Coproduction: Past, Present, and Future

The effectiveness of public policies and the quantity and quality of public goods and services depend on citizens’ coproduction. Without citizens participating in coproduction, public policies, such as educational, healthy, and environmental policies, cannon achieve the desired outcomes. However, there is a gap between the significance of coproduction in reality and scholarly studies focusing on the topic. This study reviewed relevant literature and suggested that a flexible framework is necessary to be compatible with multiple definitions of coproduction. Three periods of coproduction research - the beginning in the 1980s, the slow progress from 1990 to 2010, and the rapid development after 2010 - were documented. The study also discussed the latest advances in individual coproduction motivation at the micro-level and performance measurement at the macro-level. The study concluded that, in addition to researching micro motivation and macro performance, future studies need to pay attention to the roles of nonprofit organizations and effective communications in coproduction.