On Equity in Providing Public Services

Abstract

The performance of public services is determined to a large extent by the spatial distribution of facilities and resources that provide the service. Three measures of performance are discussed: efficiency, effectiveness, and equity. The last of these, equity, is recognized as being of growing importance, but has been generally neglected by management scientists. Different equitable formulas can be used for the spatial distribution of public services within a community. They are based on four general principles: equal payments, equal outputs, equal inputs, and equal satisfaction of demand. The application of these principles is illustrated by reference to municipal services. Mutual inconsistency among these formulas is evident, and is shown caused by the different values which underlie the choice of formulas. The choosing of values is, ultimately, a political process.

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