Networked Coproduction of Public Services in Virtual Communities: From a Government-Centric to a Community Approach to Public Service Support

Research on and practical attention for the coproduction of public services is increasing. Coproduction is seen as a way to strengthen the quality and legitimacy of public service and reduce costs. Scholarship on coproduction of public services repeatedly ignores the role of the new media. This is surprising since many proponents highlight its potential for changing traditional, government-centric approaches to delivering public services. This article shows that digital communities form an important addition to the government-centric form of public service provision since they foster both an exchange of experiential information and social-emotional support.