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Public services increasingly rely on co-production to tackle complex social challenges, yet many initiatives struggle to endure beyond short-term success.
Making Co-production Sustainable bridges the gap between academic theory and real-world implementation, offering a comprehensive roadmap for building lasting collaborative practices. Drawing on case studies from health services, neighbourhood development, public safety and beyond, this edited collection examines the organisational dynamics and strategic frameworks necessary for embedding co-production into mainstream public service delivery.
From digital technologies and performance management to institutional support and evidence-based design, this invaluable book addresses the long-term scalability challenges often overlooked in existing research. It balances optimistic possibilities with practical strategies, offering a clear pathway for overcoming barriers to sustainability and scalability.
Caitlin McMullin is Associate Professor at Roskilde University and Research Fellow at the Vienna University of Economics and Business.
Sanna Tuurnas is Director and Adjunct Professor in Administrative Sciences at Tampere University.
Leon Acar is Postdoctoral Researcher and Lecturer at the Department of Public Governance and Management, Ghent University and Fellow at the Public Governance Institute, KU Leuven.
Part 1: Theoretical Perspectives on the Sustainability of Co‑production
1. From Short-Term Value to Lasting Social Change – Caitlin McMullin, Trui Steen and Sanna Tuurnas
Part 2: Sustainable Co‑production as a Scalable Action
2. Sustaining Co‑production Through Design: Meta‑Design as a Conceptual and Practical Framework in Service Systems – Sofi Perikangas
3. Co‑production as a Scalable Strategy for Migrant Integration: A Case Study on Neighbourhood Mothers in the Nordic Countries – Kjersti Tandberg and Hilde Svrljuga Sætre
4. Sustainable Co‑creation in the Public Sector: Including the Social and Ethical Aspects of Digital Co‑creation – Noella Edelmann
5. Sustaining and Scaling Co‑production: Findings from a Homeless Service Provider in Amsterdam – Menno Hoppen
6. How Did We Get Here? An Empirical Description of the Paths of Sustainability of Co‑production Processes – Hessel Bos and Taco Brandsen
Part 3: Sustainable Co‑production as Evidence‑Based Activity
7. Co‑evaluation: The Ugly Duckling of the ‘Co’ Public Service Cycle – Nanna Møller Mortensen
8. Evaluating the Sustainability of Co‑created Crime Prevention Initiatives: A Mixed‑Methods Approach – Andreas Hagedorn Krogh and Jacob Torfing
9. Co‑production as a Medium for Transformative Change: Building Collective Capabilities Through Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation – Alex Pazaitis and Veiko Lember
10. Performance Management of Co‑production Strategies and Initiatives – Elke Loeffler
Part 4: Strategy and Institutional Support for Sustainable Co‑production
11. Institutionalizing Service Users’ Experiential Knowledge in Public Services – Kaisa Kurkela, Aino Rantamäki, Salla Maijala and Anna‑Aurora Kork
12. Maintaining Integrity: How the Leadership Roles of Street‑Level Bureaucrats Matter for Sustaining Co‑production in Challenging Environments – Mansur Muhammad Bello, Léon Acar and Joris Voets
13. Overcoming Barriers: Examining the Challenges to Sustainable Knowledge Co‑creation in Policing and Public Safety in the City of Cape Town – Jan Wilhelm, Mary Mangai and Austin Ayodele
14. Institutional Framework for Sustainable Co‑production Through a Community Cooperative – Sofi Perikangas and Mio Dambata
Part 5: Concluding Chapter
15. Conclusions and Recommendations for More Sustainable Approaches to Co‑production – Caitlin McMullin, Sanna Tuurnas and Léon Acar