CoSIE is committed to produce 1) new co-creation skills 2) new knowledge and 3) new insight. The project was executed via 10 pilots in 9 different EU countries. Pilots were experimental co-creation cases around different socio-economic-cultural contexts. In these pilots together with academic partners were developed and tested various ITC-tools and process models for co-creation.
The main contribution to 1) new skills rises from the two main methods used in the project: Community Reporting (CR) and Living Lab analyzing (LL).
The CR consists of methods that support citizens to express their opinions via stories and videos. To make this possible, CoSIE trained pilot staff and peer group representatives to operate as community reporters, who interview and document the insights of the target groups. Collected stories examine issues pertinent to the pilots (i.e. unemployment, youth marginalisation, experiences of probation services) and reflections on the co-creation and CR processes. Versions of the written analyses and edited audio-visual content were produced in all ten pilots.
The LL enhance sense-making and co-creative design of the pilots and stakeholders by helping them to develop a set of models for roles, structures, processes and capacities. Visual models support the exchange and learning between the pilots by giving them common language to represent their visions, developments and outcomes.
CoSIE’s main contribution to 2) new knowledge. All CoSIE pilots concentrate on finding more effective and innovative solutions to persistent problems of societies by innovation in ways to incorporate the legitimate knowledge of service receivers (end users). To guide formative evaluation as well as evidence of impacts and lessons learned: Reporting Requirements & Evaluation Framework and CoSIE Evaluation Guidance were used.
The main messages from the pilot evaluations were at:
Micro level: There is evidence of achievement in developing skills and attitudes of front-line workers through dedicated training with time for reflection. Paradigm change towards user centred co-creation among public service workers for example.
Meso level: Co-creation implies interaction across organizational boundaries involving a wide range of stakeholders with diverse expectations and worldviews. Orchestrating collaborative interaction is demanding. In Hungary CoSIE engaged multiple level stakeholders e.g. 10 municipalities, 10 local coordinators and 72 households at poor rural villages.
Macro level: The wider socio-political environment can either support or impede co-creation. In Reggio Emilia, Italy the CoSIE pilot aligns with the Social and Health Regional Plan. CoSIE arranged Spring 2021 joined policy round table with EESC. The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is the voice of organised civil society in Europe. Find out more about its role and structure at www.eesc.europa.eu.
CoSIE provides 3) new insight about co-creation as a concept and existing co-creation procedures. CoSIE has produced a guide for roadmap, which includes pedagogically accessible guidelines (e.g. MOOC) and video modules for public sector actors on how innovative co-creation in public sector can be made possible. CoSIE has also actively encouraged pilots to explore digital technologies (e.g. CoSMoS, Luuppi) for collaborating with stakeholders. See www.cosie.turkuamk.fi.
Pilot evaluation results were disseminated to national and regional stakeholders in each partner country in a series of Policy Roundtables (organised virtually due CoVID-19). Results and learning were shared across the consortium formally in series of project-wide events and beyond the project in EESC policy round table for example.
