Collaborative city-building, symbolizing public value and citizen engagement.

Public Value Revolution: How Managers are Redefining Success in Democracy

Theo Raines in Politics & Policy June 2025 • 4 min read.

"Deliberative democracy and the evolving role of public managers in shaping a better society."

The concept of 'public value' is not new, but its understanding remains fragmented. Answers vary, ranging from academic theories to practical management approaches. This exploration examines how public managers are key in shaping and delivering public value in a deliberative democracy.

Traditionally, public value was determined by elected officials and senior managers. The modern approach emphasizes engaging citizens to shape public services, ensuring these services meet societal needs and reflect democratic ideals. This shift requires public managers to be more responsive and proactive in understanding public preferences.

The rise of 'new public management' (NPM) sought to address the inefficiencies of traditional public administration. However, NPM's market-oriented approaches sometimes overlooked the importance of collective citizen preferences. The current focus on public value aims to correct this by emphasizing co-production and downward accountability to users, recognizing them as citizens, not just consumers.

What Does 'Public Value' Really Mean?

Collaborative city-building, symbolizing public value and citizen engagement.

Public value has several interpretations. Academically, Mark Moore (1995) sees it as a framework for guiding public enterprises, developing diagnostic tools, and identifying interventions to exploit circumstances. Practically, it is twofold: defining the ultimate purpose of managerial action and providing a system for managers to define and pursue public value.

Distinctive public services involve citizens' rights authorized and funded democratically. Moore insists that public value requires distinguishing between users as consumers and as citizens. This means balancing individual needs with the broader good of society, ensuring services are not just efficient but also equitable and beneficial for all.

Academic Perspective: A framework for guiding public enterprises, emphasizing strategic action.
Historical Context: A reaction to new public management, focusing on co-production and accountability.
Rhetorical Device: A rallying cry for reinvigorating public services and collective processes.
Governance Classification: Associated with networked governance, emphasizing co-production.
Economic Correlate: The public sector equivalent of private consumer value, seeking quantification and monetization.

Public value also serves as a rhetorical device, mobilizing institutions to respond to and involve the public. It acts as a classification of governance, contrasting hierarchical models with networked governance that emphasizes co-production between service providers and users.

Moving Forward: Empowering Public Managers for Democratic Success

The theory of public value offers a pathway to overcome both the democratic deficit and the delivery paradox. By focusing on authorization, creation, and measurement, public managers can enhance public services. Engaging citizens, understanding their needs, and ensuring accountability are vital steps in delivering public value and strengthening democracy. Public managers must see citizens not merely as consumers, but as active participants in shaping a better society.

About this Article -

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This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.1007/978-0-230-36431-8_6, Alternate LINK

Title: Public Value, Deliberative Democracy And The Role Of Public Managers

Journal: Public Value

Publisher: Macmillan Education UK

Authors: Louise Horner, Will Hutton

Published: 2011-01-01

Everything You Need To Know

What are the different interpretations of 'public value'?

Public value is understood in a fragmented way. Academically, Mark Moore defines it as a framework for guiding public enterprises. From a practical management perspective, it serves to define the purpose of managerial actions and provides a system for managers to pursue and define public value. It's also seen as a reaction to new public management, emphasizing co-production and accountability, and is rhetorically used to mobilize institutions for public involvement.

How does the focus on 'public value' correct the shortcomings of 'new public management'?

New Public Management (NPM) aimed to fix inefficiencies in public administration using market-oriented approaches. However, NPM sometimes ignored collective citizen preferences. Public value corrects this by focusing on co-production and accountability to users as citizens. It ensures services are efficient, equitable, and beneficial for society, balancing individual needs with the broader public good.

How can public managers contribute to strengthening democracy through the delivery of 'public value'?

Public managers must balance authorization, creation, and measurement to improve public services. They need to engage citizens, understand their needs, and ensure accountability. This approach strengthens democracy by including citizens in shaping a better society, rather than treating them solely as consumers.

What is the role of public managers in a deliberative democracy when it comes to shaping 'public value'?

Deliberative democracy emphasizes citizen engagement to shape public services that meet societal needs and reflect democratic ideals. Public managers play a crucial role in this process by being responsive and proactive in understanding public preferences and balancing them with the broader public good. This approach contrasts with traditional methods where public value was determined solely by elected officials and senior managers.

Why is it important to distinguish between users as 'consumers' versus 'citizens' in the context of public services and 'public value' according to Mark Moore?

Mark Moore emphasizes distinguishing between users as consumers and as citizens. Services should not only be efficient but also equitable and beneficial for all. Balancing individual needs with the broader needs of society is vital. This ensures that public services address the overall well-being of the community, reinforcing citizen rights authorized and funded democratically.