Co-production as an interpretative framework in the creation of value in public services

Co-production is an important strand of the current public services reform agenda across the world. Several authors and institutions argued that co-production concept has the potential to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of public services becoming a key response to the need for the reform of public services. Moreover co-production can be a way to co-create public value. Nevertheless the growing body of literature, coproduction continues to be a multifaceted and not strongly definite concept with some shortcomings. One of the main gap regards the lack of studies that address the outcomes of the co-production process. There is a dominance of studies dedicated at the identification of influential factors or at the conceptualization of different co-production types showing that most academics aimed their study at the co-creation/co-production process rather than their outcomes. This paper aims at filling this gap by proposing a methodological pathway, composed by 6 steps, to evaluate the impact of co-production on outcomes. The six step are presented and, then mastered trough an application to a concrete case. The application regard the separate collection service. We tested the presence of a relation between the propensity of municipalities toward coproduction and a measure of effectiveness. Results showed Municipalities with an higher attitude to enhance citizen’s co-production reaching better recycling achievements.