Guest blogger Elinor Findlay from the Scottish Government, discusses our understanding of ‘co-production’.

Author: Elinor Findlay, Office of the Chief Social Policy Adviser, Scottish Government

Date: 28 May 2015

Co-production is an increasingly popular term used in policy design and in response to the challenges associated with public sector reform. But, what is it? What does it mean for how services are designed and delivered? And, what does it mean for people and communities, and how they engage with each other and with services? What evidence is there of its benefits and impact?

There are varied definitions and descriptions. Many examples of successful co-production aren’t subject to formal monitoring and evaluation.

Ultimately, co-production is about designing and delivering services which are based on the underlying principles of the approach – and this means reflecting local circumstances, and services which may not be easily scaled up or mainstreamed.

Read the post on the What Works Scotland blog