Published: April 2024
About the resource
This resource is designed to provide insights into how to identify the difference that co-production is making in your work. After learning from previous research and speaking to people working with co-production and people with lived experience, we learnt that there are three key areas within impact that are the most relevant. While the focus is on understanding impact, we have included sections on co-production achievements (short-term outcomes), benefits, feedback and evaluation of the process. In this resource, we provide a definition for each of these sections to help you choose what you need most and access the right information.
Who is this resource for?
This resource is designed to support co-production groups, social care workers, and organisations who want to demonstrate the impact of co-production and who want to facilitate the impact assessment process with people with lived experience. The resource offers a more accessible version of impact assessment with insights to encourage the development of tailored approaches to fit specific needs.
This resource was developed with the support of individuals with lived experience and co-production professionals. We thank all individuals from Active Prospects who took part in the steering group and all members of the SCIE Fliers co-production group for their contribution.
Co-production impact
Co-production impact content – we suggest starting with this document. It contains the definitions of key terms and overall guidance with an example.
Impact easy-read summary
Contains an easy-read summary of the impact section to be used by facilitators to include people with lived experience in the impact assessment process.
ToC Guidance template
This Theory of Change (ToC) guidance template provides more detailed guidance on each step of the impact assessment.
Impact
Impact is the major change that is achieved towards the end of the process. It is the main objective that everyone is working towards.
Co-production achievements
Achievements that happen along the journey towards impact. It can also be called short-term outcomes.
Benefits of co-production
The benefits of people taking part in co-production.
Evaluation and feedback
Evaluating the process of co-production and gathering feedback.
What is impact?
There are many ways to define impact, but ultimately impact is the key change that is achieved towards the end of a journey to develop projects, services, policies, or anything that is being co-produced.
For this resource, we are adopting a definition that is proposed in an approach called the Theory of Change, which is a framework that helps to understand how projects and organisations can produce impact and make positive changes in society.
Within the Theory of Change, impact is understood as the main change that happens and remains even after the co-production activities have been completed. This means that impact is the goal that everyone involved in that work is aiming for, and it usually takes collective effort and time to be achieved.
This resource focuses on understanding the difference co-production makes when compared with not doing co-production, as opposed to a project’s task or a service’s impact more widely.
Why is impact important?
To be able to show the changes that co-production makes is key to demonstrate its importance and to make a case for co-production to be prioritised, expanded and sustained. It is particularly important for attracting funding, as funders usually like to know the impact that their support will have on organisations, communities, and people’s lives. Demonstrating impact is also important to show the government and other organisations the value that co-production can add to social care and make a case for co-production to be prioritised.
What if assessing impact is not what I need?
Co-production can happen in many forms, it is a process that should be tailored to individuals’ needs and there is no strict recipe for it. The same applies to understanding the impact of co-production. Different initiatives will pursue different types of impacts, sometimes larger and long-term, other times smaller and short-term. For these reasons, we have divided this resource into four sections so that you can access what is most relevant to you.
Theory of Change
Why Theory of Change?
The Theory of Change is a good way to break down impact into more manageable pieces. While not all organisations and co-production groups use Theory of Change as a base for their work, it can still be used as a framework to help understand how the different parts of the project are linked to impact and how to identify the positive changes that are happening during the journey towards impact.
How does it work?
There are three essential elements that we would like to highlight: impact, outcomes (short and long-term), and activities. Activities and outcomes are the stepping stones that will form the pathway towards the impact, as illustrated below.
Impact
Impact is the key change that is achieved towards the end of the journey and is often part of an objective that all participants are aiming to reach. The Theory of Change can be helpful to break down that journey into various elements and help us to understand where we are and where we want to go. In some cases, a Theory of Change can also be helpful to show how far we have come even though the journey to impact is not completed. Many things are achieved and learned along the way that are essential to pave the way towards impact, but they also have a significant value on their own, to anyone involved in the work. We call these outcomes.
Outcomes
Outcomes are achievements, or positive changes, that happen along the way and are a result of co-production. While impact is the main change to be achieved, outcomes are the stepping stones that form the pathway to achieve impact. It includes, for example, the learning, the partnership and relationship developed, and the development that people and organisations achieve.
