Abstract:

Co-production advocates for the reconstruction of the interactive relationship between the government and the public， providing a distinctive idea for solving the thorny problem of public service provision. The government’s purchase of smart services for the elderly is rich in co-production features， and this study provides a means to clarifythe specific process and internal logic of co-production， whichare crucial to the formation of an institutionalized cooperation network. Based on the framework of institutional analysis and development， this single-case analytical study describes the process of co-production and cooperation in the practice of purchasing smart elderly care services by the J municipal government. Exogenous dynamics appeared in variables such as the emergence of the smart elderly care business， relevant policy support， and value changes.Endogenous dynamics formed when action affected the resources owned by the actors and information became available.The joint effect of internal and external variables causedactors to display the behavioral logic of pursuing benefit maximization with cooperative co-production. Through the dynamic coupling of contractual linkage mechanisms， incentive guidance mechanisms， and resource integration mechanisms， a feedback loop for behavioral outcomes wasformed and linked to value co-creation mechanisms， collectively generating positive effects within the implementation framework.

Key words: Co-production, government purchase of smart elderly services, behavioral logic, realization mechanism