Monday, July 21, 2008
Co-production: A manifesto for growing the core economy
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The term 'co-production' was coined originally at the University of Indiana in the 1970s when Professor Elinor Ostrom was asked to explain to the Chicago police why the crime rate went up when the police came off the beat and into patrol cars. She used the term as a way of explaining why the police need the community as much as the community need the police. It was used again in the UK by Anna Coote and others at the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) and the King's Fund to explain why doctors need patients as much as patients need doctors and that, when that relationship is forgotten, both sides fail.
It was then developed and deepened by Professor Edgar Cahn, the Washington civil rights lawyer, who has written the foreword nef's manifesto for growing the core economy. He used it to explain how important neighbourhood level support systems are - families and communities - and how they can be rebuilt. Cahn recognised that this is economic activity, but in the broadest sense. As far back as Aristotle, philosophers have understood that these critical family and community relationships were a second economy, originally called oekonomika. Economists have since demoted it by calling it the non-market economy. The environmental economist Neva Goodwin reversed the hierarchy by calling it the 'core economy'.
Co-production points to ways in which we can rebuild and reinvigorate this core economy and realise its potential. nef's manifesto shows how public services can play a part in making it happen. nef's manifesto charts the development of co-production, its growth in the UK, and sets out a ten point plan for what will be, in effect, the biggest revolution in social policy since William Beveridge introduced the welfare state.
Download PDF
The term 'co-production' was coined originally at the University of Indiana in the 1970s when Professor Elinor Ostrom was asked to explain to the Chicago police why the crime rate went up when the police came off the beat and into patrol cars. She used the term as a way of explaining why the police need the community as much as the community need the police. It was used again in the UK by Anna Coote and others at the Institute for Public Policy Research (ippr) and the King's Fund to explain why doctors need patients as much as patients need doctors and that, when that relationship is forgotten, both sides fail.
It was then developed and deepened by Professor Edgar Cahn, the Washington civil rights lawyer, who has written the foreword nef's manifesto for growing the core economy. He used it to explain how important neighbourhood level support systems are - families and communities - and how they can be rebuilt. Cahn recognised that this is economic activity, but in the broadest sense. As far back as Aristotle, philosophers have understood that these critical family and community relationships were a second economy, originally called oekonomika. Economists have since demoted it by calling it the non-market economy. The environmental economist Neva Goodwin reversed the hierarchy by calling it the 'core economy'.
Co-production points to ways in which we can rebuild and reinvigorate this core economy and realise its potential. nef's manifesto shows how public services can play a part in making it happen. nef's manifesto charts the development of co-production, its growth in the UK, and sets out a ten point plan for what will be, in effect, the biggest revolution in social policy since William Beveridge introduced the welfare state.
Labels: coproduction "Public services"
ServINNo
Service Innovation in the Nordic Countries Key Factors for Policy Design
The ServINNo project explores innovation processes in Nordic service firms and how policy can be designed to promote service innovation in the Nordic countries. The aim of the project is to identify appropriate service innovation policies based on in-depth analysis of innovation activities in Nordic service firms.
Read more about the project here
Over recent years, interest towards service innovation policy has been growing simultaneously with the economic weight and significance of services. At the same time, service related policies have remained relatively underdeveloped in many member states. However, recent developments provide indications that services are emerging as a high priority area in innovation policy strategies in many Nordic countries.
The research report, Mapping Service Innovation Policy in the Nordic Countries, by Jari Kuusisto provides a synthesis of the 11 policy mapping studies carried out by the innovation policy project in services (IPPS) and the Nordic Innovation Centre (NICE) ServINNo project.
The general purpose of the document is to analyse and disseminate information on the current state of the service innovation policy. The report has two more specific objectives. First, it seeks to advance the knowledge on innovation policies targeted at service related innovations. Secondly, it seeks to offer up-to date information for the policy makers on the challenges and opportunities related to service innovation policy design and delivery.
Service Innovation in the Nordic Countries Key Factors for Policy Design
The ServINNo project explores innovation processes in Nordic service firms and how policy can be designed to promote service innovation in the Nordic countries. The aim of the project is to identify appropriate service innovation policies based on in-depth analysis of innovation activities in Nordic service firms.
Read more about the project here
Over recent years, interest towards service innovation policy has been growing simultaneously with the economic weight and significance of services. At the same time, service related policies have remained relatively underdeveloped in many member states. However, recent developments provide indications that services are emerging as a high priority area in innovation policy strategies in many Nordic countries.
The research report, Mapping Service Innovation Policy in the Nordic Countries, by Jari Kuusisto provides a synthesis of the 11 policy mapping studies carried out by the innovation policy project in services (IPPS) and the Nordic Innovation Centre (NICE) ServINNo project.
The general purpose of the document is to analyse and disseminate information on the current state of the service innovation policy. The report has two more specific objectives. First, it seeks to advance the knowledge on innovation policies targeted at service related innovations. Secondly, it seeks to offer up-to date information for the policy makers on the challenges and opportunities related to service innovation policy design and delivery.