Activities
These are the activities that are planned and delivered with the intention of achieving a needed outcome to move a project towards its desired impact. It can include, workshops, meetings, training sessions, or anything that is part of the co-production activities.
Theory of Change resources
Other co-production resources
How can Theory of Change be helpful to co-production?
In this resource, we are proposing an approach in which a Theory of Change is used as a template to shape and understand the impact of the project or work that is being co-produced. This will help us to think about specific parts of the journey separately; allowing us to understand the impact co-production has made in different parts of the journey. For this, we need to undertake an exercise to differentiate two types of impact: project impact and co-production impact. This is a process that requires reflection and while there is no one single way of doing it, the below structure can serve as a starting point.
Backwards mapping
We first start by defining the issue or problem that needs to be addressed and what impact is expected to be achieved. We then work backwards, thinking about the other elements that will form the pathway towards the desired impact.
For further details, access the guidance template.
Problem or issue to be addressed
This will define the direction of the project and will shape all other elements. It is important that this process is co-produced with individuals experiencing the issue to ensure that both the problem and intended impact are relevant.
- Why is the project necessary?
- What is the problem to be addressed or what is the improvement needed?
- People with learning disabilities don’t have a place to go to make friends, learn new things, have a good time, and feel valued.
Impact
The targeted impact should be directly related to the problem and can also be seen as a solution to the problem. From this point, it is important to differentiate the project impact from co-production impact. This will help to identify with more clarity the difference co-production is making.
- Targeted impact
- Project impact
- To create a day centre for people with learning disabilities.
- Co-production impact
To make the day centre how people would like it to be, that will match their needs and preferences, and that more people will be happy to use.
See section 1 in the guidance template (PDF) for further information on how to define a targeted impact and identify the problem or issue.
Outcomes
These can be described as a breakdown of the impact that will form a path towards the final goal. It will make the impact look realistic and achievable by dividing the journey into smaller parts. Identifying outcomes can be helpful to map co-production achievements even at earlier stages of the process when the impact is still far away but positive changes are already happening.
See section 2 in the guidance template (PDF) for further information on how to define activities and how they are connected to outcomes.
Activities: resources
What are achievements?
Achievements are short-term outcomes that can be understood and assessed individually, separately from impact. While impact is a longer-term journey, assessing achievements can help to acknowledge progress and showcase positive changes that are happening on a day-to-day basis.
It can include – but not restricted to – things that are learnt, such as increasing people’s awareness, and improvement in relationships between individuals and stakeholders.
How do achievements relate to impact?
Achievements are the outcomes that form the pathway towards impact. However, if your choice is to focus only on achievements instead, you can look at each achievement individually and assess specific parts of your co-production journey.
Why is it important?
Co-production is a journey which needs to be embedded in practices and often relies on a change of culture. Therefore, celebrating achievements supports engagement and interest from key stakeholders and allows you to report on progress and positive changes regardless of where you are on your journey. In other cases, achieving impact is restricted by challenges that are beyond the control of co-production such as interruption of funding, changes in leadership priorities, and changes in partnerships. In these cases, identifying achievements can be useful to demonstrate the difference that co-production is making despite the external challenges.
Example
To help better understand and describe the progress of each achievement, a breakdown with a brief description of the activities can be developed. This can also be helpful to define a short-term pathway of the achievement for more detailed reporting if relevant. See example below.
Project achievements
Developing an accessible equality, diversity and inclusion internal policy document.
Activities
- Form a group responsible for developing the policy.
- Discuss and outline key priorities and areas covered by the policy.
- Draft policy document.
- Discuss the document with relevant people in the organisation for feedback.
- Prepare the final version and launch policy.
Ideas to assess achievements
The principles of the Theory of Change can be helpful for assessing achievements. Although the objective here is not to assess impact, the Theory of Change can be used as a framework to identify achievements in a structured way helping you better understand each achievement individually. You can use the guidance template to identify activities and their corresponding short-term outcomes. This can be done independent of whether you have a defined path for impact and how far in the path your project is.
