Co-design framework for Belfast

Co-design framework for Belfast

The Community Planning Partnership is committed to strengthening how we engage and work collaboratively with partners, people and communities across the city. To support this commitment, we developed a simple and easy to use guide to better understand, adopt and apply co-design within the Belfast Agenda, the city’s community plan.

Co-design is a participatory approach to developing solutions to challenges and involves bringing together three types of expertise.

1. Those with 'lived or living' experience of the challenge (or who will be impacted).

2. 'Practice experience’ - people with professional experience of the issue. 

3. 'Research evidence’ – specialist or academic experts and datasets.

It involves exploring problems and solutions and learning together; respecting and treating each other as equal partners; and engaging in a process, not a single or one-off event.

Co-design is not always needed, possible, or the right approach in every situation. It is ok not to do co-design, but it is important not to say co-design is happening if it isn’t. The co-design framework guides partners through the process of doing co-design, from how to prepare before you start to how to evaluate throughout and at the end. 

Co-design requires commitment, resources and time as well as an openness to learn from others and share decision making. 

You can find out more about the co-design framework and how it was developed here