Synthesis

• Drawing on case studies from China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon and Senegal, the chapter illustrates the creative, innovative and collaborative ways in which volunteers and state authorities partner to deliver services, departing from the “traditional” volunteer service delivery model in which volunteers support state authorities to deliver services.
• It explores how volunteers from diverse marginalized groups, including people with disabilities, women, indigenous communities and migrants, engage in the co-production of services with state authorities in various contexts.
• The case studies focus on gender equality in Lebanon and Senegal, disability rights and employment in China and Kazakhstan, reproductive health in Senegal, and migration in Kyrgyzstan and Lebanon.
• The chapter showcases show volunteers and state authorities leverage partnerships for mutually beneficial outcomes in co-production, with volunteers playing key roles across different stages of the co-production process, from co-development of ideas to co-implementation. Besides enhancing service delivery, volunteers are often also mediators and brokers of information, thus serving as bridge builders.