As Wales heads toward a historic election, too many people and communities do not feel genuinely heard and involved. This disconnect is eroding trust and leaving space for division and misinformation to fill the void. Building involvement and actively engaging people in their communities is needed more than ever, regardless of the results in May.
Communities across Wales are facing growing economic inequality and frustrations in accessing public services. Without feeling they have a genuine say in decisions that shape everyday life, responses to frustrations are so easily filled by misinformation that is driving further division and discrimination. The real life impact of this is being felt by individuals and communities every day, most acutely with the increased racism being faced by those who have already faced generations of structural discrimination.
Last year the Equality and Social Justice Committee released its report Co-operation over Conflict: Wales must Act, exploring the issue of social cohesion in light of rising tensions within communities in Wales. The report stated, “The increasing challenges relating to declining trust in politicians and institutions means actions to boost democratic health in Wales need to be taken at pace.”
They are not alone in assessing that action is needed to strengthen involvement within our democratic institutions and public services across Wales. In the last year at least seven reports* published in Wales have identified the need for greater involvement and the common, ongoing challenge – we’re struggling to turn our commitments to citizen’s involvement and co-production into clear and consistent action.
We have the laws. So what’s stopping us?
For over a decade, Wales has had legislation and policy frameworks** that promote co-production and citizen involvement. Whether it’s the 5 ways of working for public services set out in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act or the National Framework for Public Engagement, we have a unique infrastructure that should be helping us connect with our communities, building an understanding of our diverse strengths and lived experiences to collectively create the services and future we want. So why are we seeing the same alienation as everywhere else?
Over the last 5 years the Co-production Network for Wales have worked closely with Public Services Boards to embed co-production and inclusive involvement. We have worked with committed and passionate people from across public, third and community sectors who really want to meaningfully involve people in how services are shaped and delivered.
And we have seen real progress. External evaluation of our project by Practice Solutions found that PSB officers felt empowered with new and trusted community relationships being built. But we’ve also heard about the hierarchical structures, gatekeeping and lack of responsiveness that create a glass ceiling of co-production. Too often, involvement is confined to delivery-level activities, while strategic conversations remain dominated by governance norms.
“Co-production builds trust. Trust builds co-production. But someone must open the door first.” Project Dewi PSB interviewee
We see this experience reflected in wider studies. The Innovating Democracy Action Group recently found that while many teams want to be genuinely innovative in how they involve citizens, ambition is repeatedly constrained by “cautious risk cultures, existing processes, and a lack of high-level political support.” They were clear on what is missing, stating the need for “structural reform, strategic investment, and mindset shifts needed to meaningfully embed involvement as a way of working.”
Five building blocks for real change
Here’s what we need to make this happen:
1. Long-term investment
Building trust takes time. We need dedicated, multi-year funding for public service involvement and the anchor organisations in our communities. This stability is essential for building meaningful relationships that actually deliver results.
2. Coordination from leadership to delivery
We need a joined-up approach connecting local action with national vision across policy areas and legislation. A strong community strategy that connects with frontline delivery and embeds action across policy areas would strengthen collaboration, amplify impact, and ensure involvement leads to real change.
3. Enable the practice by building skills and capacity
Public sector workers, communities, leaders, and citizens need the knowledge, tools and support to have confidence to act. Comprehensive training and support for participatory practices will help us all work together more confidently and effectively. This will allow for the practice of co-production and involvement to become part of the everyday practice
4. Expansive, equitable participation
Involvement must actively reach communities who are under-represented; those who have faced and continue to face barriers and discrimination. Involvement structures and processes must challenge societal power dynamics. This means going beyond citizens panels and lived experience representatives by going out into communities, meeting them where they are at and building ongoing trusted relationships.
5. Champion a culture of involvement
This is the big one. We need to fundamentally shift institutional culture so that participatory approaches are genuinely valued and decision-makers are willing to share power. To embed co-production and involvement into how we govern and deliver services in Wales we must be willing to take the risk, allow for failure, and be willing to relinquish power so it can be shared.
The time is now
As Audit Wales has put it, involvement isn’t optional. Understanding what people want and need is essential for achieving value for money; it helps get service design right the first time, stops problems escalating, and surfaces insight into the future people actually want.
We have legislation. We have the commitment. What we need now is action, genuine partnerships with communities, and the political will to rebuild trust from the ground up.
Together, we can build a Wales where everybody, now, and in future generations, has a meaningful voice in the decisions that shape their lives and the communities they live in.
Get involved
Co-production Network for Wales is a community of people who believe in the power of co-production. Our vision is of a fairer and more sustainable Wales where everyone has a voice that is heard and listened to.
Individual membership is free. Join us, explore our resources and training, and come along to our events. And mark your calendar for Co-pro Week Wales, 18–22 May 2026. This year we’re celebrating how we work together, and we’d love to hear your stories.
*Seven Reports published in 2025-2026
Welsh Government, 2025, Deliberative engagement review: A rapid review on the potential for further deliberative engagement in policy development around Net Zero and climate change adaptation in Wales
Institute of Welsh Affairs and Aberystwyth University, 2025, Fostering Democratic Innovations in Wales: Lessons From Around the World
Audit Wales, 2025, No time to lose: Lessons from our work under the Well-being of Future Generations Act
Office of the Future Generations Commission, 2025, Future Generations Report 2025
Welsh Parliament Equality and Social Justice Committee, 2025, Co-operation over Conflict Wales must Act
Welsh Government, 2026, Innovating Democracy Advisory Group: Towards a Thriving Welsh Democracy
Welsh Parliament Equality and Social Justice Committee, 2026, Fit for the Future? The Well-being of Future Generations Act ten years on
** Relevant legislation and frameworks
Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014
Well-being of Future generations (Wales) Act 2015
Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021
National Principles for Public Engagement in Wales
UN Convention on the Rights of the Child commitment