Integration of rural communities into public-service delivery: navigating power dynamics, reciprocity, and accountability in community co-production (RURAL COPE)

The RURAL COPE project, led by Tampere University and the University of Helsinki, aims to address the challenges of providing public services in sparsely populated areas. 

Rural service provision is changing, and new methods for service production are needed. The project investigates community-based social enterprises as actors that can offer innovative service models for rural areas and reshape traditional public administration practices.

Data collection methods include policy analysis, interviews, and Living Labs. The research focuses on Finnish municipalities, but comparative studies are also conducted in Finland and Japan. 

By examining power relations, accountability, and reciprocity among actors, RURAL COPE promotes discussions on the future of welfare states, collaborative governance, democracy, equality, and rural development. The project challenges policymakers to design more effective and inclusive policies for rural development.