Comments on: People as assets: towards the co-production of people-powered public services https://blog.p2pfoundation.net/people-as-assets-towards-the-co-production-of-people-powered-public-services/2012/07/14 Researching, documenting and promoting peer to peer practices Mon, 16 Jul 2012 08:41:55 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.5.15 By: Alice Casey https://blog.p2pfoundation.net/people-as-assets-towards-the-co-production-of-people-powered-public-services/2012/07/14/comment-page-1#comment-492502 Mon, 16 Jul 2012 08:41:55 +0000 http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/?p=24991#comment-492502 Thanks for this article; some interesting points here. In the work we’ve been doing here at Nesta, we have been working to trial some practical appraoches co-production and also “asset-based” community development through recent work with innovative local groups via Neighbourhood Challenge. We found that the local groups themselves found the ‘assets first’ approach far more empowering and constructive than the deficit based,needs assessment style approach which so many funders use as their first (or only) point of engagement with a local community. You may find publications of interest on this aspect (we also have some more extensive documents forthcoming.)You can read more on our web pages http://www.nesta.org.uk/neighbourhood_challenge and also a short blogpost in the guardian here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/voluntary-sector-network/community-action-blog/2012/may/02/nesta-neighbourhood-challenge-mapping-assets

I’d be intersted to know what you think.

]]> By: Lucy Wills https://blog.p2pfoundation.net/people-as-assets-towards-the-co-production-of-people-powered-public-services/2012/07/14/comment-page-1#comment-492474 Sat, 14 Jul 2012 11:53:26 +0000 http://blog.p2pfoundation.net/?p=24991#comment-492474 People = Assets? Of course. A move towards public services that are truly designed by, with and for their end users in mind is a good one. It should be put more to use in the commercial sector too. I recently took part in a DESIS project for a Community Garden in Highgate, London. Our team (CSM MA Students, plus support from innovation lab staff) found that the service discovery and resource mapping processes generated a wealth of information and ideas for end user products and services for use in this particular case, and further afield.

Collaborative design is not a short cut though – it takes time, patience and empathy to draw out peoples statements, opinions and to help identify their most critical needs – and to present proposed solutions in a sensitive and open manner.
What appear to be simple interactions can be complicated by differences in culture, language and expectations. In our case, we identified significant issues around fluctuations in user engagement patterns, and past burn out from both project leaders and volunteers.

By helping to define and set realistic goals and practical and measurable outcomes, we tried to ensure that the project will be sustainable in the long term – and not fizzle out 6 months down the line. How the project tools we developed could scale and be applied elsewhere? We’re still working that one out.

DIY/home grown service development could be what the Big Society needs in the UK – but we’ll need to change the whole design culture, as well as securing long term government support.

We do need new narratives, new ways of relating to each other, but Will Doig is right: Hipsters won’t save us. http://www.salon.com/2012/07/13/hipsters_wont_save_us/

Genuine and consistently applied efforts to value, support and grow community participation will.

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