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Managing Markets for Public Service: The Role of Mixed Public–Private Delivery of City Services
Author(s) -
Warner Mildred E.,
Hefetz Amir
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
public administration review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.721
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1540-6210
pISSN - 0033-3352
DOI - 10.1111/j.1540-6210.2007.00845.x
Subject(s) - service delivery framework , business , transaction cost , competition (biology) , service (business) , new public management , position (finance) , public service , process (computing) , marketing , public sector , public relations , public administration , economics , finance , political science , economy , ecology , computer science , biology , operating system
The privatization experience of U.S. municipalities shows declining use of complete contracts and a dramatic rise in mixed public–private delivery (joint contracting) of city services. The analysis here shows that city managers have recognized the need to move beyond a simple dichotomy between market delivery and public planning to an approach that balances concerns with efficiency, market management, and citizen satisfaction. The New Public Management stresses the importance of competition and efficiency, transaction costs economics emphasizes the challenges of contract management, and New Public Service assigns primary concern to citizen engagement. Nonetheless, city managers see the need to balance all three. The analysis shows the evolution of a middle position where city managers integrate markets with public delivery and give greater attention to citizen satisfaction in the service delivery process.