Seminar 4 - Co-design methodology

This week Melanie and Nicole from Community Services Directorate (CSD) presented on "designing public policy".  The theme of the guest lecture was consistent with the reading for the topic, New Directions in Planning Theory by Susan Fainstein, at least with regard to communicative planning model, and perhaps overcomes some of the practical deficiencies identified because the implementing agent is the same government directorate involved in the policy development.

Melanie and Nicole discussed the traditional policy cycle and how they had been following for over 10 years, and presented ideas on a new way of developing public policy from a co-design methodology to achieve better service outcomes for the community.

Under the standard Australian policy cycle model, consultation doesn't happen until well after the issues are identified and policy analysis and instruments are drafted.  Under the new communicative planning friendly model, consultation is brought forward to the beginning and repeated at every step.

CSD has three priorities with their project;

1) Collaboration - how Directorates jointly plan initiatives, by sharing responsibility
2) Belonging - how to ensure that disadvantaged member of the community were included in plan making
3) Connection - ensuring that no-one was isolated from the process.

Principles of Co-Design
1. Recognising people as assets
2. Building on peoples existing capacity
3. Mutuality and respect
4. Peer support networks
5. Blurring distinctions
6. Facilitating rather than delivering

CSD had to secure buy in from the relevant Minister to secure funding and approval for their project, from policy development through to implementation.  Critical to this was the need to have robust government and organisational structures in place and the capacity for government leaders to sit with some level of uncertainty, ameliorated by a model that shares risk with community partners.  This was facilitated by working with government and advisers early on.

I found the presentation to be quite relevant, certainly I can see how the co-design system could be used in a wider planning context, in terms of securing key-stakeholder support and participation in bigger scale public planning issues, for example, when preparing the new Belconnen town center plan, or other master plan initiatives or reviews.

It is important that in opening consultation with key stake-holders, that their agenda doesn't overpower other interests who may not be as articulate, or as well organised as the larger community lobby groups. Its about ensuring that the whole community has an opportunity to have its voice heard.