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We need to show co-pro in action.

We need to raise awareness of co-production, its values and what it looks like in action, especially with new audiences, including new funders and managers who might not have heard of co-production before.

We need to support, upskill and encourage people to ‘give it a go’ through learning and training.

Addressing inequalities is part of the job.

Equality, inclusion and a human rights based approach is at the heart of shifting the balance of power. Meaningful engagement and co-production with communities, public agencies and government is essential to co-design decisions and work towards best solutions.

The process must take into consideration the diverse range of needs that exist and make the process equitable.

Resource communities to address their priorities.

Communities led the way by mobilising quickly to effectively support each other and those in need. In order for this good work to be sustained, decision makers at all levels need to listen to and act on what people need to sustain success - and resource better ways of working.

Champion digital, but address the barriers.

Digital tools have enabled a new, blended way of working which can bring people together to co-produce, while not being a replacement for all face-to-face conversations.

We need to listen to lived experience to ensure any barriers (such as knowledge, equipment, access to infrastructure e.g. Wi-Fi) don’t lead to people being ignored or forgotten.

Give co-production the time it needs.

Decision makers and those holding power should recognise that co-production takes time, resources and the building of capacity of all involved to be done well.

Those who benefit from this approach should be listened to, and funders should be less risk-averse so that co-production approaches can be flexible and allow for the building of trust, meaningful relationships and assets.

Invest in showing it works

We often measure what we can count, not what matters. Evaluation needs to be properly resourced so that we can use conversations alongside conventional data to capture our learning.

We need to make sure evaluation truly has an impact on what we do next, and capture the lived experience that shows the positive impact co-production can have.

These key messages were co-produced following a series of SCN learning events from May 2020 until May 2021 that brought members together to share learning and their experiences of what worked during the pandemic.

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