This paper addresses forensic science service, and its main goal is to argue that considering forensic science activities as a service operations process that takes place in an interorganizational network might increase the impartiality of the Criminal Justice system delivered to its main customers. The service in Minas Gerais/BRA State was taken as a case study. We analyzed the value of this service from the perspective of the customers and the necessary resources to deliver it. The results indicate that, as it is conceived, this service includes the production of evidences that link the suspect to the crime scene contributing to clarify an event. The value of the service necessarily takes into account that everyone has a right of access to justice, especially the excluded strata. It was also evaluated the dimension of social inclusion which, in this service, means to support crime investigation without being embarrassing or harassing suspects. We conclude that the Forensic Science service is a means to practice and improve the impartiality of Justice as a value and that the forensic scientist competence is the main resource to reach it. This paper encourages reflections about the difficulties of applying service management concepts to a public organization characterized by the diversity of customers and by its fluid and poorly defined, although important, value such as the Criminal Justice system.
Forensic science; Public services value; Public services operations management
