This week: How co-design transforms policy and program development—and why engaging stakeholders from the start leads to better, more lasting solutions.
Co-design drives better policies by involving stakeholders in creating effective, inclusive solutions.
A Systems Perspective
Every system is shaped by the voices it includes—or excludes. When those most affected by policies and programs are left out of the design process, we risk building solutions that don’t work—at a high cost.
Community health programs designed without patient input can miss key accessibility barriers.
Workforce initiatives developed without employer collaboration may fail to align training with job market demands.
Social services that don’t account for lived experiences may fail to effectively serve those who need them most.
Co-design ensures that the people who interact with systems—whether as users, implementers, or decision-makers—help shape how they function. Done right, it leads to higher engagement, more effective solutions, and better long-term outcomes.
Designing for Impact
Effective co-design goes beyond consultation—it creates meaningful collaboration that drives impact. Here are key considerations to make it work:
Engage stakeholders early and often.
Engaging affected communities, frontline workers, and end-users before policies are drafted leads to more effective, sustainable, and aligned solutions.
Example: Instead of designing a youth employment program in isolation, involve young people, service providers and employers in defining success and identifying barriers.
Shift from input-gathering to shared decision-making.
Traditional feedback mechanisms (like surveys or public forums) can be valuable, but they don’t always capture the full picture. Co-design is about working together to create solutions, not just gathering input.
Example: A city planning project that allows residents to shape budget priorities—not just react to them—ensures solutions reflect real needs.
Design for iteration, not perfection.
The best programs evolve over time. Build feedback loops that allow continuous learning and adjustment.
Example: A community health initiative that uses pilot programs and adapts based on participant feedback will be far more effective than one locked into rigid implementation.
Execution is Everything
One of the strongest examples of co-design in action comes from New Zealand’s Te Ara Oranga initiative, which reshaped mental health services by directly involving those with lived experience.
Instead of imposing top-down reforms, policymakers engaged communities to co-create a system that reflected their realities.
Key outcomes from the Te Ara Oranga program, a co-designed addiction treatment initiative:
Improved outcomes for participants: Individuals saw reduced substance use, harm minimization, and increased employment rates.
Stronger cost-benefit results: The program proved to be cost-effective, delivering high social and economic returns.
Reduced crime harm: A 34% reduction in post-referral crime harm was recorded, demonstrating broader community impact. [Source]
Trust-building through engagement: By co-designing solutions with affected communities, the program increased trust between stakeholders, improving service uptake.
Read our latest blog post [The Impact of Co-Design on Mental Health Programs] for a deeper look at how co-design can transform mental health services—creating solutions that are more effective, inclusive, and sustainable.
Questions to Consider
At Opus Group, we believe better programs start with better questions. Consider:
What risks do we face when we design without direct end-user input?
What value do we unlock when our solution is tested and validated by its future users?
What mechanisms allow for continuous learning and adaptation in our programs?
Quote of the Week
“People ignore design that ignores people.” — Frank Chimero, Designer
