The Digital Public Manager

Abstract

Public value rests upon the assumption that human public managers co-create value for the public. Yet the next few phases of the digital era risk transferring greater duties of public managers to Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs), which will use protocols, programming code, and blockchain-related technologies to perform such duties. This chapter examines value co-creation through the lens of DAOs by discussing their scope as digital co-creators with human public managers. It then applies the public value framework of the strategic triangle to discuss questions of legitimacy, operational capabilities, and recognition of value creation. The findings of the chapter suggest that public value must be thought of differently with “digital” public managers, since DAOs may face various challenges including those of security, legitimacy, and rigidity, but they may enhance value creation through greater efficiency, increased transparency, and equity-focused outcomes. As such, extant public value (PV) problems might persist, albeit in different forms.