Policy Recommendations for Making Coproduction Meaningful
Coproduction can be a powerful tool for improving public services and developing policy. Empowering community voices is an important part of informing and developing place-based solutions to local challenges that suit the needs of the people. But how can coproduction be practiced in a truly meaningful way?
Read the newly published policy brief here, or read on for a summary.
Southampton Coproduction Corner is a network of community-minded individuals and organisations, including researchers from the University of Southampton. They have explored what makes coproduction meaningful, employing experiential learning techniques through a series of workshops.
“We wanted to ensure that coproduction was not used as a “tick box” term.” - Policy Brief
Their policy recommendations come as a result of group discussions with around 85 people over the course of many workshops, and a testing of techniques at a coproduction showcase. The Coproduction Corner network has been busy over the last 14 months embedding coproductive practices and community impact into the research process itself.
Collective patterning of ideas at a workshop, March 2024. Source: Southampton Voluntary Services
These recommendations emphasise the importance of investing time and resources into coproduction techniques to ensure that they are used in an effective and meaningful way.
“Coproduction is too important not to invest in.” – Policy Brief
Six Policy Recommendations:
Coproduction is part of a long-term process, which takes time and trust: Recognise that if we are going to do coproduction well, we need to find the right people to be involved, connect with communities and ensure that people with real life experience are involved right from the start. We should provide space and time to develop mutual trust, understand expectations, plan collaboratively, and be open and transparent in what is happening.
Foster meaningful interactions: Projects should plan welcome, safe and brave spaces to ensure people feel included as equals.
Plan carefully how resources are allocated: Coproduction is not a ‘free’ activity. Shared conversations about how resources are allocated is key. There should be a culture of sharing gifts, be that food, direct payment, training and other resources.
Train and support the hosts of coproduction conversations to develop their confidence and skills. People should be given opportunities for training and peer support.
Build strong ethics process into the work: Focus on developing safe and respectful processes and spaces.
Recognise the impact: People need to know what difference their input has made. Identify ways to evaluate and demonstrate the impact.
Coproduction is a key tool for addressing our region’s identified challenges, such as helping to evolve community power structures, reducing inequalities in public services, and creating a stronger sense of pride in place for the region.
The work of the Coproduction Corner team aims to support people to feel more supported to trial and deliver coproduction techniques in their work, projects and activities, so local people and their real needs are put at the heart of all decision making in the city.
Upcoming event:
The Coproduction Corner team will be holding a workshop on Wednesday 4 December 11.30am-2pm exploring the issue of access to healthy and sustainable food – BOOK HERE. This World Café workshop will help gather information that will support the work of the Southampton Food Partnership, as well as help us all learn how World Cafes work, and reflect on how useful they may be as a tool for other projects that potentially involve lots of people.
Find out more:
A recorded presentation about Coproduction Corner from Rebecca Kinge.
This project was supported by the Centre for the South New Things Fund.