STEP 1: PREPARING FOR CO-CREATION

Which stakeholders should be engaged in different stages of the project lifecycle and how?

Understanding the landscape of actors who may influence and/or be influenced by the development of any solution is important to ensure buy-in from relevant stakeholders and support the effective implementation of a project. A unique challenge in the development of ML/AI solutions is the expertise differential. There is often a significant delta between the level of technical expertise of those designing and testing AI models and tools, those commissioning the projects, and those who may be the end users of AI, or impacted by its use. It is vital to ensure that co-creation does not lead to extractive, “product-testing” type interactions, rather that it also facilitates meaningful engagement, awareness-raising, and the giving agency to those using or impacted by AI to meaningfully shape how an AI solution is developed and deployed. 

  • 🛠 Stakeholder Mapping Template for AI/ML Projects - While stakeholder mapping typically entails organising actors according to dimensions such as ‘power’, ‘interest’ or ‘influence’, for AI projects, this alternative framework prioritises the dimensions of technical fluency and contextual understanding.

    📚 Glossary of Actors - An outline of different stakeholder groups that may typically be involved in co-creation, alongside considerations unique to these different groups

  • Glossary of Actors - An Glossary of Actors outline of different stakeholder groups that may typically be involved in co-creation, alongside considerations unique to these different groups

    Throughout the framework, 👥 icons symbolise different actors to include and consult during different decision steps

What are the primary objectives of adopting a co-creation approach?
How will project management approaches and tools be adapted to accommodate co-creation?