The Italian debate on the digital COVID certificate: co-producing epistemic and normative rationalities

Italy's digital Covid certificate, known nationally as the ‘Green Pass,' was enforced through unusual restrictions for a liberal democracy, as part of the government's effort to bolster the Covid-19 vaccination campaign. Since July 2021, the Green Pass provided the main authorizing tool for the public to access a wide spectrum of social spaces and activities, from leisure to public transport and from education to workplaces. The Green Pass therefore served as a normative technology, and triggered intense political controversy and heated debates in the Italian public discourse. In constructing claims about the Green Pass, advocates and critics alike co-produced normative arguments with understandings of scientific evidence. Notably, they articulated competing framings around: conceptions of freedom during a pandemic;what should be considered as ‘evidence that matters' regarding the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines;value-laden projections of vaccination as either a solidaristic practice or an act of self-protection;the proper relationship between the state and its citizens;and the most appropriate modes of public health intervention. Accordingly, Italy's Green Pass offers a revealing case study for probing the implications of a normative technology with respect to public health effectiveness and the safeguarding of individual and social rights. It also provides an opportunity for scrutinizing the (re-)structuring of scientific and public health governance in a major Western democracy during a public health crisis. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Participatory video from a distance: co-producing knowledge during the COVID-19 pandemic using smartphones.

In this paper, I outline an innovative remote participatory video (PV) methodology that makes use of participants' smartphones. It was developed as an alternative to co-production research and can be employed when face-to-face contact is impossible or undesirable. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face research interactions have been disrupted or become impossible. Yet it is vital to reach those who are most affected by emergencies and to include their voices. The research reported here was a collaboration between women in Medellín, Colombia, and a team of filmmakers and researchers. We developed an innovative remote PV methodology using participants' smartphones, researching how women from poorer neighbourhoods were affected by the pandemic in their everyday lives. Here, I reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of the remote PV methodology, arguing that it offers new avenues for participants to take control of the filming and editing process, and builds technical skills and capacities that have value beyond the timeframe of the project. I conclude that the remote PV method has great potential as a stand-alone method, moving the landscape of co-production research away from a requirement for geographical co-presence and potentially shifting power and ownership towards local co-researchers and participants.

Lessons of Hope and Resilience: A Co-Produced Qualitative Study of the Experiences of Youth Living with Psychosis During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Nigeria.

Much of the emerging evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on people with psychosocial disabilities comes from high-income countries. This study sought to explore the perceptions and experiences of youths living with psychosis during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria. Using a co-produced research process, a facility-based study was conducted among youth with confirmed diagnosis of a psychotic disorder. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 participants. Data was transcribed, double-coded and analysed with Atlas.ti using a thematic analysis approach. We found that participants were aware of good evidence-based information on the nature of the disease and the pandemic. Many of them described worsening mental health and disruptions to daily routines. Opportunities for deepening family relationships, skill building, helping others, and extended time for previously neglected self-development activities were described. This study benefitted from co-production with persons with lived experience, which could be harnessed for future research on psychosis.

Coproducing Support Together: Sustainable and Reciprocal Civic Disaster Relief during COVID-19

COVID-19 changed society in terms of employment, food security, and mental health, affecting all segments of the population. Surging demands for a wide range of support could not be met solely by government-led disaster assistance that experienced breakdowns in the initial phase of the pandemic. The nature of the pandemic as a global, long-haul disaster necessitated sustained, diverse, and extensive civic disaster relief to complement government response. In this paper, we explore how civic disaster relief groups carry out online and offline coordination activities to engage different actors and their positive effects on individuals and local communities, drawing on interviews with civic disaster relief organizers and volunteers in the United States. We interpret our findings with the lens of coproduction that can increase the sustainability, diversity, and extent of civic relief efforts. We then suggest design implications for coproducing disaster relief and discuss the importance and benefits of involving stakeholders who are less likely to be engaged in producing relief. © 2023 ACM.

Make-in-India: Moving from a Monocentric to a Polycentric Response to the COVID-19 Crisis!

The paper will look at the initial and subsequent Indian government's response to the COVID-19 focusing event. The strategy used to tackle the initial Covid-19 wave in India was copied from resource-rich countries and authoritarian countries and due to centralization bias in India's institutions, a monocentric response to the crisis was the default instead of cooperative solutions. However, the response to the pandemic should have been by multiple decision centers and based on local and institutional knowledge, considering India's institutions, culture, and state capacity, for a "Make-in-India"polycentric response. Solving large-scale health externalities requires coproduction to deal with nested externalities more effectively instead of monocentric global responses. I propose policy considering previous epidemic responses focusing on polycentric governance where civil society is incentivized. © 2023 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston 2023.

