Exploring the roles of non-profit organizations in co-production
A systematic literature review
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21723834 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Chengzhi Yi (0000-0003-1764-3726, Shanghai Jiao Tong University), Xinyi Qiu (0009-0000-6460-2981, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, corresponding author), Huafang Li (0000-0002-5522-5173, University of Pittsburgh) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 1283-1308 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-04 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Public Management Review (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1471-9037 • E-ISSN: 1471-9045 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/14719037.2025.2484661 |
| OpenAlex | W4408969536 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 7 |
| References cited | 105 |
This article presents a systematic literature review to explore the roles of non-profit organizations (NPOs) in co-production. While numerous studies have focused on NPOs’ engagement in co-production with the government, scholarly attention to their involvement with citizens remains limited. Although shared missions and collaborative efforts exist, these relationships exhibit asymmetry. There is a predominant focus on NPOs’ role in service delivery rather than their deeper involvement in policy making. Additionally, the factors that affect NPOs in co-production are often scattered and have yet to be examined. Despite the recent growth of the literature, the roles of NPOs in co-production are intricate and require further elucidation
Business · Economics · Industrial organization · MEDLINE · Microeconomics · Political science · Systematic review · Community Development and Social Impact · Nonprofit Sector and Volunteering · Public Policy and Administration Research
The paradox of co-production
What Role Do Social Organizations Play in Stimulating Green and Low‐Carbon Consumption in China
How NGOs facilitate value co-creation through multilevel and processual mechanisms
Citizen coproduction motivations
Third‐Sector Organizations as Intermediaries in Climate Action
Do third parties matter for citizens’ public programme participation? Evidence from an administrative burden perspective
From coexistence to collaboration
Towards a multi-actor theory of public value co-creation
Co-production, the third sector and the delivery of public services
The New Public Governance? 1
A Systematic Review of Co-Creation and Co-Production
Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
Co-governance within networks and the non-profit – for-profit divide
New Public Governance, Co-Production and Third Sector Social Services in Europe
Expectations versus reality
The politics of insufficiency
Street-Level bureaucracy in public administration
A systematic literature review of open innovation in the public sector
Nonprofit Organizations Becoming Business-Like
Communication for coproduction
Reimagining the bureaucracy and post-bureaucracy debate
How does citizen-centric co-production lead to value co-creation? A perspective of interactive governance
Roles of professionals in value co-creation
Value co-destruction through misintegration of resources within a public service ecosystem
Health and social care integration
Innovation in the Public Sector
The politics of co-implementation and their potential in shaping egalitarian cities
Participatory Art as a Social Practice of Commoning to Reinvent the Right to the City
The Co-production of a Community
Third-Sector Organizations in Area-Based Initiatives
From Engagement to Co-production
Co-producing Across Organisational Boundaries
Engaging Refugee Volunteers in Co-creation
In search of the non-profit sector. I
Government/Foundation Relations
Traits of Leaders of Rural Non-governmental Organisations as Predictors of Collaboration Between NGOs and Rural Gmina Offices
Constructing Action
Minding the Gaps
Third Sector Organizations and Migration
Understanding the Role of Nonprofit Organizations in the Provision of Social Services in China
Partnerships and the Good-Governance Agenda
Co-production and Third Sector Social Services in Europe
Social Economy and Home Care Services in Quebec
The co‐governance of basic education
Guidance on Conducting a Systematic Literature Review
Investing in Not‐for‐Profit Sector Capacity
Collective action and co‐production of public services as alternative politics
Exploring the Determinants of Nonprofit Coproduction of Public Service Delivery
Citizen–State Collaboration in Combating Covid-19 in China
Public Administration Research in East and Southeast Asia
Communication for Coproduction
Coproduction and the third sector in France
Indigenous political participation in the deliberative systems
Collaborative Value in Public and Nonprofit Strategic Alliances
Individual, Group, and Collective Co-production
Citizenship and Service Delivery
The Third Sector, User Involvement and Public Service Reform
Challenging the necessity of New Public Governance
Co-creation within hybrid networks
Why engage in co-production of public services? Mixing theory and empirical evidence
The state and the reconstruction of civil society
Are non‐government policy actors being heard? Assessing New Public Governance in three C anadian provinces
Co‐producing accountability? Drawing conclusions from non‐profit child care services in Manitoba
Does Coproduction of Public Services Support Government's Social Equity Goals? The Case of U.S. State Parks
Nonprofit Density and Distributional Equity in Public Service Provision
On Being Nonprofit
Co‐creating ambitious climate change mitigation goals
Distinguishing Different Types of Coproduction
Exploring the Role of Nonprofits in Public Service Provision
Toward a Definition of the Coproduction Concept
Varieties of Participation in Public Services
The Public Service Production Process
Conceptualizing and Measuring Citizen Co‐Production of Community Safety
Co-experience, co-production and co-governance
Street-level practice and the co-production of third sector-led employability services
I’m paid to do other things
Passive cooperation or active coproduction? Grassroots NGOs’ strategies in interactions with government in crisis management in Chengdu, China
Do Cogovernance and CSOs Supplement Municipal Capacity for Service Delivery? An Assessment of Differences in Simple versus Complex Services
Acres for the Affluent
Coproduction of community public service
Contextualising co-production and co-governance in the Scottish National Health Service
Not the usual suspects
The community philanthropic foundation
Beyond Engagement and Participation
Crossing the great divide
Alternative Models of Government-Nonprofit Sector Relations
Collaborative Governance in Theory and Practice
Embedded and exterior practices of cross-sector co-production
Government profiles as perceived by governments' NPO partners in Chinese social service delivery
| Unique citing works | 7 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 7 |
| Citation span | 2025 - 2026 (2) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 7 |