In the later case the consumer choice aided by consumer service analysis would regulate restaurant cleanliness. Consider now the metropolitan governments' search for efficiency in the provision of public services. Some readers may have the misconception that there is a clear division between the public and private provision, production and consumption of goods. In actuality there are a large number combinations with varying degrees of public and private participation. For example, governments can arrange to have public goods produced by private production through a variety of arrangements such as contract, franchise, grant or voucher.
Governments can also arrange to have public goods produced by other governments.
The best alternative method of production is a function of the attributes of the public good. Efficient private production of public goods requires that the good be clearly defined, that there exist numerous competing firms, and that government is effectively able to monitor the mechanism selected for private production. If the private firm producing a public good is to be paid directly by the customer, the private firm must have the ability to exclude nonpaying individuals from consumption. Selecting the best alternative is far from simple given the large number of alternatives and the possibility of mixed forms of production. In addition, efficient provision of metropolitan services would necessitate that metropolitan governments rapidly adapt to advancing technology.