Table 2 Some early thoughts on when to favour coproduction and when not to
From: The dark side of coproduction: do the costs outweigh the benefits for health research?
Less emphasis on coproduction when … | More emphasis when … |
|---|---|
The policy or programme is likely to be controversial or the findings are likely to be contested | The policy or programme is widely regarded as a ‘good thing’ and the findings are unlikely to be contested |
Conflicts of interest between stakeholders are likely to be hard to manage (e.g. policy-makers are directly responsible for the successful delivery of a policy or programme) | There are few fundamental conflicts of interest between stakeholders (e.g. policy-makers are not directly responsible for successful delivery of a policy or programme) |
There is less concern to use the findings directly and immediately for policy or management decisions | The main goal is to ‘use’ the findings for policy and management decisions |
Funders and/or commissioners of the research value ‘expert’, dispassionate scientific inquiry above other forms of knowledge | There are few concerns about the limitations of ‘policy-based evidence’ |
The nature and purpose of the policy or programme is relatively well defined and agreed upon | The policy or programme still needs considerable definition, refinement, testing of feasibility, acceptability, etc. |
The prime purpose of the research is to establish whether the policy or programme ‘works’ and there is strong prior commitment by policy-makers or managers to acting on the findings (i.e. ‘decision space’ is available) | The prime purpose of the research is to identify how best to implement the policy or programme rather than whether or not to proceed with it |
Undertaking the research is less dependent on cooperation of policy agencies or local programme implementers | The research cannot easily be carried out without the active cooperation of policy-makers and/or local programme implementers |
There are good, informal, ongoing relationships between the researchers, and policy-makers and service managers | There is a need to increase mutual awareness and understanding between researchers, and policy-makers and service managers |
One or more of time, resources and expertise are in limited supply to involve the key stakeholders at all appropriate points in the research process | Time, resources and expertise are available to involve the key stakeholders at all appropriate points in the research process |