Co-Production and the Third Sector in the 21st Century

This chapter talks about the contribution of co-production for managing public services, and argues the legitimacy of the public sector and renewing democracy. It argues that co-production and the third sector together comprise a new model of democratic governance that can readily complement representative democracy rather than replace it by populism in the 21st century. Today, leading scholars of international public management note that co-production has become one of the cornerstones of public policy reforms worldwide. Co-production is a central concept in New Public Governance and an essential part of a broader framework to provide a new theory for public service management. The chapter considers the implications of participatory public service management. The concepts of co-production, democratic governance and participatory public service management share the common vision of a new role for citizens in the provision of welfare services. It also presents some of the key concepts discussed this book.