Section 2 in the guidance template (PDF) can be used to support you in defining achievements (short-term outcomes).
Resources
National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health – Working Well Together: Evidence and tools to enable co-production in mental health commissioning (contains a section on outcomes assessment (pp.30-32))
What are ‘benefits of co-production’?
These are the benefits to all individuals involved in co-production and can include aspects of their personal development, how they feel, and how they do things. It may include individuals feeling more valued, having an increase in confidence, an increase in independence, a better sense of belonging to a group, and developing knowledge and awareness.
How do benefits relate to impact?
Understanding the benefits of co-production is key to demonstrating the positive changes that co-production is making in people’s lives. In co-production, it is essential that the people involved are getting something valuable out of the process and that taking part is relevant to their lives. Moreover, professionals, practitioners, and policymakers, as well as service providers and organisations, also benefit from co-production.
Why is it important?
To be able to report on the benefits is important and shows the relevance that co-production has for individuals, professionals, and organisations. It is a way to demonstrate that people learn, develop skills, build relationships, improve ways of living and working, and gain confidence and independence. Recognising these benefits enhances the case for why co-production matters and why we should have time and funds allocated specifically for co-produced efforts.
Ideas to identify the benefits of co-production
To understand the benefits of co-production to individuals it is key to develop a structured way to hear about their experience and the benefits they gain from the process. Each individual, or group, will have their preferred ways to provide their views and it is important that they are able to make such a decision.
Ways to collect individuals’ views
Making conversations
In groups, organise group activities and encourage individuals to share their views. These can be dedicated sessions, or they can be part of a planned group activity.
Ask open questions and encourage conversations between individuals. Some themes could include:
- Opening themes – for stimulating reflection and starting conversations: perceptions of the process, favourite activities, any relationships they built during the process, and overall experiences.
- Core themes – for encouraging individuals to talk about the benefits: what was learnt, what they can take away from the process, any changes in the way they feel and understand things, improvement in confidence, self-worth, skills, and socialisation.
Individual conversations or interviews – give individuals the opportunity to openly talk about their perceptions and any benefits they have gained from joining the process. A variety of approaches are available, the most common being:
- Structured conversations – these types of conversations will be limited by the questions asked to individuals. It is often based on a list of questions which the interviewer/one asking questions goes through in a consistent manner with all individuals. It gives fewer opportunities for the individuals to shape the conversation, making it less spontaneous and open. However, it increases the consistency of the information collected.
- Semi-structured conversations – the conversation is guided by open questions and general themes that will be used to prompt the individual to express their views and shape the conversation by proposing other themes. The interviewer/one asking questions may ask follow-up questions to encourage the individual to expand on certain themes. Each conversation will be different however the themes covered will be the same.
- Themes for individual conversations can follow the same suggestions as outlined above – under group conversations – with the addition of other specific themes to encourage individuals to talk about their singular views. Some suggestions are the importance of co-production in their lives, reasons that encouraged them to take part in the process, and their aspirations for the future in terms of co-production.
Spontaneous feedback
- It is very common for individuals to express their opinions and how they feel about taking part in co-production during or after their involvement. These can be a rich source of information to understand benefits as they are spontaneous and often honest and detailed.
- Ensure different channels of communication are available so individuals can choose what best suits them. For example, written and voice notes, online messaging, face-to-face, and feedback post boxes.
- Ensure you have a good system of recording this type of feedback such as a logbook or form. Record the date and the subject (what is the feedback about) and make note of what has been said. It is a good idea to share the note with the individual and confirm that it reflects their views.
Structured forms and questionnaires
- Although these can restrict accessibility and limit the amount of detail collected, this approach can reach more people and require fewer resources to collect the information needed.
- Common ways of using forms and questionnaires are by providing individuals with the form or collectively by distributing or making the questionnaire available to a wider number of people.
Benefits of co-production as outcomes
When defining outcomes and creating a pathway towards impact, some benefits of co-production can be defined as outcomes to be achieved within that pathway. If that is the case, you can follow the guidance for creating outcomes and include these within your pathway to impact.
See sections 1 and 2 in the guidance template (PDF) for further information on how to define outcomes and identify the problem or issue.
