The pilots understanding of co-creation

To understand from a comparative perspective contextual variations and similarities in how co-creation is understood, what norms, values, behaviours it aims at and how it is implemented in practice.

Co-creation as a relationship

In disability services, the aim is to deliver meaningful assistance with a moral intention to enhance user control over their lives and participation in society and so achieve their greater well-being. Such aims require that service professionals find ways to allow user participation and influence in service decision-making, delivery and improvements/redesign (within legally defined frames).In disability services, the aim is to deliver meaningful assistance with a moral intention to enhance user control over their lives and participation in society and so achieve their greater well-being. Such aims require that service professionals find ways to allow user participation and influence in service decision-making, delivery and improvements/redesign (within legally defined frames).

Co-creation of service value in individual assistance services takes place repetitively, often on daily basis, and involves primarily service providing professionals and their managers and beneficiaries (or their representatives). In the initial or renewed decision-making about assistance implementation, framework also authoritative decision makers are involved.

It is experienced as rather demanding from both sides due to severe cognitive and functional impediments, institutionalised user disempowerment, dependency and the overtake of professionals’ values. Also insufficient support to service actors in their development and reflexivity as well as work overload stands in its way for more co-creative approach.

Co-creation becomes about building a relationship based on a delicate balancing between the values and knowledge of the professional and those of the beneficiary, neither gliding towards power overtake nor “let alone” approach. In Jönköping, they call it the “principle of balanced care” (“omsorgsprincipen”).

Three major legally promoted concepts reflect the aims of co-creation – user “influence”, “participation” and “co-determination”. Co-creation is not spelled out in laws explicitly but rather in municipal social service polices. In Jönköping municipality, they are using participation and influence as the most relevant concepts in preparing for more regular co-creation on daily basis and beyond obligatory activities as spelled out in the law, so as to follow the spirit of the law. Yet, there is a shift in service culture towards using stronger terms as ”co-determination”, ”co-production” and ”co-creation”.