Stakeholder co-creation of outputs

Through actively involving stakeholders in the co-creation of outputs resulting from National Water Safety Plan implementation, it can be ensured that the benefits associated with plan implementation are realized by all parties involved.  

Co-creation is when a diverse stakeholders work alongside each other and collaborate to generate an output.  

Outputs are the tangible outcomes of the water safety plan, demonstrating what has eventuated as a result of plan implementation. Some examples of outputs are: 

• Newsletters and factsheets presenting plan progress and outcomes.  
• Any training modules or workshops which have been developed as part of plan implementation. 
• Baseline reports and final outcome reports. 
• Documented contextual information. 
• Articles or publications. 

Active involvement by stakeholders in the co-creation process could involve visits to sites where interventions are being implemented, participation in data analysis, joint report writing and authorship, co-hosting of training workshops and community meetings, and other activities aimed at capacity building.  

Advantages

• Liaising with multiple stakeholders provides opportunity to access unique resources and knowledge bases, assisting in the production of relevant, informative and engaging outputs which demonstrate the achievements of a National Water Safety Plan.  
• Creates opportunities for access to local knowledge. 
• Contributes towards establishing the sustained implementation of interventions comprising the water safety plan.  
• Bridges the gap between conceptual and tangible benefit realization for stakeholders. 

Disadvantages

• Raises challenges due to diverse characteristics, interests and goals of the different stakeholders involved. 
• Stakeholders may have varying levels of alignment with a water safety plan, thus presenting challenges in managing the process of co-creation.  

Context

Partnering with stakeholders in the co-creation of outputs requires an emergent, adaptive and creative approach; parties assigned to providing governance should have the capability to anticipate and manage this approach and the challenges that may present.