Citziens as Co-Implementer Co-creating public service pilots

Short description

The project uses Community Reporting and co-creation practices to initiate, design and implement pilot services that address issues around poverty in Stockport in the North West of England.

The aim of the practice was to to involve citizens in the initiating, design and implementation of public services to address poverty.

How does the method engage citizens/learner?

The practice uses a ‘bottom-up’ approach to engage participants, asking them to co-create the services they use so that they accurately reflect their needs. The needs were initially uncovered through Community Reporter training to enable participants to gather the stories of their peers so that their lived experiences could be heard.

The openness of the process and the willingness of the Council to listen and open up decision-making processes was also a factor.

Which co-creation moments are included?

Participation in society Awareness as a citizen

Pedagogic/methodological aspects

This smart practices utilises the Community Reporter methodology to underpin cocreation. People are trained as Community Reporters in order to gather stories from their peers within their local communities.

Community Reporting for Co-Production uses different forms of digital media to present a range of perspectives on a subject matter, creating a dialogue between various points of view on a topic. Stories are curated in sensemaking sessions for Community Reporters to find what’s important to people in order to start the co-creation process and begin designing services. Feedback from participants is gained through stories and reflective interviews.

SWOT

Strength The practice promotes more collaboration between citizens and local authority and redistributes power. Weakness It can be time consuming and what you ‘plan’ may not end up being what you deliver –things can change, and this adaptability should be allowed but it can take more resourcing that you think at the beginning of the process Opportunities Storytelling is a good route into better understanding communities. Threats Putting too much pressure on citizens to coimplement services when that is mainly the job of the local authority.

Actions based on the stories not being seen by participants quickly enough and people drifting away from the project

Which aspects are transferable?

The entire practice is transferable and is already being transferred. Other departments of the Council are utilizing Community Reporting to support residents to be involved in service and strategy co-design.

This has already happened with the writing of a new children’s service strategy.

What kind of change is created?

The practice’s results included: people’s money was maximised, and greater access to “joyful” activities. The Council has committed to using cocreation in the design of their services and silos between departments are beginning to be eroded. In addition to this, both council workers council workers were trained as Community

Reporter trainers, and residents developed Community Reporter Skills.

These changes first became tangible in a noticeable attitude shift in favour of cocreation, and more materially in the money being saved for residents as part of a cocreated pop-up event.

Turning citizens insights into municipal services

When reviewing the project, Stockport Council looked at what had worked and shared the following positives: “We gave Stockport residents a voice. We gained valuable insight. We were able to include residents in the process. We were able to make positive changes. We learned to stay true to the interviews, be prepared to be flexible, be realistic, and to feedback to all parties.”

Conclusion

The Stockport Council project is a smart practice because it’s adaptability and accessibility, as well as the fact that it has visibly helped to shape the local community for the better, including council workers and residents at every step of the way.

Crafts Map of Warsaw

Anna Fiszer

Organization and country: Miasto Jest Nasze, Poland Target group: Warsaw citizens Age group: All Context / Learning environment: formal or non-formal education?; Education sector? References, Link to the practices: http://www.rzemieslnicy.waw.pl/ Short description

The motivation behind the initiative was to enable people to easily find local craftspeople in their neighborhoods by using an online map and a series of printed leaflets.

Craft workshops are part of the city's traditional landscape, yet the shift towards online and large retail shopping is pushing craftspeople out of the market. They often have no online presence and are thus difficult to find, especially by younger generations.

How does the map engage citizens?

Participants (users of our maps and website) learn about their neighbourhood, its tradition, and local craftsmanship.