Policy Co-Design
Guide, Diagrams, and Worksheet
Useful introduction to our participatory policymaking approach
Guide: Policy Co-Design Basics
This short handbook for community leaders, practitioners, elected officials, and organizers introduces policy co-design, Do Big Good’s participatory policymaking method in which institutions and communities write the rules together.
Illustrated with photos from our projects, this collaborative governance guide defines and illustrates key terms and includes diagrams of our process, both solo detail and in relationship to other co-governance methods.
Diagram: Policy Co-Design Model
A companion to the guide, this diagram shows the seven basics phases of a policy co-design process, which is centered on a double feedback loop between the implementing institution and the community.
The model pairs well with the Policy Co-Design Checklist (below), which provides greater detail on each step.
Worksheet: Policy Co-Design Checklist
A companion to the guide, this worksheet helps those who want to initiate a policy co-design process assess their level of readiness by focusing on their ability to implement the seven basics phases of the process.
The worksheet pairs well with the Policy Co-Design Model (above), which visualizes each step.
Diagram: Spectrum of Participatory POlicymaking
A companion to the guide, this diagram shows where policy co-design is situated in the broader power-sharing spectrum, from least to most community power over policy.
The diagram includes examples from around the world, illustrating participatory policymaking at different points on the spectrum.
Acknowledgements: The guide and its subsidiary materials were made in consultation with our friends and colleagues Christine Ortiz, Faduma Fido, Brendan Halloran, Kate Hamaji, Dylan Cate, Curtis Atkisson, Jonathan Brack, Cédric Fettouche, Felix Hähnlein, Kristina Podnar, Saara Kamal, Oliver Stephenson, Nick Vidal, Jon Garfunkel, Brenda Ray Scott, Carrie Basas, Lindsay Morgan Tracy, Cole Speidel, and Justin Reedy.
Double Diamond Model
Diagram
Useful for visualizing a design process
Diagram: Double Diamond
The work of social change often requires groups to solve problems together. Created in 1996 by linguist Béla H. Bánáthy, the Double Diamond is a design process model that illustrates divergence (learning, brainstorming, exploring) and convergence (prioritizing, synthesizing, choosing) in group problem-solving. There are many versions of this model, from the simplest to the most complex. We decided to make our own version, which we think hits the sweet spot between detail and simplicity.
Cynefin Framework
Diagram and Video
Useful for understanding social complexity
Diagram: Cynefin Framework
Developed by David Snowden in 1999, the Cynefin framework (meaning “habitat” in Welsh) is a typology of social systems that provides guidance on how to operate strategically in each.
At Do Big Good, our practice focuses on complex systems (upper-left quadrant), where emergent practice, experimentation, and adaptation are required for success.
Video: Cynefin Framework Explained
As guest expert Jessica Conrad of the Garfield Foundation explains, there are no predetermined steps that enable us to achieve outcomes in complex systems. However, we can succeed in our social change goals by making small and low-risk tests of our strategy and assumptions.
Testing assumptions, learning from the results, and adapting quickly are core to Do Big Good’s advisory services for clients implementing social change projects.