Public services management and co-production: a necessity, a fashion or a new public service ethos?

This paper aims at investigating the drivers of user/citizen involvement in the public service provision, the formal and informal co-production structures, the roles played by public managers in order to support co-production. We study the case of Lombardy Region (Italy) that is experiencing co-production of services for autistic people. This case allows us to analyze co-production across all the stages of the service cycle. Indeed, both users and public and third sector organizations are involved in the process of co-design, co-decision, co-delivery and co-assessment of the services for autistic people. Preliminary results of this case have revealed that co-production impacts on the role of public managers, citizens and politicians, whereas organizational processes and management techniques are not affected.