Co-production is so much more than consultation and engagement.  It is a way of working together in partnerships based on key principles of equality, diversity, access, reciprocity, and recognising the importance of experience that participants bring to the table. 

What makes for good, authentic co-production:

• Treating local people/communities as partners, central to any process of change, involved in joint decision-making from the very beginning of a project to its fulfilment. 
• A commitment to sharing power
• Giving practical support, resourcing and up-skilling to enable communities to participate effectively
• Employing good communication techniques to encourage those not usually participating.
• Capturing the different experiences, knowledge, needs and aspirations and finding common ground, whilst respecting and recording any minority views, all to inform joint decision making.
• Transparency when evaluating the engagement , to check for missing or quiet voices, recognising that those previously marginalised and those most affected by a planning project should play a more significant role.
• Ensuring that participation results in improved processes and outcomes to the benefit of communities to encourage further involvement.

This definition was first developed by the Just Space network and is contained within the Just Space, Community-Led Recovery Plan, 2022, page 16.