Public Value

Good public service delivery is not only about effectiveness and efficiency, it is also about encouraging inclusion and the engagement of all people in shaping and delivering services that meet their needs. It is about building better communities.

Public value failure occurs when neither the market nor the public sector provides the goods and services required to achieve core public values. Irrespective of who delivers the service, the culture and values of the provider must reflect the public ethos in order to achieve added public value and deliver high quality services.

In a democracy, the public defines the value of public services and part of the legitimacy of government rests on how much it adds to the public value. Governments provide public services not only because there is market failure but also to satisfy public preference.

Public services have multiple objectives, including delivering ethical, accountable and inclusive services; efficient outcomes; customer satisfaction; and legitimacy and trust. Unlike private companies in the UK, where shareholder views are often aligned, there may be widely differing preferences concerning public services and delivery, for example on traditional notions of social justice and redistribution.