Co-Production of Public Services and Performance of Counties in Kenya: Does Literacy Matter?

Abstract

The benefits of an educated citizenry have been acknowledged widely as their contribution to governance is apparent including their participation in the production of services. As a result, citizens are increasingly involved in critical decisions of the state through public participation. It is on this basis that the study sought to examine the role of literacy levels on the relationship between coproduction and performance. Data was obtained from round 9 of the Afrobarometer survey. A sample of 2400 respondents was identified using a stratified random sampling technique. The sample was spread across the 47 counties of Kenya. A total of 8 Enumeration Areas (EAs) of 300 samples were selected. Probability Proportionate to Population Size (PPPS) was used to randomly choose population Sampling Units (PSUs). Data was collected using a structured questionnaire and administered by research assistants. The study established that the performance of county governments was below the citizens expectation. Nevertheless, there was a significant relationship between co production and performance for the respondents with basic and tertiary education clusters as opposed to those with informal education. The finding builds the existing literature on co production, literacy and performance and helps stakeholders to create polices to support the co production framework and establish an environment for promoting literacy of citizens.