Societal conflicts are often a key challenge for local governments. This paper examines (1) how civil society involvement in co-creation contributes to conflict management at local level and (2) how civil society and the public sector share roles in these conflicts.
A qualitative longitudinal single case study was conducted on the inception and implementation of Espai Cràter, a museum facility in Olot (Catalonia). It combined qualitative techniques including semi-structured interviews, focus groups, participant observation and document analysis.
The research finds that early and meaningful involvement of civil society contributed to a sustainable co-creation process that included identifying fears, needs and concerns, while ensuring sufficient time and dialogue for building trust and legitimacy. The results also reveal that collaborative governance and civil society agency can emerge via co-creation, with evolving actor roles during the process of co-creation and conflict management.
The paper provides empirical evidence of the role of civil society in a comprehensive co-creation process. Regarding conflict management, the research uncovers that both local government and civil society are necessary and valuable agents in this regard. Shared common values and engaging civil society by means of iterative dialogue become crucial to rebuild trust and legitimacy, enabling conflict to be transformed into constructive collaboration.
