New Public Governance (Co-governance, Co-production & Co-construction)

 New Public Governance (2006 Osborne)

It is the latest concept on public administration which deems to manage public interest innovatively and guides governance to be more public oriented. It is not only the principle of public management but also the new framework of governance. It emphasizes on participation of multiple stakeholders in governance and welfare services. 

It is a management philosophy used by government and semi-government since 2000s to modernize the public sector and to correct some of the mistakes that new public management has caused. NPG is also known as post NPM or digital era governance. The new public governance is rooted in network theory, institutional theory and forms the synthesis of collision between the Weberian bureaucracy and new public management of the 80s. The core focus is cooperation, coordination and participation of the various fragmented services. It also addresses joint up government, public private partnership and digitalization. The concept of NPG covers many management concepts such as polycentric governance, electronic governance, multi-level governance, global governance, regional governance and organizational governance. NPG is an administrative model having pluralistic governance body, which includes government, private sector, non-profit organization and a series of social groups consulted and negotiated to adopt to the changing social affairs.

Some of the important points are

a. It emphasizes the importance of taking a collaborative approach with partners.

b. The movement emphasized the trust and legitimacy building characteristics of public governance.

c. NPG is value centered. It argues role of government is to promote public good.

d. It facilitates the generation of agreement among wide ranging stakeholders.

e. It views creation of public good as coproduction process involving public, private markets and non-profit sectors.

f. It deems to create comprehensive and complex social network.

g. Role of social public organization is given priority.

h. Creation of network governance which is based upon exchange of resources, faith and consistency of agreement.

i. NPM is interested in using private & non-profit sectors to deliver a service effectively and efficiently while NPG is interested in enhancing capacity of local organization as a means of building civic infrastructure.

j. NPG bridges communitarian aspects of non-profit sector with the aspects of market model.

	TPA	NPM	NPS	NPG
Values orientation	Adherence to rules & process	Efficiency	Democracy	Democracy and efficiency
Theoretical basis	Bureaucratic system, political and administrative principles	Economic theory, management ideology of private sector	Democratic governance, Human factor in organization, postmodern administrative theory	Contract virtues, collectivism
Behavior	Politics administration dichotomy	Outsourcing of public service Roll back of state	Productivity Serving	Multi centered government
Epistemology	institutional	Positivism	Humanism	Collectivism

Contribution of NPG

a. It established new approach on research & development of public administration.

b. It provided positive impact on reform of government and in improvement of the practices adopted by government.

c. It provided important contribution of development and extension of public governance network.

d. It has ended the monopoly of government and enhanced the engagement of other stakeholders.

e. It established open service network.

f. It established the experimental practices in government management.

g. NPG has motivated the use of new values & principle in study & research of Public administration.

Problems of NPG

a. No clear responsibility and accountability (Abstractness)

b. Social networks focus on pluralism which makes difficult to take decision and solve the problem.

c. Has deepened the paradox on role of citizen and government.

Context of NPG in Nepal

a. It requires absolute democracy in governance endeavors. It is difficult to adopt this context unless democratic value and norms are internalized.

b. Formality and authentication play major role in current bureaucratic system in Nepal. Under the traditional culture of administration, it is difficult to localize the NPG.

c. NPG has transformed the role of government from leader to coordinator. In this context, government should decrease its executive power and for the common interest agreement and coordination should be established with other bodies.

d. Social organizations should be reinforced for the internalization of NPG. Social organization behaves as a bridge between citizen and government. Thus, social organization should be incorporated in public governance network.

Co-governance

Governance is the act or process of governing or overseeing the control and direction of something (of the country or organization). It is the means for decision and action. Co-governance is the participatory management in which decisions are made at the lowest level possible by recognizing the decision of each member equitably.

Co-governance is mainly focused upon collaborative method. It requires consumers participation in public service delivery. The engagement of consumers and suppliers has positive impact on service delivery. With the engagement of service provider & client, it will make service compatible and addresses the mutual interest, goal and problem.

Beliefs

a. Communities are capable to make rules for the management of their own resources.

b. For the equitable distribution and consumption of resources, governance unit at local level has necessary experience.

Goals

a. Make governance system participative and ensure equitable distribution of profit.

b. To brings holistic effectiveness in governance system through Common notion, common accountability and collaboration.

c. Ensure participation of stakeholders in decision making to strengthen the democracy.

Forms of Co-governance

a. Collaboration and Cooperation

b. Public private partnership

c. Networking

Strategies to promote co-governance

• To build good relation.

• Readiness for cooperation, listen to one another, understand the notion of each other and reach to the agreement

 Identify group/individual with ample experience, capability

 Common understanding on collaboration, ready for cooperation, identify common goals of stakeholder

 Specific plan and process for cooperation & collaboration and method of concluding decision

 Provide authority of decision and specific roles & responsibility

 Ensure agile & efficient financial management

 Inform public about achievement and update the information timely

Co-construction and co-production of public services

Concept

It emphasizes the partnership between citizen and government. The main concept is that, for the valuable outcome, joint practice & engagement between government and public is inevitable. Either government or citizen can’t manage necessary resources and tackle with the challenges efficiently and effectively.

What is with government?

 Policy, rules/regulation, leadership, vision and mandate

 Capital

 Knowledge and skills based on the expertise and institution

 Authority, time and labor of civil servants

 Public resource

 Legitimacy

What is with citizens?

 Knowledge, skills, understanding and will power

 Motivation & aspiration

 Social relation with family and society

 Individual capital

 Individual resources

With the synthesis of resource of government and people, quality of production, distribution and consumption will be ensured which is the basic concept of coproduction and co-construction. It increases the quality, sense of ownership and service satisfaction among the people.

Benefits

a. Contribution of society in public service delivery.

b. Improvement in results

c. Ensures quality

d. Strengthen social relations

e. Sense of public ownership

f. Reciprocity

g. Active partnership

h. Value for money

Issues and Debates

a. Is it possible to engage all consumers? What will be the role of service consumers?

b. Organization structure of service providers? Position of citizen in organogram

c. Relation between experts and people in co-production.

d. Interest, will and efficiency of people involved in co-production

e. Law formulation, prevalent laws and need of amendment in laws.

f. Relation between public expenditure and co-production

Partnership in co-production and co-construction

a. Choice and Control

b. Peer support

c. Incentive partnership

d. Professional culture

e. Reciprocal (mutual interdependency and coexistence)

f. Trust building