CO-CREATION

Bringing individuals together from different backgrounds to collaborate in some or all stages of a project, from the initial idea phase to seeing the project through, and then even implementing it into function.

Summary Overview of the Engagement Tool/Innovation:

Co-creation toolkits aim to involve as many different groups as possible on a project, such as corporations, local community groups, local government, charities, and others.

Co-creation’s use of a joint platform, operational rules, and different levels of ambition stimulate mutual learning, joint action, and opportunities for more innovative, sustainable self-governance.

Co-creation is also good at facilitating creative problem-solving and formulating new, bold strategies, however there is a chance they can struggle with operationalising the joint ideas and strategies and implementing them in practice.

Role in decision-making:

Co-creation toolkits take a collaborating approach to decision making. These toolkits are used throughout the design and action stage of the project process. Participants in these methods are encouraged to engage through creative means, providing design ideas for local governments/organisations to use in the project. Following this, workshops are used in the action phase of the project to allow communities to see how the project is developing as well as providing ideas and insight on what has been presented to them.

Anchor 1

Collaboration and consulting: bringing citizens and public decision-makers together to co-create new policy.

Empowering: initiatives help create joint ownership of innovative solutions and leadership is distributed to public managers

Hard to reach groups: UGN can ensure that groups from under-represented communities are involved in the project

Suitable for:

Using a co-creation-based tool would be suitable for a wide range of projects. It could be used for park design like the video game toolkit, as well as relationship building like the containers of stories. Due to the flexibility of what the co-creation tool looks at, UGN can tailor it to their needs for any given project, whether that be designing, problem solving or implementation.

Anchor 2

HOW TO DO IT:

Co-creation is a process which infuses collaborative governance with social entrepreneurship. The aim is to involve as many participants as possible and ensure they are from different backgrounds, as well as representing different interests.

As mentioned, UGN have the ability to be flexible when it comes to implementing a co-creation tool as there are numerous creative ways to approach co-creation.

Co-creation tools tend to have several phases; however, they all have three main phases.

Pre-project phase where an idea for a project is formed and the focus of the co-creation with groups is decided upon
Creation phase, this is where participants contribute to the design and creation of the project through events or workshops
Action phase is where the project begins to be implemented, with the help of communities and different groups alongside UGN. In this phase, participants will also provide feedback on the process, so that UGN can adapt it for the future

Format:

In person – Co-creation tools could be used both in person and online, however, it would be more beneficial for it to be done in person to allow participants to be more active in the process and feel more connected to the work being done.

Anchor 3

Groups who would benefit:

Due to UGN having the ability to either pick a co-creation tool or create their own, UGN will have the ability to target the toolkit to a varying number of communities.

ADULTS/

FAMILIES

UGN can make the components of the tool as flexible as they require, therefore they could hold workshops and hold them at convenient times for those would typically be busy during the day, such as working adults or those with young children.

CHILDREN AND

YOUNG PEOPLE

UGN have the creative license to make the tool anyway they wish, therefore they have the opportunity to work with schools or local groups such as Scouts or Guides, where members of staff would go to them and have children take part in the process.

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Events can once again can be held at convenient locations for those with disabilities to make the process more accessible.

BME COMMUNITIES

Similarly with other groups, the tool and events could specifically target these communities to ensure their voices are heard throughout the process.

This is dependent on the type of co-creation toolkit UGN decides to use, for example Dublin Urban Forest, used critical art engagement, which would require equipment like stationary, paper, paints, and so on.

Once again, this depends on the type of Co-creation tool UGN would want to use.

Staff will be needed for the running of the events taking place in the design stage. They will also need to run the workshops at the end which aim to inform the community of the project as it enters the end of the process.