Decolonising Safeguarding During a Pandemic: Lessons for Research Praxis in International Social Work

Protecting people from harm and upholding their right to be protected is a central tenet of social work. ‘Safeguarding' as a term is, however, a relatively new introduction to the language of international research practice for protecting people. Practices of judging and categorising risk, harm, and vulnerability are nevertheless not new territory for either social work or research. Inherently imbued with power and ‘othering' practices, the problematic aspects of these categorisations, especially in Global North-South relations, are in fact long established (Munck and Kleibl, 2019). They sort and classify people as those who pose a ‘risk' or challenge to certain social norms, and those who are deemed to be ‘at risk, ' ‘vulnerable, ' or in need of protection. In this way, risk as a concept and ‘risk-work' as practice can be understood to be a colonial project. Systemic and institutionalised, or ‘baked in, ' to both research institutions as well as research and welfare practices. Researching social work, especially at this time of global pandemic, therefore has the potential to reify these colonial logics. Drawing on the growing literature on the impacts of COVID-19 on development challenges, and work undertaken by YOLRED to assess safeguarding issues for working with at-risk or marginalised groups, including former child soldiers, this chapter explores the conceptual, linguistic, and practical challenges of ‘safeguarding' for praxis. Further, it will illustrate, from the authors' ongoing works within this area, lessons learned and key takeaways for how the concept of safeguarding can be reimagined as a potential framework for decolonising research. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Children and young peoples' lyrics and voices capturing their experiences within youth justice services

Purpose: This paper aims to explore young peoples' authentic experiences of youth justice services (YJS) during the Covid-19 pandemic. By adopting the creative arts-based method of lyric writing, the research team sought to empower participants through collaboration and participation and to facilitate them leading the narrative (Deakin et al., 2020). Design/methodology/approach: This research adopted a creative arts-based method in which participants worked alongside an artist to generate lyrics that captured their experiences within YJS. Such an approach demonstrated a commitment to participatory, child-first approaches. Findings: Two main themes were identified: identity and relationships. The young people vocalised resistance to frequent labelling and their ambitions to move away from past criminal identity and behaviour. Relationships with practitioners could be a source of frustration within this but were also highlighted as valuable and supportive. Research limitations/implications: As data collection was remote, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns, the opportunity to develop relationships with young people within the YJS prior to conducting the research was restricted. This approach may have also impacted recruitment of participants. The sessions presented short-term interventions and whilst follow-up sessions were offered, many did not take them up. Although the research sample is small and cannot be considered representative, it allows for a valuable insight into the experiences of young people at a particularly challenging time. Practical implications: Upon receiving our findings and recommendations, the first YJS research site has sought to further embed a relationship-based practice model and greater creative/participatory socially prescribed psychosocial therapeutic interventions, including music groups and spoken word artists to work with children and young people. Originality value: This research adds to the growing literature base surrounding creative arts-based research with children and young people for their value towards communication, pro-social identity and development. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited.

COVID and Social Work Voices from India and Australia: Strategic and Meaningful Solidarities for Global Justice

The social work experiences of COVID are differentially experienced within and between countries. This chapter is a co-production that draws on narratives by social work academics and social work practitioners in India and Australia, which highlight inequities. From the voices of co-producers, four thematic areas that arose are discussed: People and the State: Migrants, Refugees, and Citizens;Women, Mobility, and Violence;Digital Divide: Access to Communities and Social Work Practice;and Role of Social Workers: Relief and Systemic Interventions. The rich narratives highlight the expertise of social workers as complementary to the dominant reliance on health professional interventions. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Co-producing rapid research: Strengths and challenges from a lived experience perspective.

The Lived Experience Researchers (LERs) of the Mental Health Policy Research Unit (MHPRU) reflect on the experience of conducting rapid co-produced research, particularly during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout this perspective article, we introduce requirements for co-production applying the 4Pi Framework, reflect on specific characteristics of co-production in rapid research, discuss strengths and challenges for involvement of LERs in rapid research, and lastly provide recommendations to achieve meaningful involvement. Incorporating meaningful co-production is an augmentation to any research project, with several benefits to the research, to the team, and to individual researchers. Particularly in the case of rapid research, that aims for efficient translation of knowledge into practice, involvement of experts by experience will be key. The work conducted by the MHPRU LERs presented in this paper demonstrates the viability, value, and potential of this way of working.

Stakeholder-engaged co-design and implementation of web-based tools to enhance the dissemination and implementation of AHRQ EPC reports.

