Co-production Training – 2 Day Course
- When? Next date: 19 Nov 2026
- Where? Online
- Places available from just £450 per person
- Book online now or, book bespoke
This practical two-day co-production training course, aimed at practitioners of community engagement and development, explores how to design, resource and deliver meaningful co-production with communities linked to predetermined impacts and outcomes
"Enlightening and thought provoking"
(Gail Hudson - Buckinghamshire Council)
Co-production is increasingly recognised as a powerful approach to designing and delivering projects, with funders placing greater emphasis on participation, collaboration and community-led solutions. But meaningful co-production involves much more than simply asking communities for their views — it requires a genuine commitment to sharing power, resources and decision-making.
This two-day course takes an in-depth look at co-production as the highest level of community engagement, exploring what it means in practice and how to create the conditions for it to work well.
Through a combination of theory, discussion and practical exercises, participants will explore the key principles and processes involved in co-production, including project planning, power, ethics, resourcing and facilitation. You will consider how to create spaces where communities can shape projects from the outset, while also navigating the needs, expectations and requirements of funders and other stakeholders.
The course is designed to be practical and experiential, giving participants the opportunity to apply ideas and approaches to current or forthcoming projects and build confidence in facilitating co-production processes.
What you will Learn:
- How to define co-production, co-design and co-delivery and the key principles involved
- Theoretical approaches to enabling co-productive activity
- Practical issues and solutions to delivering co-production in your context
- Understand the key ethical issues and your project’s response
- How power can interrupt or aid your co-production
- How to facilitate co-productive activity
What you will do:
- Work within a group to share your experiences and learn from each other
- Take part in practical, experiential exercises and group discussions
- Learn theories you can apply to understand the processes of co-production
- Apply your learning to your context and project planning
- Be able to describe outcomes and impact to your funder/organisation of your co-production work
Who is the course for?
This course is ideal for anyone who is interested in planning or embarking on a co-production process, including people working in community development, charities and voluntary organisations, public services, local authorities, funders and other organisations seeking to work more collaboratively with communities.
Course resources
Meet the trainer
Maria Franchi
Maria has worked as a community development worker and as a consultant to NGOs, public bodies, co-operatives and activist groups specialising in change-making through non-hierarchical, inclusive, liberatory and participatory approaches for the last 30 years. Maria also has over 25 years of experience as a facilitator and trainer in facilitation, conflict resolution and community development. She is a practitioner of various participatory and conflict resolution approaches including Participatory Learning Appraisal and Reflect-Action. Maria is completing a PhD looking at the specific relational impacts of a universal basic income alongside community organising, in particular the impacts on collective agency of women in the communities.
Maria has worked with campaigning and activist organisations, pioneers in housing and intentional communities, urban communities and with a range of small, medium and large organisations to enable facilitation, participation and collaborative leadership to support people in meeting their needs and goals. Maria uses a range of experiential tools and methods to bring clarity and consensus to live issues.
She is a member of the international Association of Facilitators, Rhizome Cooperative - a coop specialising in conflict resolution, consensus building and facilitation of contentious issues.
Maria has a Bed (Hons), Masters in Sociology focused on ‘Political Activism and New Social Movements'. She is currently studying at UBI and participatory methods for her PhD.
Book your place today
Places are available on these public courses. You can book your place immediately with a secure payment by credit or debit card. Alternatively, we can send you an invoice.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch before booking.
19 November 2026 - 10:00am to 3:00pm • Zoom webinar, Online
Any questions? Want to know more?
We’re always happy to answer any questions about our course. Drop us a line on training@talkaction.org or call us on 0203 488 7010.