What Does Equitable Co-Production Entail? Three Perspectives

Area of Science:

• Environmental social science
• Climate change adaptation research
• Community-engaged research

Background:

• Co-production is increasingly used for societal impact in research.
• Existing co-production methods may perpetuate inequity and inequality.
• Understanding participant perspectives is crucial for equitable research processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate principles of co-production design perceived to advance equitable processes and outcomes.
• To analyze participant experiences in U.S. federal climate science decision-relevant projects.
• To identify differing viewpoints on co-production dimensions.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of participant experiences in three federally funded climate science projects.
• Examination of co-production dimensions: outcomes, power, place-based rights, participation, and interactions.
• A workshop to vet and discuss three identified co-production perspectives.

Main Results:

• Three distinct perspectives on co-production emerged: Ways of Knowing and Power, Participants and Interactions, and Science as Capacity Building.
• Each perspective differentially weighted the five dimensions of co-production practices.
• Perspectives remained distinct even after group discussion and statement selection.

Conclusions:

• The variation in perspectives suggests co-production processes require explicit discussion of engagement rules.
• Establishing clear rules of engagement is essential for ensuring perceived equity in co-production.
• Addressing diverse viewpoints is key to successful and equitable co-production in climate science and beyond.