Introduction: A mission-critical aspect of learning health systems (LHSs) is the provision of evidence-based practice. One source of such evidence is provided by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) through rigorous systematic reviews, termed evidence reports that synthesize available evidence on nominated topics of interest. However, the AHRQ Evidence-based Practice Center (EPC) program recognizes that the production of high-quality evidence reviews does not guarantee or promote their use and usability in practice. Methods: To make these reports more relevant to LHSs and promote evidence dissemination, AHRQ awarded a contract to the American Institutes for Research (AIR) and its Kaiser Permanente ACTION (KPNW ACTION) partner to design and implement web-based tools to meet the gap in dissemination and implementation of EPC reports in LHSs. We used a co-production approach to accomplish this work across three phases of activity: planning, co-design, and implementation between 2018 and 2021. We describe the methods and results and discuss implications for future efforts. Results: Web-based information tools that provide clinically relevant summaries with clear visual representations from the AHRQ EPC systematic evidence reports may be used by LHSs to increase awareness and accessibility of EPC reports, formalize and enhance LHSs' evidence review infrastructure, develop system-specific protocols and care pathways, improve practice at the point of care, and train and educate. Conclusions: The co-design of these tools and facilitated implementation generated an approach to making EPC reports more accessible and allows for more widespread application of systematic review results in supporting evidence-based practices in LHSs.

More than participatory? From ‘compensatory' towards ‘expressive' remote practices using digital technologies

Based on the shift from face-to-face participatory action research (PAR) with groups in situations of vulnerability to digital methods during COVID-19, we reflect on how we can go beyond compensating for the physical absence of the researcher from the field. We argue that instead of simply aiming to replace face-to-face research with a digital equivalent for maintaining ‘participatory' and ‘inclusive' research practices, remote practices have the potential of being more-than compensatory. We suggest that when producing multi-method digital approaches, we need to go beyond a concern with participant access to remote practices. By rethinking remote PAR in the light of expressive rather than participatory research practices, we critically reflect on the (sometimes experimental) process of trying out different digital research method(s) with Brazilian youth in situations of digital marginalisation, including the initial ‘failures' and lessons learned in encouraging diverse forms of participant expression, and ownership using WhatsApp. © The Author(s) 2023.

ICT-Facilitated Coproduction during COVID-19: Intelligence Innovation of Community Governance in Guangzhouĝ

Since the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, ICT-based technology application platforms have played a prominent role in promoting cooperative governance of community epidemic prevention, realizing cooperative supply of public services, and promoting resident participation. Starting from the definition, background and prospect of cooperative production, the study explores how public services can effectively promote collaborative governance through ICTs, combined with the popularization of ICT platforms and applications to promote citizens' ability to access information, participate in public affairs and participate in the development of ways. The practice of community cooperative governance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Guangzhou demonstrated how the city can ensure the development of community public management and services while coordinating the prevention and control of COVID-19 based on ICT-related information systems and technology platforms. Based on the application of ICT, the ability of citizens to participate in community public governance has been improved, and the mode of public service supply has been changed, and the pressure on community governance has been reduced through scientific and technological governance tools, so as to promote the cooperative production and participation of public governance to achieve the sharing of results and responsibilities, providing a new way for public governance in the future intelligent society. © 2022 ACM.

Creating Time for LGBT+ Disabled Youth: Co-production Outside Chrononormativity

This article explores how ‘chrononormative' constructions of time shape research and offers an approach to co-production and research involvement that draws on insights from trans, queer, and disability studies. The article presents early reflections on an NIHR School for Social Care–funded research study, approved prior to but developed under the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, investigating personal support, sexuality, and gender in young disabled adults' lives. This project has been supported by a Participatory Advisory Group (PAG) of LGBT+ young disabled adults and we reflect on how engagement with the PAG has shaped our understanding of debates around time and involvement in co-production discourse. Our engagement with trans, queer, and disability theory allows us to think about the constraints on time that such involvement has pushed against as we have sought to account for the diverse needs of the body-minds of the PAG in pandemic times. We suggest that this may speak to opening up the diversity and accessibility of co-production across other research contexts and intend this piece to encourage these conversations. The article thus offers a critical exploration of themes of time, embodiment, and identity in the way in which co-production is enacted in funded research. © The Author(s) 2023.

