Cultural services provide important functions for the public, but these are often difficult to measure. That is why it is generally very hard to prove the positive effects of sports, culture and leisure. The Northwest Culture Observatory published a 'guide to creating public value' which attempts to provide a framework for the creation of an evidence base for cultural services. After all, once their value is defined, it is easier to strengthen the case of cultural services in the determination of local priorities. The guide presents a six-step-approach to creating public value in cultural services, which assists leaders in such services to create and demonstrate public value.