"This book provides an excellent guide to the current literature on co-production, with especially valuable attention to its management and evaluation. By highlighting the lessons from co-production in the private sector, the authors give very useful and timely new insights into how co-production can contribute to public services and help to improve public value."- Tony Bovaird, Professor of Public Management and Policy (Emeritus), University of Birmingham, UK Coproduction covers the practice in which state actors (for example, government agents) and lay actors (for example, members of the public) work together in any phase of the public service cycle. In the past two decades, the literature of coproduction has grown swiftly, but in a fragmented manner. Thus, this book systematizes the literature on coproduction into a comprehensive framework that tackles activation, management and evaluation, illustrated through empirical examples. It adopts a multi-disciplinary approach, analyzing literature streams such as public administration and policy, public management, business management, and marketing, among others. It will be invaluable reading for academics working on coproduction, public management, and business management.

Public Budgeting in Search for an Identity: State of the Art and Future Challenges provides a state-of-the-art reflection on current trends in international public budgeting, representing an important pillar in the accumulation of knowledge on public sector budgeting processes, contents, evolutions and critical issues. Budgeting is central in public sector organizations. It performs a complex variety of functions, being the arena where multiple actors, cultures and professional identities interact, making it an extremely fascinating field and topic of investigation. There is a significant need and scope for exploring budgeting processes in the public sector today, as a consequence of the managerial waves of reforms that have taken place over the last few decades and the implementation of austerity programmes – as well as in light of current trends, including emerging challenges related to community care and wellbeing, rising inequality, people flows, climate change, pandemics, and the persistence of democratic deficits. The chapters in this volume address critical issues on this broad topic, offering new perspectives on current evolutions in public budgeting, including, among others, participatory budgeting, performance budgeting, the budgetary slack resources and the need to ensure balance between budget control and flexibility. These contributions show that public budgeting can, and must remain, the subject of enduring interest in our studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Public Management Review.

Financial measurement can be difficult, especially in the public sector where accurate and reliable reporting is imperative for public trust, legality, accountability, and long-term sustainability of activities. Measurement in Public Sector Financial Reporting brings together theoretical arguments and empirical evidence to fuel the debate on measurement approaches in public sector financial reporting. Understanding that various dimensions of value need to be explored in order to reveal methods for providing a more comprehensive public sector view, Measurement in Public Sector Financial Reporting presents a constructive and thoughtful analysis of possible valuation methodologies for the public sector context and related peculiarities and critical issues. The chapters consider both theory and practice, providing a holistic showcase for both practitioner and academic viewpoints. The authors develop discussions and consolidate knowledge, providing a substantial contribution to an international debate. This second volume of Emerald Studies in Public Service Accounting and Accountability recognises the unique characteristics of public sector assets, liabilities, and the other elements of financial statements. The views presented in the chapters make the contents useful for those who are involved, interested in, or responsible for the preparation of public sector financial reporting and related standards.

This book examines the various ways in which co-production can contribute to the creation, design, and delivery of public services, namely by engaging the expertise of users and their networks, by promoting public services that are better targeted and more responsive to users, by cutting costs against the background of austerity in public finance, by creating a synergy between government and civil society that will impact positively on social capital, and by addressing the challenges resulting from growing democratic and citizenship deficits. Particular attention is paid to local government and the health and social care sector. After definition of the concept of co-production, the critical issues which arise when public services are co-produced are discussed. Various experiences of co-production are presented and analyzed with a view to highlighting why, how, and with what effect public service co-production may be implemented. Individual chapters focus on the impact of co-production in making cities smarter and the use of ICT in supporting co-production of public services. The book will be of relevance to a wide readership, from students to academics and professionals interested or engaged in public service management.

Public Budgeting in Search for an Identity: State of the Art and Future Challenges provides a state-of-the-art reflection on current trends in international public budgeting, representing an important pillar in the accumulation of knowledge on public sector budgeting processes, contents, evolutions and critical issues. Budgeting is central in public sector organizations. It performs a complex variety of functions, being the arena where multiple actors, cultures and professional identities interact, making it an extremely fascinating field and topic of investigation. There is a significant need and scope for exploring budgeting processes in the public sector today, as a consequence of the managerial waves of reforms that have taken place over the last few decades and the implementation of austerity programmes - as well as in light of current trends, including emerging challenges related to community care and wellbeing, rising inequality, people flows, climate change, pandemics, and the persistence of democratic deficits. The chapters in this volume address critical issues on this broad topic, offering new perspectives on current evolutions in public budgeting, including, among others, participatory budgeting, performance budgeting, the budgetary slack resources and the need to ensure balance between budget control and flexibility. These contributions show that public budgeting can, and must remain, the subject of enduring interest in our studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Public Management Review.