Joint decision making, co-production and democracy

About Joint decision making, co-production and democracy
Wellbeing in practice can be:
  1. A goal for society or progress like the HMT Green Book describes wellbeing as ‘social welfare’.
  2. A framework, often based ongoing conversation about what matters, using outcomes and indicators.
Personal agency, power, responsibility and control are a part of our wellbeing: freedom to choose what we do in our life is second biggest driver of wellbeing. How organisations work with people to feel control and agency over their lives and communities can make a difference.
Joint decision-making encompasses or overlaps with concepts like democracy, devolution, open policy making, community empowerment, co-creation, co-production, inclusion and diversity, voice and accountability, rights, power and responsibilities, agency and control.
It also is connected with aspects of social capital like social trust, trust in institutions, perceived quality of society and our associational life in communities such as volunteering, helping, altruism, team working, or belonging to organisations and groups.
There is also evidence that participation, joint decision-making and co-production can affect the wellbeing impact of community businesses.

Blog

Oct 26, 2023 | By What Works Centre for Wellbeing
Autumn wellbeing highlights: recent findings and research from 2023
Guest Blog
Oct 5, 2023 | By What Works Centre for Wellbeing
Wellbeing at the heart of policy: setting out the WISER priorities
Guest Blog
Sep 13, 2023 | By Ingrid Abreu Scherer,Margherita Musella
Call for evidence – Creativity and personal wellbeing
Centre Blog
Aug 31, 2023 | By What Works Centre for Wellbeing
Growing a stronger evidence base for happiness
Guest Blog

External resource

  • JUMP projects Happy Days volunteer report
  • Co-op Community Wellbeing Index
  • Thriving Places Index
  • World Happiness Report – happiness and voting behaviour
  • ONS governance and trust wellbeing data
In partnership with