P10 SIG Civil society and Community Self-Organisations

Panel Chairs

Corresponding chair:

• Sanna Tuurnas, Tampere University, Finland: sanna.tuurnas@tuni.fi

Co-Chairs:

• Claire Bynner, University of Edinburgh, UK
• Francesca Calo, Open University, UK
• Kelly Hall, University of Birmingham, UK
• Irene Hardill, Northumbria University, UK
• Richard Hazenberg, University of Northampton, UK
• Malika Igalla, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• Rob Macmillan, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
• José Nederhand, Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• Madeline Powell, University of York, UK
• James Rees ,University of Wolverhampton, UK
• Edwina Zhu, University of Edinburgh, UK

Panel Topic Description:

In light of profound shifts in public administration and management, including geopolitical instability, demographic change, pressures on traditional public service delivery, and rapid digital transformation, this panel explores the pivotal role of civil society (e.g. social enterprises, charities, community initiatives) in (co‑) producing public services and addressing complex societal challenges. As societies face a possible polycrisis and persistent wicked problems, voluntary organisations, community-based initiatives, social enterprises, volunteers, activists, and informal networks are often asked to step up in response to practical needs and gaps. They often operate at the frontline of crisis response, community resilience, and social innovation, yet at the same time civil society actors experience significant strain. They face constrained funding, rising demand, workforce and volunteer burnout and exhaustion, strained relationships with governments, political polarisation and, in some contexts, an increasingly narrow space for civic action. Consequently, the efforts of civil society actors intersect with – and frequently depend on – the responsiveness of government, deeply shaping the effectiveness of collaborative governance arrangements. These dynamics of collaborative governance in unsettled times shape the future of public service delivery across the globe.

This panel aims to unpack the intricate dynamics between responsiveness, innovation, and sustainability for the principles and practices of public services, primarily through the lens of civil society's engagement with these issues. It examines civil society's role in supporting individual and community wellbeing and ensuring societal resilience under conditions of turbulence and uncertainty, while upholding democratic values, openness, inclusion, and accountability. It explores how security is produced not only through formal crisis management, preparedness, risk governance, and civil protection, but also through everyday practices of care, solidarity, advocacy, service delivery, and community organising. At the same time, it asks how public administrations can strengthen civil society capacity without instrumentalising civic action, transferring responsibility without adequate support, or narrowing the space for participation and democratic debate. As such, this panel aims to foster stronger cross-sector collaboration, enhance positive public and social value, and ensure sustainability.

The panel welcomes papers that connect civil society debates to public administration, public management, governance, public policy, democratic accountability, and other related fields. The panel will create a space for developing this emerging agenda and for inviting wider IRSPM contributions on how public administrations can foster safer, more resilient, and more democratic societies through their relationships with civil society.

We strive for excellence in theory, methods, and original contributions and invite empirical and conceptual papers that critically address the following key questions:

• How does civil society help address polycrisis and wicked problems (including but not limited to welfare, emergency support, and social protection), and what governance conditions enable it to do so?
• How has civil society responded to crises, and how might it contribute to future crisis preparedness and management?
• How does civil society attract and keep volunteers while protecting them from burnout and exhaustion?
• How should governments be organised to facilitate public participation, co‑production and self‑organisation within civil society (in crisis response), and how does government responsiveness shape the effectiveness, resilience, and long-term organisational performance of these collaborations?
• What is the capacity of civil society to co-create long-lasting value for beneficiaries, communities and wider society?
• How can digital tools and platforms be effectively utilised to foster greater citizen participation in public service co-production, particularly considering marginalised groups?