Intermediated Co-production of Emergency Response: How Non-profit Organizations Build Trust in Citizens

Abstract

For public organizations to harvest the benefits of co-producing emergency response, incident commanders must trust citizens to carry out hazardous tasks under immense pressure. This article examines how non-profit organizations (NPOs) serve as trust-supporting infrastructures that facilitate the co-production of emergency response operations. Reporting on a qualitative study of emergency management co-production in Denmark and Norway, it shows how NPOs provide temporary structures, procedures, and practices for registering, leading and commanding engaged citizens that enhance trust and thus sustain co-production of emergency response. Comparing intermediated co-production to organized volunteerism, however, the study also shows how intermediated co-production suffers from inherent trust limitations. Eliciting the role of NPOs as trust-building intermediaries, the study contributes with new knowledge for scholars, practitioners and policymakers involved in issues of co-production within and beyond the field of emergency management.