Digital corporate communication and co-productive citizen engagement

Abstract

Digital technologies have changed communication between citizens and public sector organizations (PSOs) and governments. While many citizens still remain passive when it comes to the public sector and its governance, information and communication technologies (ICTs) have permanently changed how citizens search and share public information, and how they voice their opinions and ideas. Citizen co-production is understood as citizen-PSO engagement toward joint goals, yet it often remains an ideal. Through the example of Madrid City Council's successful utilization of digital technologies through a mobile app (Madrid Movil), the chapter illustrates how engagement became co-productive via ICTs through improved relationship between authorities and citizens. Digital technologies helped improve public sector listening, real-time information exchange, and communication of citizens with each other, and provided better data about emerging needs. As joint citizen-PSO efforts for coproduction of public services, digital co-production contributed to improving the intangible value of public services.