What is “good” co-production in the context of planetary health research, and how is it enabled?

Black, D., Bates, G., Gibson, A., Pain, K. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1451-9252, Rosenberg, G. and White, J. (2025) What is “good” co-production in the context of planetary health research, and how is it enabled? Earth System Governance, 23. 100229. ISSN 2589-8116 doi: 10.1016/j.esg.2024.100229

Abstract/Summary

Involvement of non-academic stakeholders in research is essential when seeking to address global challenges, yet there appears to be considerable uncertainty on how to do this well given the complexity. This paper sets out to define more clearly what ‘good’ co-production looks like in the context of urban-planetary health research and how to operationalise it in research design, drawing on existing literature alongside case study experience from operationalising a major research programme in this area. The first sections of the paper set out the rationale, and analyses key issues identified relating to co-production: language, power, stakeholder analysis, imperfection, and impact planning. The case study analysis is based on six headline themes: clarity of mission, language, societal impact, complexity, new approaches and limitations. Eight principles are presented on what enables ‘good’ co-production alongside associated questions that research teams can use to review their own plans. Logic model development and co-production activities are plotted along the core team’s research trajectory over a ten-year period, which reveals six key decision points and potential opportunities for optimising mission-oriented co-production in research design.