20 July 2010

Right Here, Right Now

Taking co-production into the mainstream


This report charts ways ahead for public services: involving users in the design and delivery of services. It argues that co-production should be central to delivering the "Big Society" vision of the coalition government.

Right Here, Right Now

People’s needs are better met when they are involved in an equal and reciprocal relationship with public service professionals and others, working together to get things done. This is the underlying principle of co-production – a transformational approach to delivering services – whose time has now come.

For over a year, nef and NESTA have been working together to grow a network of co-production practitioners. We are building a substantial body of knowledge about co-production that offers a powerful critique of the current model of public service delivery and a key to transforming it.

This report offers recommendations for the direction of travel in public services, based on what we have learnt so far. We suggest changing the way that services are managed and delivered, changing the way services are commissioned and opening up new opportunities for co-production, with a 'Co-production Guarantee'. It also addresses the challenges and opportunities of the government's vision of a "Big Society" for public service delivery.

This publication is free: to order hard copies please call 0207 820 6300.