Public policy development in the Western world has become a complex challenge in which multiple actors are involved (e.g. NGO’s, private companies, but also citizens and civil society organizations). Government is expected... [ view full abstract ]
Public policy development in the Western world has become a complex challenge in which multiple actors are involved (e.g. NGO’s, private companies, but also citizens and civil society organizations). Government is expected not only to collaborate with a wide range of actors in the implementation of policy, but also in the design of policy. As such, policy development has become a process of co-creation between various actors. In order to deal with this increased complexity and to come up with smart solutions for pressing societal issues all kinds of living labs, policy experiments and other ways of ‘learning-by-doing’, gain rapid popularity in public administration (Gascó, 2016). In these various methodological practices, we recognize a revival of ‘design thinking’ in public policy and service delivery (Bason, 2016; Considine, 2012; Cowan, 2012). This is a useful approach to public policy development, since it allows for creativity in policymaking and creates a setting in which prototypes can be developed and tested. Hence, design thinking enables a creative learning process of policymakers in co-creation with actors from government, the private sector and/or civil society (Crosby, ‘t Hart, & Torfing, 2016). An explanation for this revival can be found within the current dominant governance paradigm of New Public Governance (NPG) (Osborne, 2006). In this paradigm, public policy is created within a horizontal network, in which a plurality of actors bring in their own specific resources. Consequently, the design of public policy is by definition a form of co-design.
In this paper we elaborate on this notion of co-design. In our first sections, we examine the need for a design approach in public policy; its origins and challenges. Further, we explore the most important conceptualizations, methods and principles of co-design. In the last section of this paper, we present the main principles and building blocks of a co-design approach for public policy. By doing so, this paper proposes a design approach which is embedded within a broader scope of societal movements and dominant convictions and connects different streams of public administration and public management literature.
Design-led approaches to value creation in public administration
