Public value creation by cross-sector collaborations: A framework and challenges of assessment

This article proposes ways to assess the public value that cross-sector collaborations produce. It introduces a framework featuring three dimensions of public value - democratic accountability, procedural legitimacy, and substantive outcomes - that reflect distinct priorities and concerns for public administration. Utilizing examples from research on a multi-year cross-sector collaboration in the transportation field, we illustrate the framework's application and identify techniques and challenges for assessing the collaborative creation of public value. The article concludes with questions and propositions to guide future research.