Scheduling workshops and activities with co-researchers
It is important to come to an agreement with all co-researchers involved in your project on the days and times that work for everyone to attend workshops and conduct research and dissemination events.
The project takes place during the (young) co-researchers' free time. When planning workshops and research activities, consider scheduling these in evenings and on weekends to allow young people who are in school or further education to participate.
During the week, workshops should not be scheduled to start until after schools close or further education classes finish. The workshops should end at a time that allows all participants to get home safely. Depending on the age of the participants, local rules on youth protection, such as curfews or driving regulations, must be taken into account. Vacation periods and public holidays should generally be avoided. Further scheduling conflicts, such as exam periods or local events, should be discussed with stakeholders in advance, and ideally also with the participants themselves once you start your 'Co-Creating Our City' project.
Cities can approve working hours for city staff to participate in the project as co-researchers. Nevertheless, to accommodate collaboration with young people, city staff who participate as co-researchers must be open to working on the project outside of their regular working hours, for example on evenings and weekends. To help overcome these scheduling constraints, consider dividing the five project phases and associated workshops into several shorter sessions or grouping them into longer units, e.g., as a weekend workshop or a project week during non-term time. You can make decisions on scheduling your workshops based on the scope and requirements of your project and research topic and the preferences of the participants. It is also important to consider scheduling workshops and activities so that there is sufficient time for data collection in phase 3 of the project.
Case study: Workshop schedule of 'Co-Creating Our City' pilot project in Düsseldorf
Saturday, September 21, 2024, 11 am-3 pm
Workshop: Research question
Monday, October 7, 2024, 6-9pm
Workshop: Research design
Saturday, November 23, 2024, 11am-3pm
Workshop: Data collection
Saturday, February 8, 2025, 11am-3pm
Workshop: Dissemination
Monday, March 17, 2025, 6-9pm
Workshop: Data analysis