Co-production describes the means by which the beneficiaries of charity, philanthropy services or public services are instrumental in the design, planning and delivery of specific services or broader social outcomes as a way of improving the service or activity and rebuilding the community.

The term ‘co-production’ began as a way of describing the critical role that service ‘consumers’ have in making it possible for professionals to make a success of their jobs. It was originally coined at the University of Indiana in the 1970s by Elinor Ostrom and other academic sociologists as a way to explain why neighbourhood crime rates went up in Chicago when police stopped walking the beat and lost their vital connections with the local community .

Co-production requires professionals and service managers to move out of traditional roles as ‘experts’ and ‘providers’ into partnership models that work with ‘clients’ and ‘communities’. This enables them to find a solution together to the complexity of their problem and sometimes requires that the ‘problem’ be redefined. Real and lasting changes are possible with approaches that build or strengthen social networks and in turn motivate people to learn about and exercise their powers and their responsibilities as citizens.

The concept has been deepened and broadened by US-based civil rights lawyer Edgar Cahn, who emphasizes the involvement of the wider neighbourhood of families and communities as well.

Further reading:

Leadership Excerpt Report

Co-production – (nef)

Youth Court document

Hidden Work

http://www.jrf.org.uk/Knowledge/findings/socialpolicy/0356.asp