Public sector innovativeness and public values through information and communication technologies

Abstract

In public administration (PA) literature, there are a number of big questions regarding institutional and organizational factors. Competency formation, availability of resources and citizen empowerment [1] are among them. The importance of big questions must not rely on instrumentality; rather should focus on how and whether they have consequences and value for society [2]. The literature also questions “the paradox of publicness” [3, 4] by referring the “special status of public organization” claim of [5] and “publicness theory” of [6]. Given that public organizations have different characteristics with regard to operational processes and organizational structures operating in a particularized environment [7:6], they pursue different ends [5]. Replying to these big questions, we put forward public sector innovation (PSI) and co-creation of public values (PVs) as particularly important when contextual and conditional indicators are at the table. PVs and innovations in government may serve the government to reorganize PA as a whole through producing holistic and long-term strategies to enhance public service delivery system in a multi-actor-environment. For this we need a functional mediator, thus we employ information and communication technologies (ICTs). Through ICT-led tools, various and differentiated stakeholders can meet on a continuous base to frame the collective ground. For governments, ICTs may well be used to realize collaboration, coordination, and co-creation values that would alleviate some of the issues addressed via the big questions.