Tool 5 - A Problem-Solving Checklist for Coproduction

Coproduction to support public land management involves carefully considering how researchers and resource managers will collaborate on each project. Despite the best intentions, things sometimes go wrong. We developed this checklist based on the authors’ collective experiences with aspects of coproduced projects that did not go quite as planned. The questions focus specifically on problem solving and reflect what we wished we would have asked or done earlier in the project to expedite it and better meet its goals.

We suggest that project teams talk through the relevant questions in this list when beginning a coproduced project to make sure all parties have a clear understanding and shared path forward. While some of this information is referenced in other tools in this toolkit and can be found in project management courses, the questions in this checklist are more detailed and nuanced. The answers also often change as the project progresses and as roles, responsibilities, or staffing change. We encourage project leads and teams to revisit relevant questions in this list periodically to verify that the answers are still clear, appropriate, and understood by all involved.

A Toolkit for Coproducing Actionable Science to Support Public Land Management

Tool 1: Coproduction in the Public Lands Context 

Tool 2: What Level of Coproduction Makes Sense for My Project?

Tool 3: Suggested Coproduction Steps and Practices

Tool 4: Suggested Communication Deliverables for Coproduced Projects

Tool 5: A Problem-Solving Checklist for Coproduction