Co-designing climate services for water planning: a case study from the Campoalegre River Basin in Colombia

The researchers find that the use of the Tandem framework co-design processes contributed to improving the relevance and understanding of climate-related information and plans in the Campoalegre River Basin of Colombia, where this case study took place.

The experiences there underscored that an important aspect of the process is the emphasis placed on embracing the perspectives, needs and preferences of a wide variety of relevant participants and stakeholders. The researchers found that power dynamics in such processes require careful consideration so that those who represent less powerful groups have an opportunity to speak, and that others listen to what they have to say.

The case study demonstrated that trust, credibility and commitment are essential values in such processes. The researchers suggest that an initial discussion among providers, intermediaries, and information users helps the design and implementation of effective co-production processes. They also advocate the conducting preliminary work focused exclusively on establishing relationships and generating trust – not only in institutions, but also in tools that can engage stakeholders in related processes. The authors argue that such efforts are likely to help both climate services in general, and, specifically, the Tandem framework.