Poster #23 - Co-production in Public Service Design: Explore What Impacts Citizen’s Willingness

• In Event: Friday Poster Reception

Abstract

Why do some citizens enthusiastically step forward to help contribute their thoughts to improve public services, while others stay on the sidelines, even when invited? As governments increasingly turn to co-production to improve service legitimacy and responsiveness, understanding what drives or deters citizen engagement in early-stage design processes has never been more critical. This research investigates how governance structures and symbolic representativeness influence citizens' willingness to participate in public service co-design. Co-production, particularly in its co-design phase, is gaining attention as a strategy to shift citizens from passive recipients to active partners in shaping services that reflect their needs and values (Brandsen & Honingh, 2016; Blomkamp, 2018). Yet, despite widespread interest, meaningful citizen involvement remains uneven, and significant questions persist about the institutional conditions that best support inclusive participation.

The study draws on representative bureaucracy theory and collaborative governance literature to explore two institutional design features: symbolic representativeness—the extent to which public officials reflect the demographics of the communities they serve (Riccucci & Van Ryzin, 2017)—and governance structure, or how decision-making power is distributed between citizens and officials (Ansell & Gash, 2008). While each factor has been studied in isolation, their interaction in co-design settings remains underexplored. To address this, the study uses a survey experiment with a 3×3 factorial design. Governance structure (hierarchical, collaborative-consultative, citizen-led) and symbolic representativeness (low, medium, high) are systematically varied in recruitment materials for a hypothetical co-design program. A stratified random sample of 1,500 residents from a diverse mid-sized U.S. city was selected. The materials were professionally designed to reflect realistic scenarios, and the dependent variable—willingness to participate—was measured through behavioral intention, scaled questions, and open-ended responses.

Preliminary findings reveal that symbolic representativeness has a strong positive effect on willingness to participate. Citizens are more likely to engage when they see demographic similarities with program officials, supporting theories of psychological identification and institutional trust (Gade & Wilkins, 2013). Collaborative-consultative governance structures also produce higher participation intentions than hierarchical models, reinforcing the importance of power-sharing and mutual influence (Emerson et al., 2012). Most importantly, the study finds a significant interaction effect: the positive influence of representativeness is most pronounced in collaborative governance contexts. This suggests that representational cues are more impactful when paired with institutional structures that allow real citizen influence, confirming predictions that governance context conditions the effect of symbolic representation (Hong, 2020).

Findings also reveal disparities in engagement. Citizens with higher socioeconomic status, prior civic experience, and greater trust in government are more responsive, pointing to structural inequities that must be addressed in designing participatory processes. By providing causal evidence on how institutional design shapes willingness to co-design, this research offers theoretical contributions to public administration and practical insights for administrators striving to build more inclusive, participatory, and democratically legitimate service systems.

Author

• Nancy Jiaxin WU, University at Albany
  Presenting Author