Sending theories out into the world from the institutional ivory tower is a proven method in research land. But to understand the value of co-creation, practical experience is needed. That is why we tested the co-creation and e-participation model of our employer TNO, previously described on Frankwatching , in practice.
Lessons learned
Together with Aegon, Kennisnet, Rijkswaterstaat and several TNO colleagues, we explored the (im)possibilities of co-creation. To ensure that the knowledge gained in the three organisations did not remain within the organisation, we organised a joint lessons learned meeting, in which experiences were shared. The commercial, educational and government organisations were confronted with sector-specific challenges, but at the same time recognised a lot in each other's experiences. This article describes the most important lessons learned that they shared during this meeting.
Practical experience with co-creation
Kennisnet has completed a number of co-creation processes and has recently started a new process. Kennisnet's goal is to base the organization's raison d'être on co-creation. In 2010, Kennisnet's Wikiwijs initiative won the e-participation award . Aegonplein is a successful internal co-creation platform within Aegon. In addition, the company works with an online customer panel and is currently running a co-creation process with ZZP'ers .
Filesophie was a successful national e-participation trajectory of Rijkswaterstaat. In addition, the ministry often works with customer panels. At the moment, a trajectory for digital participation of citizens in infrastructure projects is in the making, and internal co-creation via intranet and Yammer is being further stimulated.
The start
Even though the phenomenon of co-creation has been around for a number georgia phone number list of years, for many organizations co-creation is a fundamentally new way of working. Therefore, align your level of ambition with the maturity of the organization. Are you not yet ready to co-create the vision and mission of the organization? Then gain experience with a small project, start internally, or start with a low-threshold form of co-creation, such as collecting (product) ideas.
Set clear goals
A co-creation process without objectives can become an unguided projectile, or die a lonely death . A small number of clear objectives, that are in line with the organizational objectives, are the basis for a successful co-creation process. They determine which target group you approach and whether the process meets the needs of your target group (win-win), which questions you ask and how you set up the co-creation platform.
Dare! And prepare yourself well
Co-creation starts with the courage to enter into dialogue with your target group. And that is exciting. An enthusiastic team that believes in co-creation and support from management is a good starting point. Take the time to look for supporters within the organization, and ensure that you discover and counteract any barriers in time.