A new policy brief from the Operating Unit on Policy-Driven Electronic Governance, UNU-EGOV, authored by Noella Edelmann and Mariana Lameiras, explores the concept of co-creation in the public sector, its challenges, and lessons learned. The brief, titled "Co-Creation in the Public Sector: Challenges and Lessons Learned," emphasizes the transformation of public administrations towards collaborative and sustainable governance.
Our policy brief, authored by Noella Edelmann and Mariana Lameiras, explores the concept of co-creation in the public sector, its challenges, and lessons learned. The brief, titled "Co-Creation in the Public Sector: Challenges and Lessons Learned", emphasizes the transformation of public administrations towards collaborative and sustainable governance.
What is Co-Creation?
The policy brief defines co-creation as a collaborative effort involving public and private actors to define common problems and design innovative public solutions, ultimately aiming to create public value on a grand scale. It involves partnerships between public institutions and various stakeholders, fostering new organizational practices and routines. The document outlines three key phases of co-creation:
- Co-design: Consultation and ideation of service design elements to ensure a user-centric experience, enhancing user trust and willingness to adopt the service.
- Co-delivery: Integration of knowledge and competencies from both professionals and laypeople to ensure the success and effectiveness of service delivery, improving communication between service providers and users.
- Co-assessment: Evaluation of the service after delivery, facilitating learning and improvement while enhancing user-centricity and empowering stakeholders through information sharing.
Key Considerations and Challenges
The policy brief highlights several critical considerations for managing co-creation in the public sector:
- Stakeholder Engagement: Involving actors from the state, economy, and society in different phases of the public service cycle.
- Potential Co-destruction: Awareness of conflicting values, limited experiences, and other factors that may negatively impact co-creation processes.
- Sustainability: Ensuring continuous stakeholder engagement to make service design and delivery more participatory and sustainable.
Recommendations and Conclusion
The authors emphasize the importance of addressing key questions related to participation, data governance, and ethical considerations to ensure trustworthiness and unbiased outcomes in digital co-creation projects. The brief concludes that while co-creation processes are not yet standard in Public Service Organizations, they hold significant potential for enhancing public services and fostering innovation.
This policy brief is a valuable resource for public administrators, political leaders, and stakeholders interested in leveraging co-creation to address complex public problems and improve citizen satisfaction.
