Moving towards relational services: the role of digital service environments and platforms?

In this chapter we will review the CoSIE project’s many explorations of co-creation in the context of public service development, which have been discussed in the book, exhibit underlying commonalities and themes which became visible in cross-cutting work of modelling pilot processes and contexts. We analyse the communications and information related aspects of service development and the concept of ‘service platform’ that emerges from the pilots.

The project was initiated on the assumption that social media/open data provide opportunities for co-creation in the public service domain. We examine this assumption and explore some of the limitations that current commercial practice places on the use of existing channels and media in some of the more sensitive contexts explored in the project. The conclusion is that, if we are to support co-creation and participation in wellbeing services, whether these are aimed at individuals and families, communities or environments and ecosystems, we require information platforms that are trustworthy and governable in the interests of the whole service community.