Co-design as a metagovernance strategy for complex problems in local governments

Co-design is increasingly recognised as a promising approach to addressing complex problems in the public sector. However, empirical research on its value within the public sector beyond the use of co-design within projects remains limited. Against this backdrop, this study focuses on embedded, long-term co-design practices, and examines how such practices evolve within three local government organisations. We found that co-design practices in the early years were characterised by the organic co-evolution of problem understanding, new intervention ideas, and stakeholder relationships throughout the long-term design process, whereas in later years, more strategic approaches emerged in their co-design practices — with explicit aims for systems change, supported by enabling arrangements such as multi-level systems change plans, structured stakeholder networks, and structures to support stakeholder learning and feedback. With these findings, we discuss that embedded, long-term co-design practices in government can function as a meta-governance strategy for shaping and managing collaborative governance to address complex problems.