Using a six-step co-design model to rapidly respond to cancer carers support and information needs during a global pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: The COVID-19 pandemic placed severe strain on cancer carers resulting in an urgent need for information and support. METHODS: The Santin 2019 6-step co-design model was used to rapidly modify an existing online cancer carers resource. Draft content of a COVID-19 module was created via two workshops and six meetings with an expert advisory team (Step 1). This content was then produced into videoed testimonials (Step 2). A module prototype was reviewed by volunteers (Step 3) and modified based on feedback (Step 4). User-testing occurred via two online feedback sessions (Step 5) and modifications were made (Step 6). All steps were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. RESULTS: A COVID-19 support, and information module was rapidly co-designed by n = 45 stakeholders (n = 11 workshop 1 and 2 (3 carers/14 professionals), n = 6 advisory committee (1 carer/5 professionals), n = 4 video content (1 carer/3 professionals) and n = 24 feedback sessions (5 carers/19 professionals). The module contained vaccination information, infection control and how to manage the psychosocial impact of restrictions. Information was delivered in 4 short videos with links to up-to-date guidance and information services. Participants identified that the module included all key information for carers in an accessible and informative way. The use of videos was viewed as an emotive and reassuring. CONCLUSIONS: During a global pandemic, cancer carers urgently required tailored information. Co-designed online resources allow service providers to rapidly respond to emerging and unprecedented issues and provide urgent information and support.

Recovery in Mind: A Recovery College's journey through the Covid-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: The Covid-19 restrictions of 2020-2021 are known to have undermined the UK population's mental health. Working alongside staff, peer trainers and students at Recovery in Mind (RiM), a Recovery College (RC) in West Berkshire, England, this mixed-methods study is amongst the first to investigate how an RC has responded to the pandemic. METHODS: Working in co-production with RiM staff and peer-trainers, this study employed a mixed-methods design, gathering Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) well-being outcome measures by questionnaire and student experience, learning and co-production by interviews. FINDINGS: This research found that RiM continued to produce demonstrable improvements in student mental health. Students welcomed the way that RiM adapted to offering online and socially distanced provisions. Students valued the skills that RiM taught and the way that RiM courses reinforced prior learning; above this, however, they valued the mutual support and sense of community that participation provided. CONCLUSION: This study underlines the value of RCs maintaining 'hidden curriculums' of peer support and community involvement. This research emphasizes co-production as not only a tool for empowerment or service improvement but as a valuable skill for personal mental health recovery. Even when operating under the most unforeseen or challenging of conditions, RCs should always endeavour to prioritize and maintain co-production. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: In accordance with the RC ethos, this was an entirely co-produced study, with academic researchers and RiM staff and peer trainers working democratically in partnership with one another to design and manage the study and to write up and disseminate findings. To ensure the independence and rigour of findings, data analysis was undertaken by external academic researchers.

DecodeME: community recruitment for a large genetics study of myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a common, long-term condition characterised by post-exertional malaise, often with fatigue that is not significantly relieved by rest. ME/CFS has no confirmed diagnostic test or effective treatment and we lack knowledge of its causes. Identification of genes and cellular processes whose disruption adds to ME/CFS risk is a necessary first step towards development of effective therapy. METHODS: Here we describe DecodeME, an ongoing study co-produced by people with lived experience of ME/CFS and scientists. Together we designed the study and obtained funding and are now recruiting up to 25,000 people in the UK with a clinical diagnosis of ME/CFS. Those eligible for the study are at least 16 years old, pass international study criteria, and lack any alternative diagnoses that can result in chronic fatigue. These will include 5,000 people whose ME/CFS diagnosis was a consequence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Questionnaires are completed online or on paper. Participants' saliva DNA samples are acquired by post, which improves participation by more severely-affected individuals. Digital marketing and social media approaches resulted in 29,000 people with ME/CFS in the UK pre-registering their interest in participating. We will perform a genome-wide association study, comparing participants' genotypes with those from UK Biobank as controls. This should generate hypotheses regarding the genes, mechanisms and cell types contributing to ME/CFS disease aetiology. DISCUSSION: The DecodeME study has been reviewed and given a favourable opinion by the North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee (21/NW/0169). Relevant documents will be available online ( www.decodeme.org.uk ). Genetic data will be disseminated as associated variants and genomic intervals, and as summary statistics. Results will be reported on the DecodeME website and via open access publications.

Trauma-informed patient and public-engaged research: Development and evaluation of an online training programme.

