Concluding discussion: key themes in the (possible) move to co-production and co-creation in public management

The articles in this special issue add to a rapidly developing literature on co-creation in public services management. This final article focuses what might otherwise be a wide ranging discussion by addressing core themes proposed in the special issue’s introduction. We consider: basic definitions of co-production and co-creation; the claim of a possible move from lower order co-production to higher level co-creation; the link with different models of strategic management, why strategic management is important and which models are promising; the potential role of digitalisation in the move to co-production and co-creation; the possible link with co-creation informed innovation which contributes to the pursuit of public value outcomes. We examine the potential role of strategic management along with the nature of any ‘metagovernance’ of associated policy networks. The conclusion makes general observations and considers future research direction.