Table 3. Dominant challenge and solution... | Emerald Publishing

Table 3.

Dominant challenge and solution logics

Response type	Challenge	Dominant challenge logic	Dominant solution logic	Representative quote
NPM → NPM	Lack of data	Challenge rooted in NPM logic: focus on efficient data-driven models conflicts with real-world limitations like privacy and availability	Solution relies on expanding data sources and analysis approaches, resembling NPM logic	“But making use of the existing data – and I’ll say it once more – the money has to be shown alongside it, how much the services actually cost. And that’s often a difficult conversation: when a child is in crisis, it’s hard to say, ‘yeah, this will cost 50,000 euros to deal with.’ But still, at some point in the process, that information needs to be available.” (NPM)
NPM → Hybrid	Monetizing the solutions	Challenge reflects NPM-style framing, emphasizing incentives and market logic	Solution blends NPM (incentive design) with NPG (public value focus)	“And even if there wouldn’t be any monetary savings, we can still offer those families with children and the children themselves an improvement in wellbeing, so it’s worth pursuing in any case.” (NPG)
NPM → NPG	Legitimacy problems	Challenge reflects NPM framing: focus on outcomes, metrics and private sector logic creates resistance and confusion	Solution uses NPG tools: trust-building, relational governance and contextual learning	“A project like this is, in some ways, politically divisive. When performance-based bonuses and similar topics come up, it raises questions – not strictly along left-right lines, but around the role of the public sector. What is the responsibility of public administration? Who gets performance bonuses, based on what criteria, and what’s considered fair? It also raises debates about how much public service development should involve external actors. It can definitely spark some tension.” (NPM)
NPM → NPG	Lack of incontestable objectives and indicators	Challenge arises from NPM logic: the need for standardized, measurable outcomes is at odds with the ambiguity of social issues	Solution is NPG-oriented as it emphasizes stakeholder participation and the contextual development of indicators	“Finding the right indicators is really difficult. Even if we find one that seems good, we must ask – is it too broad or too high-level? Or should we use smaller, more specific indicators? But if we have too many small ones, how do we combine them into a meaningful overall metric?” (NPM)
NPM → NPG	Modelling complexity	The challenge reflects an NPM logic by requiring complex social issues to be translated into quantifiable cost savings	The solution aligns with NPG principles by prioritizing flexibility, iterative learning and open dialogue over precise modelling	“It’s the complexity of how many different forms of support we have. Then, if we look at the root causes or the background factors that are usually present for a person, we do have a lot of registry data, but it’s incredibly hard to access, and it’s not in the right format” (NPM)
Hybrid → Hybrid	Changes in organizational culture and working practices	Challenge emerges from the hybrid pressure of simultaneously adopting NPM (performance, accountability) and NPG (end-user-centricity, co-creation) elements, disrupting traditional service provision	Solution mixes NPM (performance-based compensation) with NPG (learning and end-user orientation)	“The key is genuinely listening to families’ concerns, which often go unspoken by both officials and families. That means crucial issues can be missed, and the help offered isn’t enough. For example, domestic violence rarely comes up first when a family seeks help – it only surfaces after a long process. So it’s about what we ask, how we listen, and whether support is offered often enough and with the right intensity when it’s truly needed.” (NPG)
Hybrid → NPG	Cooperation	Hybrid challenge: NPG tensions, like network coordination and interdependence, create governance complexity, whereas the concern over uneven contributions resembles NPM	Solution clearly follows NPG by emphasizing network governance and early stakeholder involvement	“I’ve ended up working with people I wouldn’t normally have worked with. And because of that, I think the preparatory work has been much more comprehensive and diverse. We’ve genuinely looked into different perspectives in a way that we usually don’t. Our procurement person even said that we’ve never done this thorough a background analysis for any procurement before.” (NPG)
NPG → NPG	Resource needs	Challenge fits NPG: collaborative, adaptive structures demand intensive resource use and coordination	Solution resembles NPG, focusing on relational capacity-building and stakeholder management	“A successful preparation absolutely requires, in my opinion, multidisciplinary external support. I mean, to be honest, we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere with this preparation without Sitra’s support.” (NPG)

