordinación y motivación de los trabajadores con la finalidad de lograr metas individuales y sociales (Kim & Ryu, 2017;Kirk, Brower, & Duncan, 2017;Matei & Antonie, 2014); teniendo en cuenta las restricciones políticas y jurídicas de la actividad estatal (García et al, 2022;Sánchez, 2007). Sin embargo, los lineamientos tradicionales de la gestión pública no son suficientes para solucionar los diferentes problemas que demanda la población; por esto, es necesario que la gestión sea de calidad que busca la satisfacción de los clientes (Amaya et al, 2020:632;Campomori & Cásula, 2022). Por consiguiente, una gestión pública de calidad se enfoca en la administración eficaz y eficiente de los recursos del Estado (Brânzaş & Radu, 2015;Kairouz et al, 2016); con el fin de satisfacer las necesidades de la ciudadanía e impulsar el desarrollo del País (Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe [CEPAL], 2014); es decir, la correcta gestión de las intervenciones públicas permite mejorar los niveles de educación, salud, empleo y, por ende, mejorar la calidad de vida de las personas (Alonso et al, 2015;Enders & Westerheijden, 2014;Kurunmäki, 2009).…”