Co-Production Workshop at the Scottish Parliament

On 11 April 2016, CenSE member Dr Sophie Flemig was invited to hold a workshop on co-production for the Scottish Parliament outreach team and Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) researchers. Sophie presented CenSE’s strong research on a value-neutral understanding of co-production as well as on a public service dominant logic of co-production, inviting participants to consider both the possibility of co-creation as well as of co-destruction of value.

• Co-production and the Co-creation of Value in Public Services: A suitable case for treatment?

Case studies from the Learning from Innovation in Public Sector Environments (LIPSE) project provided useful illustrations of barriers and drivers to successful co-production from across Europe. Elinor Mitchell, Deputy Director for Public Bodies and Public Service Reform at the Scottish Government, then explained the “Scottish Approach”, following the principles of co-production at all levels of policy-making and implementation. In particular, she stressed that the Scottish Government strongly believed that decisions should be made at the lowest level possible, following the principle of subsidiarity.

Finally, participants were invited to share their own experiences and questions regarding past and present co-production projects. The discussion quickly focused on the role of leadership, a theme that has also prominently emerged from the LIPSE research on co-production and on managing risk in innovation. How can we create a culture that encourages innovation in public service delivery as well as the risk taking that is required to achieve it? And how do we support leaders in facilitating the process? The workshop at the Scottish Parliament marked an important first step on the way, indicating a host of future collaboration opportunities among CenSE, the Scottish Parliament and the Scottish Government.

For further questions on the workshop, co-production and to explore the possibility of capstone student projects at the Scottish Parliament, please contact Dr Sophie Flemig . More information on the Learning from Innovation in Public Sector Environments (LIPSE) project is available on their website.