The role of reflection within co-production
Our Communities of Practice (CoP) are regular sessions for network member to develop peer support and share learning around key themes of community-led research. Our last CoP took place on 21st November 2024, in which we explored the role of reflection within co-production. Some remarks and reflections emerged during the session that are worth recapping.
Thanks to all those who came along and contributed to the discussions below.
What do reflective practices bring to co-production?
Provide space to listen to each other and build understanding and trust through dialogue. Similarly, reflective practices encourage new voices and ideas to emerge.
Help to ensure there is time and space for thinking and learning, over and above delivery. Reflection contributes to reviewing and improving the process and experience of co-production for everyone involved. “Is also the opportunity for peer researchers to change or amend working practices to ensure the best possible outcomes for those taking part.”
A safe space to raise issues and challenge power dynamics. “Reflection brings the possibility of understanding power, positional as well as privilege.”
What do reflective practices bring to your experience of co-production?
“The willingness to face uncomfortable truths.”
Challenges for reflection in co-production
It is often difficult to find the time and space to reflect and share experiences and priorities in co-produced projects. This makes effective collaboration and shared ownership and decision-making elusive. “How do we prioritize reflection and thinking when we know that there's so much to be done?”
There is a tendency to focus on positive outcomes and individual successes in reflective practices. “That's part of the problem, especially that with funders. The funders want everything to be positive, and they don't value when things don't work. It's that valuing all feedback and all reflection, not just the good bits.”
Addressing uncomfortable truths and fostering inclusion are challenging. “It's also important to acknowledge that some people find reflection really uncomfortable.”
The inequitable treatment of reflective spaces within co-production projects is a big challenge. While tasks like writing papers and giving talks are often well-compensated, reflective spaces are often undervalued and under-resourced. This includes both monetary compensation and the allocation of time and resources for planning and organising these spaces.
The power dynamics involved in facilitating reflective spaces. “The question about who initiates that reflection process carry a power dynamic, in terms setting the tone, perhaps setting expectations about what's possible within that space. Also around the resourcing, like, who is resourced enough to be able to do that reflection, who can afford to do that reflection?”
How can reflection help us understand and navigate the power dynamics that can exist within co-production?
By creating spaces for facing uncomfortable truths. Power dynamics should be laid out in dialogue, owned and humbly addressed in a manner that begins to create improved equity and partnership. For example, “using tools like team agreements to set out norms and approaches to working together, problem solving and addressing where we are coming from, what we need to 'park', etc.”
Reflection is also part of that power dynamics, so it needs to have a value for those taking part and used as a tool to instigate change. “There's no point reflecting on something if it doesn't lead to change. The people reflecting, the peer researchers, need to know that they're going to be listened to and what they feedback which positive or negative is actually going to result in change, and because there's no point going round in a circle and constantly reflecting and reflecting if it goes nowhere, if it's not used.”
Learning points: embedding reflection within co-production
People shared their experiences embedding reflection within their work whilst ensuring the mental load is equitably distributed. Here are some key strategies to support effective reflection, make sure that it’s not just one party doing it, and navigate the power dynamics that emerge within co-production.
Valuing the negative is powerful
Acknowledge failure as a key part of research to avoid the tendency to focus on positive outcomes and individual successes. “There is value in identifying what's not working and creating safe spaces to be able to reflect on those things.”
Ask open-ended questions in collaborative research to allow participants to express their views freely, including those that are negative. “It's about creating a safe space for participants to share their honest opinions, even if they are critical or negative.”
Embrace realistic and critical reflections to identify systemic issues and work towards genuine improvement. “Co-production can be a valuable tool for this kind of reflection, as it encourages a shared understanding of the bigger picture and promotes collaborative problem-solving.”
Reflection is an ongoing process that requires constant attention and adaptation to specific contexts
Keep in mind that reflection and co-production are iterative processes, “shouldn't just be something that happens at the end of a project. You can embed that throughout the process, and from the beginning as well, it is kind of learning as you go.”
Focus on learning and growth throughout the process, rather than solely on achieving specific outcomes. “Balancing a desire for transparency and openness with internal expectations for tangible results and milestones is challenging. Acknowledge that reflection and co-production are ongoing processes of learning, adaptation, and refinement.”
Create a relationship framework can help you navigate the power dynamics that can exist within co-production
Make sure both researchers and community members have a role in organising and leading reflective spaces. “Agree roles at the start, and what are the mitigations when things become difficult, or when capacity is limited. Review these regularly and be honest and willing to accept criticism (all parties).”
Language is key in shaping power dynamics and communication in collaborative work. Ensure there are clear agreements, transparent terms of reference and defined roles to establish effective partnerships. “Shared ownership in creating these agreements is needed, and considering the unique nature of each partnership as well.”
Effective leadership is important in achieving collaborative processes and for embedding reflective practices in a team’s work. Instead of dominant, top-down forms of managements, consider forms of leadership that support reflection for driving projects forward. Such as “space holding, which provides structure and support to maintain a space and values to enable others to speak and uplift their voice.”
Come along to a community of practice
We host regular online communities of practice sessions, offering people a chance to network and make connections across the sector, find out more about what we're doing and how you can get involved, share peer learning, insights or common challenges, and discuss whatever topics or issues feel important at the time. All are welcome!
Our next network Community of Practice will be on Tuesday 25 February 2025 (2:00 pm 3:30 pm).
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