Co-Production Under the Financial Crisis and Austerity: A Means of Democratizing Public Services or a Race to the Bottom?

The involvement of users in the co-production of public services is of increasing importance as fiscal and financial crises put pressure on public spending in many countries around the world. The role of co-production in public policy is also important as it creates opportunities for users' empowerment through their greater involvement in the key aspects of services on which they rely. However, there are practical and conceptual limitations to co-production. Citizens normally lack the training and experience to perform specialized services, and the substitution of paid personnel with voluntary efforts means that some of the costs are transferred to co-producers themselves . Co-production and users taking over public services under the financial crisis and austerity, might usher in a new era of democratizing public services or instigate a race to the bottom. This short article highlights the need for broadening and deepening our knowledge of the various forms of co-production, in order to understand the conditions for potentially transformative effects of co-production on the participants and policy environment. In conclusion, I argue that examining the new emerging forms of co-production, including those that promote different social goals and alternative ways of organizing, might provide an answer to questions about the future of public services.