Co-design

Co-design is where a partnership involving community organisations has influenced the commissioning process.

It provides an opportunity for service users to engage in the design and development of services that they will use. It provides a means of minimising the likelihood that people will not take up services and therefore reduces resources used in providing services people don't want or will not use.

However, it is clear that many community and voluntary organisations do not appear to be engaged in co-design. As part of the Collaborate for Commissioning Project we tested out the most effective strategies and approaches for engaging the community sector in designing locally responsive services.

From our work we recommend that:

• Local authorities would benefit from skills and process support to build sustained and consistent third sector-friendly procurement and commissioning strategies and processes
• Third sector organisations would benefit from across the board core skills building, in particular to increase competence in producing tenders, and in developing the internal and external capability to be influential
• Both parties would benefit from in-depth study and experience of what it is to be genuinely collaborative.

Co-design Executive summary

Read the executive summary of the co-design report below

Co_Design_Executive_Summary.pdf

Co-design Full Report

Read the full report on co-design below

Co_Design_Report.pdf