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The coproduction model of service delivery : a case study of integrated service delivery in the city of Vancouver

University of British Columbia

In attempts to improve municipal services, a number of cities in North America have begun moving away from the traditional bureaucratic methods of service delivery towards alternative approaches. The coproduction model, a system in which the consumers of a service also assist to produce this service, has become increasingly favoured by municipalities as an alternative. In 1995, the City of Vancouver adopted a coproduction approach to service delivery. This new program of Integrated Service Delivery (ISD) involves the reorganization of City staff into multidepartmental teams assigned to specific geographic neighbourhoods. This paper sought to assess the prospects for improved service delivery under a coproduction approach. It examined the City of Vancouver's experience with Integrated Service Delivery in order to identify the features which are critical to the success of a coproduction model. The study encompassed a qualitative analysis of the program based on a review of the academic literature and relevant City documents, as well as key informant interviews with City management, ISD team members, and residents and agency representatives from two Vancouver neighbourhoods. The Vancouver experience illustrates that moving to a coproduction model of service delivery will not by itself ensure that significant gains in service delivery are achieved. Rather, careful attention must be paid to the structure of the proposed model. Specifically, the Vancouver experience demonstrates: effective co-production efforts require a shift in focus of service delivery to those service producers (staff) who have greater contact with consumers/users of the services (public); any new lines of authority resulting from this shift must be clearly delineated and understood by all service producers; flattening of hierarchical structures works well when adopted in tandem with the integration of staff across departments; formal mechanisms for public consultation must be established. Adhoc approaches to public consultation minimizes public awareness and militates against effective problem identification and problem solving; where the approach encompasses the use of multi-disciplinary teams, consideration must be given to establishing the appropriate environment for team-based work; base line measurements for service delivery and team operations are critical to program success and identifying future refinements.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-04-29

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/7681

Planning

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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