Why Co-producing Public Services and Public Outcomes with Citizens Is Timely

Abstract

This chapter analyses the growing interest in the concept of user and community co-production in policy, practice and public administration research. The first section focusses on contextual factors at the macro-level, which have promoted co-production of public services and outcomes in OECD countries, including a critical discussion of the role of austerity. We identify the political, economic, social, technological, environmental and legislative macro-drivers of co-production in policy and practice. The second section analyses the evolution of the concept of co-production in public administration research.