Facilitating coproduction: the role of leadership in coproduction initiatives in the UK

Abstract

The concept of coproduction primarily refers to direct user involvement in the production of services. This paper identifies the main dimensions of this broad and at times fuzzy concept and focuses on types and styles of leadership that can emerge from, and sustain, effective coproduction practice. We do so by carrying out a narrative review of cases of coproduction in the UK, with a focus on the role of citizens, bureaucrats and, specifically, local politicians, to unpick how the latter can facilitate or hinder coproductive processes. The analysis distances itself from a traditional understanding of leadership to examine relational dynamics rather than organisation structures as the key variable of leadership within coproductive practices.

The QUEST for Effective and Equitable Policies to Prevent Non-communicable Diseases: Co-Production Lessons From Stakeholder Workshops

“…Implications for Policy, Public Health, and Future Research The early and ongoing engagement of diverse stakeholders in co-production provided valuable outputs in our project, as in earlier ones, helpfully informing context, relevance and reality checks around potentially feasible prevention strategies. 16 Ongoing partnership working with stakeholders likewise remains essential for the expert interpretation of emerging findings and optimisation of policy dissemination and implementation. 37,38 However, achieving this in practice requires an awareness of the diversity of organisations and government departments involved in developing public health policy.…”

“…Further testing of the outcomes of such systems design would produce new knowledge and we could then better identify the most equitable prevention strategies, and then help translate this compelling evidence into policy practice. 40 Further examination of the co-production process 15,16 could also be valuable, particularly how it might bring senior stakeholders together to build consensus, develop policy options and thus ensure research is relevant and timely to the needs of policy and decision-makers.…”

“…Working with policy-makers, we iteratively developed a co-production process, 15,16 in order to shape and evaluate emerging policy options. We wanted to identify the most equitable prevention strategies, then help translate this compelling evidence into policy and practice, by integrating diverse stakeholder perspectives, best evidence and a systems approach 5,17 into our innovative, quantitative policy models.…”

“…Workshop 4 also focused on the better understanding of the potential QUEST contribution towards NCD prevention. We aimed to identify the most effective methods for coproduction, 15,16 communication and dissemination and explored how QUEST could have the optimum impact at a national level.…”

Whatever Happened to Councillors? Problematising the Deficiency Narrative in English Local Politics

“…To fulfil such expectations, councillors are also required to adjust to changed societal expectations and modes of service delivery, where citizens demand more 'connected' councils which offer more engagement in the delivery of services. Networks are thus said to necessitate a move from hard to soft power (Mulgan, 2012), as well as privileging local knowledge and practices of co-production, in which citizens do more of the 'heavy lifting' themselves (Carr-West, 2013), while councillors are required to adopt more 'relational' and facilitative roles (Bussu and Galanti, 2018). As Howe (2013, p.14) puts it, 'this is good for democracy, but only if democracy … and democratic actors [councillors] evolve and adjust to these changes.…”