Public Value: Theory and Practice

Since Mark H. Moore published his seminal book Creating Public Value, public value has become an essential frame of reference for policymakers and managers around the world. It has enabled academics and practitioners to make better sense of the complex issues facing governments, citizens and communities, and to lead and manage public and voluntary services more effectively. However, the political, economic and social environment is changing dramatically and today's public leaders and managers are under pressure not only to deliver more for less but also to engage more actively with citizens and civil society.

This new text provides a concise and internationalized reformulation of the public value approach and of its significance in this changed context. It answers the critiques of the original thesis and shows how this approach can help public managers to respond proactively to the challenges of austerity, as well as to lead improvement and innovation in conjunction with citizens and communities.

Authors from around the world assess the impact of public value in different countries and take the analysis beyond the US context of Moore's original book. Public value theory is applied to a range of policy areas - including education, health and social policy - and to issues like participatory democracy and public leadership.

John Benington is Emeritus Professor of Public Policy and Management at Warwick University's Business School in the UK, where he has led its work on governance and public management for over twenty years.
Mark H. Moore is the Hauser Professor of Nonprofit Organizations at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA. He is also a Visiting Professor in the Social Enterprise Program at Harvard University's Business School.