Designing Public Policy for Co-Production: Theory, Practice and Change - Paperback

by Catherine Durose (Author), Liz Richardson (Author)

This important book is a response to crises of public policy. Offering an original contribution to a growing debate, the authors argue that traditional technocratic ways of designing policy are inadequate to cope with increasingly complex challenges, and suggest co-production as a more democratic alternative. Drawing on 12 compelling international contributions from practitioners, policy makers, activists and actively engaged academics, ideas of power are used to explore how genuine democratic involvement in the policy process from those outside the elites of politics can shape society for the better. The authors present insights on why and how to generate change in policy processes, arguing for increased experimentation in policy design. The book will be a valuable resource for researchers and students in public policy, public administration, sociology and politics.

Author Biography

Catherine Durose is senior lecturer in the Institute of Local Government Studies (INLOGOV) at the University of Birmingham, UK. Her work analyses the practices and politics of relationships between the state, communities and citizens. Liz Richardson is senior lecturer in politics at the University of Manchester, UK. Her work is dedicated to experimenting with how academics, practitioners and citizens can develop more democratic and participatory ways of doing politics.