CE-118Intermediate · PracticeEngagement

Co-production for consultation & engagement.

Move beyond consulting on decisions to making them with people. Learn to share power, design genuine collaboration, and avoid co-production in name only.

A diverse group in a round-table co-production discussion

1 day

Duration

£295+VAT

Public · per delegate

POA

In-house

30 CPD

Credits

Fig. 01 · Sharing power

Consultation asks people what they think. Co-production builds the answer together.

Co-production is one of the most talked-about, and most misunderstood, ideas in modern engagement. At its best, it shares genuine power with communities and produces decisions that are better, fairer and more durable. At its worst, it becomes a label applied to ordinary consultation, eroding the very trust it promises to build.

This course gives you an honest, practical grounding. You'll learn what co-production demands, how it differs from consultation and engagement, and how to design collaboration that shares real power rather than simply appearing to.

Through real examples and group exercises, you'll leave able to judge when co-production is the right approach, and how to do it with integrity.

02The four principles

Power

Sharing decision-making authority, not just gathering views.

People

Treating lived experience as expertise of equal worth.

Process

Designing collaboration that is reciprocal and sustained.

Trust

Being honest about the limits of what can be shared.

03What you'll take away

01Distinguish co-production from consultation, engagement and participation

02Recognise where co-production adds value, and where it doesn't fit

03Design collaboration that shares real power with communities

04Spot and avoid tokenism and co-production in name only

05Build the relationships and structures that make collaboration last

04The day

AMWhat co-production really isDefinitions, the ladder of participation, and honest myth-busting.

AMSharing power in practiceMethods, structures and the conditions genuine collaboration needs.

PMDesigning a co-production processA worked exercise applying the principles to a real scenario.

PMIntegrity & the hard questionsAvoiding tokenism, managing expectations and being honest about limits.

05Who it's for

Anyone ready to share power.

For practitioners in local government, health and the voluntary sector who want to move from consulting communities to working with them.

Consultation & engagement practitioners

Community & partnership teams

Health & social care professionals

Voluntary & community sector leads

Policy & service designers

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Group & in-house rates available.
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06Before you book

Common questions

Anything not covered here, ask us. We answer the same day.

01How many CPD points do I earn?Thirty tCI CPD points. Every virtual and face-to-face course carries 30, and points are logged against your record when you attend. Members can download a CPD statement from the membership portal at any time, and this course counts towards the taught element of a tCI qualification.

02Is it virtual or face-to-face?Open places run as a live virtual workshop, delivered in real time by a tCI trainer, never a recording. Groups stay small enough that everyone can speak, and you work in breakouts as well as listening. The same course runs face-to-face at your own offices as an in-house session.

03How long is the course?One full day, 09:30 to 16:30, in four sessions across morning and afternoon, opening with What co-production really is and closing with Integrity & the hard questions. The day is built around practical exercises rather than presentation, so you leave having worked on co-production rather than only having heard about it.

04Can you run this in-house for our team?Yes, and it is the usual choice for teams of six or more. In-house delivery works from your sector and the consultations you have in front of you, so the co-production exercises use your own material. We can run it in person or virtually, and split it across two half-days where a full day is hard to protect. Ask us about bespoke for a quote.

05Do I need prior experience or other courses first?No prior course is required. It is pitched at intermediate level, so it suits people who have run or commissioned engagement already. Newer practitioners do well on it too. You will simply cover some foundational ground faster than others in the room.

06Who delivers the course?A tCI trainer who specialises in co-production and engagement practice and works in it, not only teaches it. The named trainer for each date is shown on the course calendar and confirmed in your joining instructions the week before. You can put live problems to them on the day and expect a straight answer.

AdvancedAdvanced co-productionShare real power once you have the principles.View course → IntermediateMaking Community Engagement MeaningfulReach the communities co-production depends on.View course → IntermediateFacilitation SkillsRun the sessions where decisions are made together.View course →

Build the skills to work with your communities

Join the next session, or bring this workshop in-house for your whole team.

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