The research unit Governments and Markets (GiM-IREA) and the Pasqual Maragall Chair for Economy and Territory, both at Universitat de Barcelona, invite proposed contributions to a symposium on mixed forms of service delivery around the globe. To date, the extant literature on service delivery has largely focused on the classic “make or buy” choice, the decision by governments to deliver public goods and services directly with government employees or through a contract with some other entity. This research has produced important findings, but has narrowed the focus on two idealized choices that do not necessarily reflect the actual practice of service delivery at different levels of government and in different contexts. The planned symposium aims to build off of this foundational knowledge but push research in new directions to better understand the creation, operation, and performance of the wide range of mixed forms of service delivery, which combine public, private, nonprofit, and/or community resources.
