The value of
co-production
Co-Production Collective at UCL’s ‘Value of Co-production Research Project’ makes the case for co-production for individuals, organisations and for society.
Read the reportsor scroll to read more
What is co-production?
People define co-production in different ways. For us at Co-Production Collective we talk about co-production as ‘an approach to working together in equal partnership and for equal benefit. ‘ This is something we are always aspiring to and is underpinned by our core values of being:
Human
Valuing diversity of knowledge, experience and perspective. Building mutually beneficial relationships based on honesty and trust.
Inclusive
Removing barriers to participation and recognising people’s strengths and supporting their development.
Transparent
Addressing power imbalances and hierarchies, sharing roles and responsibilities.
Challenging
Continuous reflection, learning and improvement, embracing new ideas and ways of working.
Why we have done this research
The research aims to help people using it to overcome the following barriers to co-production:
- Advocating for the time to do it and having resources to help
- Resistance from people who are used to working in more hierarchical ways
- Insufficient evidence of the value of co-production to convince people who are unfamiliar with it that it is worth trying out and investing in
We hope this resource helps a wide variety of people to be able to make the case for co-production. We have tried to provide multiple different ways to engage in the content so that you can absorb the information in whatever way works for you, including accessible formats which you can find in the reports section.
In this video Nicc and Isaac talk more about how the project came about, what was involved and why we have put it together in the way that we have.
What did we find out?
From our research we found that if applied in the right context and given sufficient time and investment, co-production can have many benefits. This led us to the conclusion that value of co-production lies in:
Delivering outcomes that actually matter to people
Efficiency, in the long run
Working towards social justice
Empowering people and building capacity*
Connecting us as humans, working towards shared goals
*People told us as part of this research that they felt empowered by co-production
Click on each of these key findings to find out more detail about what they mean for co-production.
Our findings show that co-production can be seen as a valid ‘method’ a way of doing research, policy or service development. But it can also be an intervention - an act designed to change or influence something - in its own right. This is not necessarily true of other ‘methods’.
The values at the heart of co-production - and the changes they bring about for all involved - distinguish it from other ‘methods’. In other words, the value of co-production is in both the journey and the destination. The value of co-production depends on the context in which co-production takes place, however. Co-production is not a fix all. It’s not always the most useful, relevant or productive approach for developing a piece of work or research.
Our evidence base
Our findings are supported by a rigorous evidence base. Analysis across the board demonstrated consistent themes around the value of co-production, which been drawn out into our headline findings.
We analysed findings from:
573 online surveys
100 stories of co-production experiences
59 academic studies reviewed as part of a rapid critical review
9 pilot projects
The reports
View our findings in detail for each of these research methods here:
Online survey
Community reporting
Rapid critical review
Pilot projects
Interactive summary
Other useful documents
Accessible formats
Recommendations from our research
After reviewing the evidence base, we have made a number of recommendations in relation to:
- Practicalities and conditions that can enable the optimal conditions for co-production to flourish.
- What issues still require research in relation to co-production.
Please note these are not in any order of priority.
Some practical recommendations on how to create the optimal conditions for co-production
What other research/evidence/reporting is needed to add to the evidence base?
What general and system changes are required?
Overall recommendations
What's next?
A key finding from our Rapid Review was that:
“The low level of formal evaluation of the impacts of co-production (as opposed to the impacts of the research products) suggests a need to start measuring and evaluating the claims that are being made in research [and wider] on co-production”
We recognise that the benefits of co-production are not easily captured using traditional evaluation methods. These approaches often fall short in fully reflecting the impact co-production has on those involved. In response to insights and recommendations from the Value of Co-production Research project, in 2023 we launched the ‘Measuring Success in Co-production: Learning by Doing’ programme. This initiative was supported by a Research England Participatory Research grant, with additional funding from the Academy of Medical Sciences and UCL Grand Challenges.
Through this co-produced programme, we funded eight co-production projects in 2024 - each receiving between £10,000 and £15,000 - focused on themes of mental health, wellbeing, and/or climate change.
In partnership with The Evaluation Exchange (a collaboration between UCL and Compost London CIC), we supported these projects as they undertook their work over an eight month period. Our aim was to help project teams to co-produce both their work and their evaluation design, fostering approaches better suited to capturing the unique value of co-production.
Together with researchers, community partners, and co-producers with lived experience, we built connections across the country. We supported project teams to develop their work, learn collaboratively, and document the changes that emerge from meaningful co-production.
The knowledge we have gained from the programme has helped us to publish a series of blogs, reports, and a reflective learning resource with an audio-video guide; all designed to support others at any stage of their co-production journey. These are all available in accessible formats from this Google Drive folder.
Your feedback please
We would love to hear about how you are using this research and if there is anything else that you would find helpful from us in relation to this, or future research into co-production, as well as any feedback you have. Please email coproduction@ucl.ac.uk.
In partnership with
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Funded by
UCL and Research England
The team
For a full list of all involved see our Thank You page.