Public values and sector service delivery preferences: Public preferences on contracting from simple to complex human services

Nonprofit and for-profit providers play an increasing role in public service delivery, but we know little about what shapes public service delivery preferences. Responding to calls to put the “public” back in public values theory, we examine the influence of public values on sector service delivery preferences for government, nonprofit, or for-profit delivery across six service areas ranging from simple services such as trash collection to complex services such as child welfare. We find equity predicts a preference for government service delivery across areas, while efficiency corresponds to a preference for for-profit service delivery. Nonprofit sector preferences varied across service areas; equity corresponds to simple services such as street maintenance, whereas effectiveness corresponds to complex human services such as elder care. Public administrators should be cognizant of the public value trade-offs that underlie sector preferences for public services to design and implement service arrangements in line with the preferences of the public they serve.