A STUDY ON THE INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORTS FOR VOLUNTEER GROUPS IN ROAD MAINTENANCE ADOPT PROGRAM

This paper examines the effects of various supports within an adopt-program, based on a case study on Kitakyushu City Road Supporter System. An interview survey was conducted with 35 volunteer groups. The major findings are as follows: a) The provision of flower seedlings and others reduces volunteers’ efforts and economic burden through its support operation system. b) Communication supports such as exchange meetings enhance volunteers’ motivation and contribute to the institutional improvement of the system. c) Intermediate support organizations’ frequent supports facilitate smooth operation of the overall support system, and furthermore, the organizations’ expertise ability is contributable for the volunteers.