Resources
Co-production Collective – The value of co-production (contains examples of benefits of co-production)
SCIE and TLAP – Co-production what it is and how to do it (contains a section on benefits of co-production)
Community Fund (an example of assessing and reporting co-production benefits)
Health Watch Suffolk – The value of co-production within health and social care (literature review on values and benefits of co-production)
What is feedback and evaluation in co-production?
Feedback and evaluation is about listening to what people have to say about the co-production process and understanding what went well and what needs to be improved. It can be achieved through talking to people, feedback forms, feedback sessions, or more organically by being attentive to people’s reactions and comments throughout the process.
How do feedback and evaluation relate to impact?
Feedback and evaluation will provide a good insight into whether activities are achieving their objectives and why people engage or do not engage in activities. It will give a general sense of the quality of the activities and will help to make changes to ensure they are effective and will contribute to generating the expected outcome.
Why is feedback and evaluation important?
Collecting feedback is crucial for learning and improving the co-production process. It will give you insights into how individuals are experiencing the co-production process, allowing activities to be tailored to individual’s needs and preferences, which can help to make the overall process relevant, suitable, and engaging.
Ideas for collecting feedback
There are many ways to collect feedback and it is important an approach is chosen based on individuals’ needs making sure it is accessible and suitable to them. Below we suggest a few approaches as a starting point.
Structured forms and questionnaires
- These are the most common ways of collecting feedback. If designed in an accessible way, it can work for a diverse range of individuals’ needs.
- Although these can restrict accessibility and limit the amount of detail collected, this approach can reach more people and require fewer resources to collect the information needed.
- Themes covered may include positive and challenging experiences, what worked well and what needs improvement, rating their experience and the benefit gained, other activities of interest, how they feel before and after the activity, rating the quality of the activity, and rating the practical arrangements and delivery of the activity.
Making conversations
In groups organise group activities and encourage individuals to share their views. These can be dedicated sessions if seeking feedback for the entire or large parts of the process, or it can be part of a planned group activity, if seeking feedback on that particular session.
Ask open questions and encourage conversations between individuals. Some themes could include:
- Opening themes – for stimulating reflection and starting conversations: perceptions of the process, favourite activities, any relationships they built during the process, and overall experiences.
- Core themes could include – the positive and challenging experiences, things they liked and what they didn’t, what can be improved and how, what would they do differently next time, would they take part in again and why, and would they recommend the experience to a friend and why.
Recording the information – define an approach to record the information and make it consistent throughout the process. Usual approaches include note-taking, audio recording, and asking individuals to put their ideas on boards and sheets as part of the activity. For any form of data recording, It is crucial to follow relevant GDPR, data protection, and confidentiality policies.
Individual conversations or interviews – give individuals the opportunity to openly talk about their views and provide detailed feedback. A variety of approaches is available in individual conversations, the most common being:
- Structured conversations – the conversation will be limited by the questions asked to individuals. It is often based on a list of questions which the interviewer goes through in a consistent manner with all individuals. It gives fewer opportunities for the individuals to shape the conversation, making it less spontaneous and open, but it increases the consistency of the information collected.
- Semi-structured conversations – the conversation is guided by open questions and general themes that will be used to prompt the individual to express their views and shape the conversation by proposing other themes. The interviewer may ask follow-up questions to encourage the individual to expand on certain themes. Each conversation will be different however the themes covered will be the same.
- Themes for individual conversations can follow the same suggestions as outlined above – under group conversations – with the addition of other specific themes to encourage individuals to talk about their singular views, e.g. if activities have met their expectations and needs, details about their experience, and their specific benefits and challenges.
Spontaneous feedback
- It is very common for individuals to express their opinions and provide feedback spontaneously. These can be a rich source of information as they are spontaneous and often honest and detailed.
- Make sure you have a system to record this type of feedback. A logbook or form can be a good way to record this information. Record the date, the subject (what is the feedback about) and make note of what has been said. It is a good idea to share the note with the individual and confirm that it reflects their views.
Resources
IPC Brokes – Co-production checklist (contains a section on feedback)