INTRODUCTION: As patients, members of the public, and professional stakeholders engage in co-producing health-related research, an important issue to consider is trauma. Trauma is very common and associated with a wide range of physical and behavioural health conditions. Thus, it may benefit research partnerships to consider its impact on their stakeholders as well as its relevance to the health condition under study. The aims of this article are to describe the development and evaluation of a training programme that applied principles of trauma-informed care (TIC) to patient- and public-engaged research. METHODS: A research partnership focused on addressing trauma in primary care patients ('myPATH') explicitly incorporated TIC into its formation, governance document and collaborative processes, and developed and evaluated a free 3-credit continuing education online training. The training was presented by 11 partners (5 professionals, 6 patients) and included academic content and lived experiences. RESULTS: Training participants (N = 46) positively rated achievement of learning objectives and speakers' performance (ranging from 4.39 to 4.74 on a 5-point scale). The most salient themes from open-ended comments were that training was informative (n = 12) and that lived experiences shared by patient partners were impactful (n = 10). Suggestions were primarily technical or logistical. CONCLUSION: This preliminary evaluation indicates that it is possible to incorporate TIC principles into a research partnership's collaborative processes and training about these topics is well-received. Learning about trauma and TIC may benefit research partnerships that involve patients and public stakeholders studying a wide range of health conditions, potentially improving how stakeholders engage in co-producing research as well as producing research that addresses how trauma relates to their health condition under study. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: The myPATH Partnership includes 22 individuals with professional and lived experiences related to trauma (https://www.usf.edu/cbcs/mhlp/centers/mypath/); nine partners were engaged due to personal experiences with trauma; other partners are community-based providers and researchers. All partners contributed ideas that led to trauma-informed research strategies and training. Eleven partners (5 professionals, 6 patients) presented the training, and 12 partners (8 professionals, 4 patients) contributed to this article and chose to be named as authors.

Perceived Quality and Satisfaction with e-Learning during COVID-19: Moderating Role of co-Production

—In the context of emergency remote teaching, this study proposes a conceptual model that examines (1) the relationship between perceived quality and learner satisfaction with an e-Learning service in pandemic situation and (2) to test the moderating role of co-production of this service on this relationship. The study was conducted among 338 Tunisian students who took online classes during the second wave of COVID-19. The research uses of structural equations method (AMOS 21) to test the direct relationship and the Hayes process for the moderation test. The results show that the direct relationship between perceived quality and online learner satisfaction is significant and positive and that this relationship is positively moderated by co-production. Practical implications have finally been identified in order to improve the success of online education especially in the case of a crisis. © 2023 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited (CC BY 4.0).

Building common understandings of urban inequalities to generate relevant solutions in Lima, Peru

In this article, we analyse the structural causes of inequality in Lima - beginning with a review of the historical context - to propose a multidimensional approach to urban inequality. We discuss spatial, public-institutional and political-social fragmentation and how these factors contribute to the reproduction of urban inequality. We supplement this discussion by describing two initiatives that contributed to the creation of a collective understanding of inequality and strategies to deal with it. First, we worked with marginalized social groups promoting collective care practices to address food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Along with this, we developed a National Housing and Urban Planning Policy with the Peruvian Ministry of Housing, Construction and Sanitation that included a definition of urban inequality and the creation of an index for urban inequality. In each case, we discuss the difficulties faced, whether by citizens or the state, in trying to reach relevant solutions to address inequalities.

Beyond the ‘usual suspects'? Engaging children in diverse communities in co-producing an arboretum-meadow: Professional partner perspectives

Nature-based solutions (NBS) can mitigate the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and mental wellbeing prioritised by the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The advantages of co-producing NBS with local communities have been explored, yet there is a lack of understanding of professional partners' priorities in relation to specific projects, and their perceptions of the opportunities and challenges encountered during the co-productive process. The benefits of co-producing NBS with children are not understood, particularly in deprived, diverse communities. We addressed these gaps by conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews with eight professional partners in contrasting roles involved in the co-production of an educational arboretum-meadow on a redundant mini-golf site in Wardown Park, within the High Town ward of Luton, Bedfordshire, UK. Here there is considerable ethnic diversity with 41% residents White British, and 59% other ethnicities. There are significant Black and Minority Ethnic communities (38%). A high percentage of households live with overcrowding (24%) and 31% year six children are obese. All partners prioritised connecting children to nature. The social benefits of the project were prioritised over ecological and climate-related ones. Most participants perceived diverse partner expertise and priorities as an opportunity of co-production. Covid-19 was considered a significant challenge and an opportunity. Our research provides insight into the potential for co-production of NBS in a relatively deprived, ethnically diverse context to contribute to "futureproofing” towns and cities by fostering nature connection amongst children, whilst providing a novel, creative approach to managing and maintaining GI under austerity. Learning from this project has international transferability as a ‘flagship project' illustrating how the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can be addressed at the local level.