Co-Production With ICBs and System Partners: Making It Work in Practice
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Co-production is now an expectation, not a buzzword. ICBs increasingly expect providers to shape services collaboratively with people, partners and communities — not simply respond to decisions after they are made.
For providers, the challenge is ensuring co-production is meaningful, proportionate and operationally useful rather than a time-consuming exercise with little impact.
This links closely to outcomes and impact measurement and working with commissioners.
What co-production looks like at system level
Within NHS systems, co-production may involve:
- Pathway redesign workshops
- Service reviews with lived-experience input
- Joint problem-solving around access and flow
It should influence decisions, not just validate them.
Common problems providers face
Co-production often fails when:
- Objectives are unclear
- Timescales are unrealistic
- Feedback is not acted upon
This leads to disengagement.
Making co-production operationally useful
Strong providers:
- Agree clear scope and purpose upfront
- Link co-production activity to delivery decisions
- Feed outcomes back into service planning
This keeps work focused and credible.
Involving frontline staff safely
Frontline insight is valuable, but providers must:
- Protect staffing capacity
- Clarify roles and authority
- Support staff participation appropriately
This prevents burnout.
What ICBs value in co-production
System leaders value providers who:
- Engage constructively and consistently
- Represent operational reality honestly
- Demonstrate how feedback changes practice
This builds long-term influence.
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