Response type	Challenge	Dominant challenge logic	Dominant solution logic	Representative quote
NPM → NPM	Lack of data	Challenge rooted in NPM logic: focus on efficient data-driven models conflicts with real-world limitations like privacy and availability	Solution relies on expanding data sources and analysis approaches, resembling NPM logic	“But making use of the existing data – and I’ll say it once more – the money has to be shown alongside it, how much the services actually cost. And that’s often a difficult conversation: when a child is in crisis, it’s hard to say, ‘yeah, this will cost 50,000 euros to deal with.’ But still, at some point in the process, that information needs to be available.” (NPM)
NPM → Hybrid	Monetizing the solutions	Challenge reflects NPM-style framing, emphasizing incentives and market logic	Solution blends NPM (incentive design) with NPG (public value focus)	“And even if there wouldn’t be any monetary savings, we can still offer those families with children and the children themselves an improvement in wellbeing, so it’s worth pursuing in any case.” (NPG)
NPM → NPG	Legitimacy problems	Challenge reflects NPM framing: focus on outcomes, metrics and private sector logic creates resistance and confusion	Solution uses NPG tools: trust-building, relational governance and contextual learning	“A project like this is, in some ways, politically divisive. When performance-based bonuses and similar topics come up, it raises questions – not strictly along left-right lines, but around the role of the public sector. What is the responsibility of public administration? Who gets performance bonuses, based on what criteria, and what’s considered fair? It also raises debates about how much public service development should involve external actors. It can definitely spark some tension.” (NPM)
NPM → NPG	Lack of incontestable objectives and indicators	Challenge arises from NPM logic: the need for standardized, measurable outcomes is at odds with the ambiguity of social issues	Solution is NPG-oriented as it emphasizes stakeholder participation and the contextual development of indicators	“Finding the right indicators is really difficult. Even if we find one that seems good, we must ask – is it too broad or too high-level? Or should we use smaller, more specific indicators? But if we have too many small ones, how do we combine them into a meaningful overall metric?” (NPM)
NPM → NPG	Modelling complexity	The challenge reflects an NPM logic by requiring complex social issues to be translated into quantifiable cost savings	The solution aligns with NPG principles by prioritizing flexibility, iterative learning and open dialogue over precise modelling	“It’s the complexity of how many different forms of support we have. Then, if we look at the root causes or the background factors that are usually present for a person, we do have a lot of registry data, but it’s incredibly hard to access, and it’s not in the right format” (NPM)
Hybrid → Hybrid	Changes in organizational culture and working practices	Challenge emerges from the hybrid pressure of simultaneously adopting NPM (performance, accountability) and NPG (end-user-centricity, co-creation) elements, disrupting traditional service provision	Solution mixes NPM (performance-based compensation) with NPG (learning and end-user orientation)	“The key is genuinely listening to families’ concerns, which often go unspoken by both officials and families. That means crucial issues can be missed, and the help offered isn’t enough. For example, domestic violence rarely comes up first when a family seeks help – it only surfaces after a long process. So it’s about what we ask, how we listen, and whether support is offered often enough and with the right intensity when it’s truly needed.” (NPG)
Hybrid → NPG	Cooperation	Hybrid challenge: NPG tensions, like network coordination and interdependence, create governance complexity, whereas the concern over uneven contributions resembles NPM	Solution clearly follows NPG by emphasizing network governance and early stakeholder involvement	“I’ve ended up working with people I wouldn’t normally have worked with. And because of that, I think the preparatory work has been much more comprehensive and diverse. We’ve genuinely looked into different perspectives in a way that we usually don’t. Our procurement person even said that we’ve never done this thorough a background analysis for any procurement before.” (NPG)
NPG → NPG	Resource needs	Challenge fits NPG: collaborative, adaptive structures demand intensive resource use and coordination	Solution resembles NPG, focusing on relational capacity-building and stakeholder management	“A successful preparation absolutely requires, in my opinion, multidisciplinary external support. I mean, to be honest, we wouldn’t have gotten anywhere with this preparation without Sitra’s support.” (NPG)

Source(s): Authors’ own creation