The co-production spectrum
Conceptual blurs in theory and practice
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15748735 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Maeve Curtin (0000-0002-7441-1449, Glasgow Caledonian University, corresponding author), Caitlin Mcmullin (0000-0002-7029-9998, Roskilde University) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 144-157 |
| Publication date | 2025-05-07 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Perspectives on Public Management and Governance (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2398-4910 • E-ISSN: 2398-4929 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1093/ppmgov/gvaf008 |
| OpenAlex | W4410216934 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 29 |
Although there is an important body of work that aims to define the conceptual boundaries between co-production, co-creation, and related terms, there is often a significant mismatch between scholarly definitions and how these practices and processes are described by practitioners. Drawing upon research from Australia, England, France, Quebec, and Scotland, we analyze the narratives and discourses of co-production/ co-creation. This article highlights how practitioner terminology often diverges from more mainstream and accepted scholarly definitions of dominant “co-” concepts, with different terminology used between the five contexts to differentially focus on collaboration between organizations or between citizens and professionals, and divergence between a focus on design/ planning of services or delivery/ implementation. Simultaneously, there is convergence around arguments for engaging in these collaborative processes and norms attached to them. This article argues that focusing on the underpinning norms for collaborative engagement instead of the overt terminological labels ascribed to these processes will more productively advance public management theory. The article thus makes an important contribution to our understanding of concepts along a non-linear co-production spectrum and offers other narrative and discursive lenses through which they might be studied
Business · Economics · Microeconomics · Physics · Production (economics · Production theory · Spectrum (functional analysis · Business Strategy and Innovation · Innovation and Knowledge Management · Public Policy and Administration Research
From Participation to Co-production
Engaging Public Sector Clients
From public service-dominant logic to public service logic
Definitions of Co-Production and Co-Creation
Strengthening political leadership and policy innovation through the expansion of collaborative forms of governance
A Systematic Review of Co-Creation and Co-Production
Equitable Deliberative Participation Design
Progressing the Conceptualization of Value Co-creation in Public Service Organizations
Understanding co-production as a new public governance tool
Social Economy in the Co‐construction of Public Policy
Co-production and Third Sector Social Services in Europe
Coproduction and the third sector in France
Public Choice
How to systematically analyze co‐production to inform future policies? Introducing 5Ws of co‐production
The Third Sector, User Involvement and Public Service Reform
Discourse as a Strategic Resource
Using thematic analysis in psychology
The Big Questions of Public Management
Varieties of Participation in Public Services
Making Sense of Stories
Beyond Engagement and Participation
Crossing the great divide
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 5 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |