The Dark Side of Co-Creation and Co-Production

The normative tendency towards optimism tends to mask a number of potential pitfalls. This chapter addresses seven potential evils of co-creation and co-production: the deliberate rejection of responsibility, failing accountability, rising transaction costs, loss of democracy, reinforced inequalities, implicit demands and co-destruction. It argues that scholars should fully open up to these possibilities and make them part of the research agenda, because otherwise they risk damaging their own academic credibility. Based on a review of literature on co-creation and co-production of public services, Voorberg concludes that while little research systematically studies the outcomes of co-creation or co-production, the research on this topic that is available focuses mainly on effectiveness. In order to avoid pitfalls, co-creation and co-production need real investment of time and money by government, but also an openness to comprehend the concerns of different actors involved.