A Short Guide to Co-Development
Co-development of research is increasingly expected by funders, particularly for challenge-led research. Different funders use different terms that are specific to their remits and expectations. Such terms may include:
- Community Engagement and Involvement
- Co-Production
- Stakeholder Engagement
- Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement
While you should always refer back to the terminology and the specifics of the funder you are targeting when framing your approach for an application, there is a shared underpinning philosophy for all of these terms: nothing about us without us. This guidance provides a short introduction to co-development and some of the things you should consider when integrating a co-development approach.
Designing Your Approach
Who
As with any kind of engagement, the approach should be designed around the audience. Identifying the appropriate entities and individuals for the co-development process is critical.
Are there key local community connectors? Organizations that are working in your area of interest? Key policy makers at any level that will be important for delivering impact? Patient advocacy groups? Professional organizations?
Identifying who should be included is an important element of effective co-development.
What?
You need to give careful consideration to what exactly you are asking of the people and organisations you engage with. You should consider what you are able to offer them in return for their time, expertise, insights and experience. There are likely to be constraints on your options in this regard, so consider carefully what is feasible and be transparent.
It is important to accept that people may not be willing or able to participate – they do not owe you their time or expertise.
You should be very careful with respect to transparency about the likelihood of funding applications being successful. People may make assumptions that contributing their time for co-developing the application will be paid back if the application is successful, without realizing what the chances of success actually are. It is important to manage expectations and be clear about success rates.
When?
Ideally, co-development should be built into every stage of work, including conceptualising the research question, developing the approach, conducting the research, disseminating the findings and embedding outcomes. However, there will be different constraints at each stage.
Conceptualisation often takes place in the absence of funding support, meaning people must contribute their time for free. In contrast, funding may be available specifically for dissemination, but funders will have different rules about whether stakeholder time can be included as an eligible cost.
Make sure you have a clear understanding of what is permitted and that this is transparently conveyed to stakeholders so they can make informed decisions about participation.
Where?
The venue for co-development will influence who can contribute, how contributions can occur and how you are perceived as a researcher.
Think carefully about who your target audience is and how they will feel most comfortable engaging with you. If you ask people to travel to you, how much extra time and money will this mean for them? If you use technology for virtual engagement, are you considering the impact of the digital divide on participation?
Different venues will be appropriate for different communities and contexts, so consider what environment will facilitate useful engagement.
Why?
“Because the funder requires it” should never be the only reason for co-development.
Co-development should result in changes to how you conduct research. By moving towards research with people rather than on people, research becomes more equitable and grounded in local needs.
You should consider carefully the value that co-development can bring to your work and think creatively about how to incorporate co-development approaches.
How?
Respect established entry points. In many contexts, there may be community leaders that need to give permission before broader engagement can occur. Listen to those with track records of working with stakeholders about what expectations may exist and what approaches will work.
Identify appropriate and feasible pathways for compensation if allowed under the funder terms and conditions. Consider opportunities to develop the capacity of disempowered stakeholders to engage with research and policy actors as part of your research programme. If your identified funder considers compensation for engagement participation to be an eligible cost, make sure you include these costs in your budget.
Be transparent at all stages. This includes being very clear about the likelihood of a proposal being funded if co-development is happening as part of proposal development. There is an element of managing expectations and making sure you aren’t inadvertently giving the impression that a positive outcome is more likely that it really is.
Context
Depending on the context of your work, you may need to consider specific elements when developing your approach to co-development. The section provides some additional elements you may need to take into account.
Low- and Middle- Income Country Contexts
Power Dynamics – In all engagement activities, there will be power dynamics at play. When working in LMIC contexts, those include historical and colonial power, along with hierarchies, access to funding, extractive activities and gender dynamics. There may be very different attitudes to authority (do not dismiss the possibility that you will be considered an authority), outsiders, and perceived benefits that you will need to navigate. Being aware of these dynamics in your specific context is important in considering your approach to co-development.
Livelihoods and Time – In LMIC contexts, asking for in-kind contributions from local organisations or for people’s time is likely to have a direct and significant impact on livelihoods. Staff at HEIs may not have capacity to contribute to co-development without a salary contribution, community members may not be able to take time from their daily lives without compromising their livelihoods and senior officials may require sitting allowances in order to be approved for participation in meetings. Consider carefully what you are asking people to give up to participate in co-development and seek ways to maximise use of the time that they can offer.
Language and Literacy – It is important to consider carefully the needs of your audiences and how best to engage. If you do not speak the local language fluently, consider whether there are those in your team who would be better placed to lead co-development sessions. You should consider literacy as a factor in decisions about how people can contribute.
Additional Resources
| NIHR - Briefing notes for researchers - public involvement in NHS, health and social care research | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/documents/briefing-notes-for-researchers-public-involvement-in-nhs-health-and-social-care-research/27371 |
| Health Data Research UK - Involving and engaging patients and the public | https://www.hdruk.ac.uk/about-us/involving-and-engaging-patients-and-the-public/ |
| NIHR - Community Engagement and Involvement | https://www.nihr.ac.uk/researchers/i-need-help-funding-my-research/tips-for-making-your-application/community-engagement-and-involvement |
| UKRI – Co-production in research | https://www.ukri.org/manage-your-award/good-research-resource-hub/research-co-production/ |