The project report highlights emerging results from COGOV including: how best to apply strategic management to co-creation; a range of best practices for organisations; how to apply a co-creation 'ladder'; the tools professionals need to implement such an approach; the cultural shift needed; the importance of effective evaluation of collaboration; and, the need to capture potential impacts of COVID on public sector operations. Dissemination and impact has been enhanced since Period 1 by:
• Improvements in web content on www.cogov.eu including all deliverables available, working papers, blogs, newsletters, and networking information (
http://www.cogov.eu(odnośnik otworzy się w nowym oknie))
• Additional data collection in year 2 generating new qualitative and quantitative results to inform scholarly outputs in the realm of Public Administration in terms of articles, special editions of journals, conference papers, and keynote addresses. The COGOV project has established itself as a major source of research and scholarship within academic circles across Europe. This includes COGOV-led special editions of prestigious journals
• The development of practitioner-focussed findings aimed at those involved in the strategic management of co-production and co-creation in national, regional and local governance agencies through the use of the Archives of good practice (WP2), The Co-Creator Game (WP 4) and the COGOV toolkit (WP7). WP 2 findings have been distilled into an archive of good practice and are ready for dissemination to practitioners. Several events for practitioners have taken place during the period under review and links with networks developed e.g. delivering workshops on Sound Local Public Management in Vienna; a workshop on Welfare state reform and the role of professionals in the Netherlands; and a workshop for professionals in the cultural sector in Sud Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
In summarising the impact of COGOV in this review period, it is noticeable that while the impact of COVID has reduced opportunities, both in terms of delaying the generation of empirical insights and causing the cancellation of important conferences and events, much has still been achieved. This is particularly the case with the extent of the COGOV footprint on academic research and scholarship across Europe and with the range of outputs provided.
We acknowledge however, that this is an area that requires further efforts (contained in our Dissemination Plan: 2020-2022). Priority will therefore be given to achieving impact on practitioners by ensuring the swift delivery of practitioner-focused deliverables, increased networking (once COVID restrictions are hopefully lifted) and the development of practitioner-focussed events. Thus, we have plans for 2 events in 2021 on the implications of COVID on Strategic Management and Leadership. Our contribution to wider social learning around, and citizen engagement in, the strategic renewal of public services is also planned via the Co-Creation Best Practice Source Book.
