Integrating Social Responsibility of business, civil society and government: new perspectives on measuring public value

This paper aims to offer a set of preliminary answers to the question of how governments themselves should shape policy-making, performance measurement and reporting in order to improve the social responsibility of non profit organizations and business. The paper describes a case study based on a five-year research project that involved a regional government in Italy. The initiative focused on encouraging and supporting local leaders in government, business and civil society to develop and to share the Region's public value reporting as a common resource. Following a brief discussion about 'public value' and the 'social responsibility' of organizations, the paper describes how participating actors framed social responsibility in a multi-sector context and across government layers. Implications for public management and governance are then discussed.