Co-creation, coproduction and co-design are advocated as effective ways of involving citizens in the design, management, delivery and evaluation of health and social care services. Although numerous case studies describe the nature and level of coproduction in individual projects, there remain significant gaps in the evidence base.

The overall aim for the Samskapa program is to explore, enhance and measure the value of coproduction for improving the health and social care of citizens. There are three fundamental issues:
- measures of coproduction processes and their outcomes;
- mechanisms that enable inclusive and reciprocal coproduction;
- management systems and styles;

- Based on our findings we will develop an explanatory model and other outputs to enhance future coproduction initiatives.

Read more about the research questions here >>

A number of coproduction projects form the core of the interactive research program; most are underway in Sweden and the others will be undertaken in the United Kingdom to allow for knowledge exchange and cross-cultural comparison. The program has a longitudinal case study design using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Cross-case analysis and a sense making process with participants, leaders and researchers will lead to practical lessons for practitioners and will be disseminated to key audiences outside the scientific community. The originality of the program is in moving beyond individual projects and taking a longitudinal, cross-case approach to explore the complexities of delivering and improving health and social care through new forms of relationships.

The research program started in 2019 and is planned for six years.

Sofia Kjellström, Jönköping University (programme manager)
Glenn Robert, King’s College London (co-programme manager)

Two examples of projects in the Samskapa programme

Quality Improvement work with children with intellectual disability

JA's doctoral student Pontus Wallin combines research studies with the role of quality developer at Solberga by.

Solberga by is a non-profit organisation that offers adapted primary school and student housing according to LSS to children aged 6-16 years. The children at Solberga have a diagnosis of intellectual disability and often also have a related diagnoses such as autism.

When Pontus was accepted as a PhD student at Jönköping Academy, the research programme Samskapa started and Pontus thus had the opportunity to include co-production perspectives in the work with quality improvement at Solberga. The film describes how Solberga by works with quality work with the children in focus.


The Survive network

Exposure to sexual violence is a global public health problem that has profound negative consequences for both the physical and mental health and future relationships of those affected.

During 2020-2023, Region Jönköping County, Municipal Development, the County Administrative Board and the Jönköping Academy at the School of Health and Welfare implemented a project aimed at co-design support and care for sexual violence, regardless of gender and relationship.

The project has ended, but a network of stakeholders is now working on the social challenge, more about this in the film below.