Conceptual reflections on co-production of public policies and directions for future research

Abstract

Co-production has been pointed out as the main topic in public administration over the last decade, due to the fact that the delivery of many public services depends on the active participation of users. This approach however is still not used to its full potential because of the fragmentation and lack of systematization of the concepts presented in the literature on co-production. This study aims to contribute in this sense, identifying and discussing the elements that might form a more robust and integrated conceptual framework, supporting the research and practice on co-production in public policy. The literature review is based on the classic research produced on the subject, which has set the guidelines for the literature on co-production over the last 40 years. By systematizing and discussing the relevant concepts, this study intends to identify the relationships existing among them, as well as the potential for new interrelationships. Thus the main contribution of this article is to identify the concepts of co-production that are found in theoretical framework and point out the relationships among them. The discussion provided suggests a broad and rich agenda for future research on co-production.

Keywords:
Agenda; Co-production; Social participation; Public policy.