The pilot’s understanding of co-creation

Changing a model in the case of local governments of small communities is a difficult task. Instead of lobbying based on deficiencies, a proactive role building on locally available resources is the focus, and hierarchical models yield to horizontal, jointly regulated and maintained models. Hence, local actors need to develop new approaches, new networks, and new operational forms. The co-creation method contributed to this change during the implementation of the pilot.

Co-creation takes place on two separate levels in our pilot. Firstly, mayors take part in the development of the framework for the activities of coordinators and prospective farmers. Secondly, the coordinators will take part in the development of local production plans.

The way how co-creation is defined is highly context-dependent. We asked project participants to share their understanding of co-creation. Please, read the following texts and watch the video.

“I can only speak for myself, I needed some time too until I sat down with them around a table and thought, well, let’s listen to them, and then I didn’t say anything, regardless of whether the ideas were good or not. I said to myself, somebody else is talking now, you shouldn’t interrupt them. But then after some time and with some experience you relax, and they do so too.” (coordinator in Locality 5)

“But some of the people got thinking, and they had ideas that would never have occurred to me. So I think this is important, this thinking together, working together. It is important, how should I put this, well, that I had an idea myself what would come out of this, and what we really got out of it is something different, but what we got is at least as good as what I had in mind. So you should give them the freedom to come up with their ideas themselves, you shouldn’t do the thinking for them.” (mayor of Locality 8)

Questions and tasks:

What changes can be identified in the attitudes and applied methods of local decision makers?

“First… we had a kind of longer conversation, everybody sketched their vision for the future, what they wanted, how they wanted it. … I think because they already saw there that this was a constructive thing, that you could ask questions, talk, look at things in a constructive manner, and so on, then they eventually had enough confidence to open up. And I think they already felt the potential in this spirit that we belong to a small core, and we have to build something together. I don’t know, but I think this whole thing was to the benefit of our small team.” (coordinator in Locality 6)

“…and in the process a community was created in which everybody could speak their minds, talk about their experiences so far, offer help to others, and it has been just pleasant spending time together, and I believe it has laid down foundations that will make it possible for this community to continue to exist.” (coordinator in Locality 6)

Questions and tasks:

A) Collect the new active roles of the service beneficiaries, which developed during the process?

B) Based on the interview excerpts, what are the most important meanings of co-creation for the participants of the Hungarian pilot?