The 'evidence' question

[Julia]

This is a brief blog, intended to invite comment from everyone on a potential piece of research work.

During the first year of the co-production network (2009 - 2010), a group of around 30 practitioners met face to face every few months. We worked with that group to try and identify some of the major challenges they faced in 'doing' co-production, and making it more mainstream. Time and time again, one word came up. Evidence. More recently, at a national social care meeting, the theme of evidence came up again as a key priority for pushing forward co-production.

At nef towers, we have been kicking around the idea of evidence for a while, and gradually been assembling an index of literature that documents much of the evidence on co-production. Our initial plan was to conduct a fairly straightforward literature review and write up the findings in a written report. Just before we kicked off the project, we began asking difficult questions about what exactly we were trying to achieve and why.

Do people want to see what evidence is available so they can put it forward to their funders and commissioners and make the case for co-production? If so, is the evidence the 'thing' which makes the case for funding? And what do we mean by evidence? Do qualitative insights and case studies count, or is it the type with a pound sign in front which is what we're after?  

We have a window of opportunity to do some work on this which would - hopefully, be valuable to practitioners. What we need to take it forward is to unpack what is meant by evidence, whether you think it is a priority, and if so why. And don't forget, if you think we're barking up the wrong tree alltogether, we'd like to know about that too.

Please email [e-mail] with ideas, comments and suggestions..

Julia