Using principles of co-production to develop teams providing public services

Posted by: NHS Horizons - Posted on:

Originally published by Rosanna Hunt – 19th February 2018

Nesta’s series of reports describing co-production and providing an evidence-base for it, outline several key principles to follow in co-producing public services. But how skilled is the public sector, at working to these principles? Four of these principles are:

1) recognise people as assets

2) build on people’s existing capabilities

3) facilitate rather than deliver

4) support people to support each other

How well do we do this in our day-to-day work in public sector organisations? One of the main sources of job related stress is “lack of coaching and low self-esteem” according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Well-being at work is a growing concern in the UK too. 

It seems to me that these four principles of co-production are all about coaching and raising self-esteem. Are we adequately practiced at co-production skills behind the doors of our public services, to make it happen through external collaboration? Tell me your experiences in this short 5-question survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PTX8MF2

Co-production is strongest when it embodies all six themes in this report, which include: recognising people as assets, establishing mutual responsibilities between professionals and the public, and supporting people to support each other.

 www.nesta.org.uk/…