Summary - An introduction to co-production

Brief overview  

An introduction to co-production – doing research with people, rather than to people.  Presenters share experiences and examples of leading and supporting co-production and participatory approaches to research.  

Presenter information 

Anna Price - Associate Professor in Primary Care and Children and Young People’s Mental Health at University of Exeter 

Sian de Bell – Research Fellow and Methodologist at University of Exeter 

Shabana Din - HDRC Bradford’s Co-production and Partnerships Lead.   

Zahid Hussain - Public Contributor, HDRC Bradford and Specialist Centre for Public Health Public and Community Partnership Advisory Board member 

Key takeaways and top tips (time stamped) 

• (02:40) A definition – often known by different names, including participatory research, citizen science, public involvement and engagement, at its core co-production is doing research with people, rather than to people.  

• (03:45) Co-production is an approach in which researchers, practitioners and members of the public work together, sharing power and responsibility from the start to the end of the project, including the generation of knowledge. 

• Top tip: for more on definitions see our glossary

• (05:30) Sian outlines the principles of co-production – equality, sharing of power, building, and maintaining relationships, accessibility, and diversity.

• (08:00) Sian outlines a further principle – reciprocity.  Communicate clearly, and in advance, what people can expect and what will be expected from them.  This includes acknowledgement of people’s time Payment guidance for researchers and professionals | NIHR. 

• (08:45) Co-producing air quality citizen science

This project started out as a feasibility study where citizens carried air quality monitoring tools as they went about their daily lives.  It became apparent that the questions the researchers were interested in were not what people carrying the monitors around were most interested in. 

The research team felt it was important to address those questions.  Funding was secured to do agenda setting workshops to develop a plan for an air quality citizen science project.   

• (13:20) There are several benefits to taking a co-production approach, including a reduction in research waste and increased research relevance, generating knowledge for action, ethical and equitable outcomes and increasing participant recruitment and retention. 

• (14:20) Improving access to healthcare for young people with ADHD 

Anna talks through an example of how collaboration has shaped research aims, project delivery, and the impact of findings across a programme of ADHD research.  This led to a co-produced project to produce digital health interventions to meet gaps in provision.   

The MAP study Anna outlines featured research in partnership with two charities, with research advisory group input from practitioners and from a group of young people and parents and carers.  The resulting guidance was co-produced with people with lived experience, healthcare professionals and researchers working together through workshops, a reviewed workbook and follow up meetings, arriving at the guidelines. 

• (18:50) Lived experience and professional experience advisors are named as co-authors on journal articles and presented findings at a seminar.  

• (21:00) Challenges – things to think about

  • • Co-production is complex, there is no single ‘right’ way to do it 

• The process can be time-intensive for all  

• Can be costly – producing resources, translating materials 

• (23:00) Bradford HDRC co-production work 

Shabana shares a simple and effective piece of work, introducing a co-production model in the local authority. HDRC Bradford introduced the public contributor model inside the Council system, working in line with NIHR guidance and systems.  Time consuming to create everything from scratch and consider safeguarding, finance, data protection implications – every challenge helps to refine the model. Getting the model right helped with spread. 

• (28:00) Seeing the model spread 

Examples of the public contributor model spreading: 

• Public health team embed meaningful co-production in the new infant feeding strategy 

• Vaping cessation team inspired and described the model as a ‘game changer’ 

• Transport strategy team embed resident voice in strategy co-design 

• (31:00) Culture shift. Shabana presents examples of culture change, moving from development to a foundation for long term co-production within Bradford Council. 

• (32:00) The Public Contributor role 

Zahid describes the value of hearing a diversity of voices and priorities, and the Public Contributor role as a ‘gateway’ to provide opportunities to speak with diverse communities, share information and learn from each other.  Zahid describes the importance of creating a space where Public Contributors feel they can bring ideas to the table, where all views are valued and there are no rights or wrongs, only valued contributions. 

• (37:00) Question and answers - questions explored at the end include how terminology is used interchangeably with overlaps, ways of establishing trust with communities, keeping engagement, managing expectations, and ensuring diversity of voices.  

• (50:00) Top tip Anna introduces the idea of having a ‘terms of engagement’ document as a practical approach to outlining expectations, writing this as a document and being explicit about the role also helps the researcher to have dedicated time to think about this and plan for positive engagement