Innovation, Co-Creation, and Development of the Municipal Sector

We cannot solve today's problems with yesterday's solutions. The growing focus on public innovation is due to the fact that governments are facing increasing challenges in delivering welfare services for citizens in a sustainable and efficient manner. In order to tackle these challenges, governments need to consider a restructuring of the way services are developed and delivered, with the application of applying innovative practices being regarded a key to success.  Our research aims at contributing to new knowledge of innovation in the public sector, particularly in the local government sector.  

Collaborative innovation or co-creation is still a new concept in both practice and research. Co-creation in the public sector is about solving complex societal challenges, by involving citizens, businesses, volunteers and other local community actors in innovation processes. We are interested in how co-creation is practiced in Norwegian municipalities, barriers and success factors, as well as the level and quality of the co-creation process, along with results of co-creation.

For the periode of 2020-2024 we were leading a project on co-creation funded by the Research Council of Norway. The innovation in this project is about mobilizing the broad spectre of actors in the local community who can contribute to local development and innovate solutions. The project is a collaboration between Stad municipality (project owner), Nordre Follo municipality, Tinkr and researchers from Telemark Research Institute (project leader) and the University of Southeast Norway. Both Stad and Nordre Follo are new municipalities from 1.1.2020. This creates a unique opportunity to test co-creation as a method for local development and innovation.

The municipalities have worked systematically with innovation within three predefined focus areas: public health, local development and innovation in services. Within innovation in services, Stad has defined the focus area: "home care services of the future" and Nordre Follo "safe childhood". In innovation projects, stakeholders from the local communities will participate to find new ways to work together to create a better community for all. They established areanas for innovation of new solutions, whit close links between different actors in a quadruple helix model (public sector, private sector, citizens/voluntary sector and research/academia).

The research activities within the project are manifold, both connected to evaluation and observation of the activities in the project, measurement and theory-development. The project did simultaneously data collection and theory development and theory-building, resulting in a process-model for co-creation. Previous research indicates that factors as trust, local identity, optimism and a creative climate are important to succeed with co-creation.

Numerous municipalities were involved in the project throughout the project-period through participation in arenas for mutual exchange of experience. We distinguish between two groups of municipalities and their role in the project. Municipalities with experience in working with co-creation have a special role in exchanging experiences with the project; Træna, Øvre Eiker, Arendal and Sola municipality. Municipalities that wish to learn more about co-creation are invited to do so; Asker, Alver, Gloppen, Ullensvang, Sunnfjord, Ørsta, Giske and Vanylven.

For further information on publications from the project

Hovedrapport: Eksperimentering med samskaping i kommunal sektor. Fra strategi til praksis.