Intermediaries of integration: The role of nonprofit organizations in public value(s) governance

This study examines the application of the public value(s) governance (PVsG) framework within Italy’s multi-actor refugee reception and integration system (SAI). Drawing on an exploratory case study in a rural province and semi-structured interviews with national and local actors, it investigates how public sector organizations (PSOs) and nonprofit organizations (NPOs) coproduce public value (PV) and identifies the factors shaping its strategic governance. The findings highlight the critical role of NPOs as intermediaries by facilitating service codesign, mobilizing operational capabilities, and bridging policy and practice. They also show how the municipalities’ reliance on NPO expertise creates power dynamics that shape the translation of national policies into local services, emphasizing the interplay between macro- and micro-level factors in PV cocreation. Persistent challenges remain in incorporating refugees’ perspectives, partly due to limited mechanisms for assessing impacts and outcomes and weak community-level accountability. This study contributes to the PVsG literature by showing how intermediary roles, resource dependencies, and cross-level dynamics shape the strategic governance of PV in collaborative service networks. It also provides practical guidance for managers and policymakers aiming to improve stakeholder collaboration in refugee reception and integration.