Within this workpackage, the doctoral students will experiment and evaluate ways of embedding co-construction in policies and services in a variety of settings. They will examine the levels of local welfare policies (DC4); social organisations (DC5); social services (DC6) and develops methods for effective dissemination of co-construction strategies at all levels (DC7).

This research aims to : 

  • Map and contextualize the multi actor collaboration in recent welfare policies at local level (municipality of Amadora,Portugal) through group interviews; 
  • Analyze to what extent, and how, the different stakeholders engage in the process of co-construction in local policy and social services;
  • Evaluate the perceived impact of COVID-19 in the experiences of policy co-construction and in the policy learning process in the post-COVID period.

Through this research, the doctoral student will analyse experiences of NGO leaders in co-constructive management with service-users partnership ; 

  • Identify key elements of co-constructive leadership approach and skills needed, based on these experiences; 
  • Identify leadership approaches currently used by NGO leaders in social services
  • Organize training for NGO leaders on co-constructive leadership concept; 
  • Gather feedback and recommendations from NGO leaders on co-constructive leadership approach versus traditional approaches currently used;
  • Test minimum 2 cases of change management (in Poland and in Portugal) experimenting chosen aspects of co-constructive management approach and evaluate results (from NGO leaders perspective and service users perspective).
A diverse group of people attending a church service led by a pastor indoors.

This research aims to :

  • Co-design questionnaires evaluating long-term placements of children: identify themes, and formulate questions with voluntary Social workers, care experienced parents and children 
  • Address the questionnaire to all social workers, parents and children in the in Symepe 
  • Co-evaluate long term placements
  • Co-construct improved practice at Symepe

This research is focused on three main objectives :

  • Identify strategies in co-construction implemented recently in social welfare and develop indicators to measure how these address needs of citizens, practitioners and institutions 
  • Identify gaps and barriers in dissemination of co-construction to other organisations 
  • Create and experiment innovative mechanisms to disseminate effective strategies for co-construction