Stakeholder dynamics in co-creation: new roles and hierarchy of knowledge

Raising awareness of the dynamics between involved stakeholders is crucial, as interpersonal relationships shape the overall experiences of co-creation and influence the success of the approach.

Background: Co-creation has gained traction as a solution within Norwegian municipalities and in the field of public health to address a range of complex public health challenges. This approach holds potential for alternative forms of action and intends to involve a variety of stakeholders on equal terms. However, challenges such as differing power dynamics between participants have been identified. More knowledge is needed on the perceptions concerning dynamics between stakeholders involved in co-creation processes in the public sector.

Methods: To understand how participating stakeholders perceive the dynamics in a co-creation process, we conducted group interviews with 56 interviewees. These interviewees (municipal employees, adolescents, employees from a NGO and a consultant company) came from different sectors, but shared the common experience of participating in the co-creation of activity spaces in six municipalities in Norway from 2020 to 2022. The data was analyzed using systematic text condensation.

Results: Compared to more traditional municipal planning processes, the co-creation that took place changed the dynamics between participating stakeholders. During the analysis, two themes emerged illustrating these changes: 1) change in roles, and 2) hierarchy of knowledge. First, co-creation changed participants’ roles from being providers of solutions to becoming facilitators of the co-creation processes. These role changes appeared at different levels, both within the project itself and in relation to the existing roles that participants already held within their respective organizations. The co-creation process involved earlier inclusion in the planning process, a greater degree of collaboration, and a new allocation of responsibilities, all of which influenced the roles of the involved stakeholders. Second, participants experienced shifting dynamics in the co-creation process due to a hierarchy of knowledge. Municipal employees had firsthand knowledge of local needs and challenges, while employees from the NGO and the consultant company possessed power through expert knowledge and financial resources. This led to several negotiations and discussions about which types of knowledge were perceived as more valuable in the planning process.

Conclusions: Even though co-creation aims to distribute power equally among stakeholders and include people from different sectors on equal terms, our results shows that the dynamics in a co-creation project are not free from role conflicts and hierarchical structures. Rather than being ignored, these issues should be highlighted and communicated to overcome potential conflicts and avoid tension between stakeholders.