Co-Design Toolkit for COORDINARE (South Eastern NSW PHN).
About
Project: Co-design Toolkit
Client: COORDINARE, South Eastern NSW PHN
Service: Co-design & Implementation support
Sector: Primary Health Network
Status: Completed 2026
Summary: Beacon Strategies developed a practical co-design toolkit to help COORDINARE staff apply co-design consistently, safely and proportionately across commissioning, primary care development and system collaboration.
Background
COORDINARE commissioned Beacon Strategies to develop a practical, fit-for-purpose co-design toolkit that would build shared language, capability and consistency across the organisation. The project responded to growing expectations for co-design in health commissioning and system improvement, while recognising that practice varied across teams and staff wanted clearer guidance and practical tools.
The toolkit needed to reflect the realities of a Primary Health Network, including the different ways co-design is applied across commissioning, primary care development and community or system collaboration. It also needed to help staff judge when co-design is appropriate, how deeply it should be applied and what organisational conditions are required to undertake it well.
Approach
We used a staged and collaborative development process that combined evidence, organisational context, staff insight, practical resource development and iterative testing.
Reviewed relevant policy, sector guidance and established co-design frameworks.
Aligned the toolkit with COORDINARE’s commissioning framework, organisational context and existing co-design practice.
Gathered staff input to understand strengths, challenges and priority capability needs.
Developed a three-part structure covering co-design foundations, an end-to-end practical guide and application across core PHN functions.
Created practical templates, checklists, facilitation guidance, readiness tools and worked examples linked to different stages of co-design.
Developed content for written and online, self-paced use, with implementation guidance to support organisational adoption.
Project deliverable
COORDINARE Co-design Toolkit — the toolkit brings together foundational guidance, a practical end-to-end co-design process, organisational readiness tools, templates and resources, and tailored guidance for commissioning, primary care development and system collaboration.
Outcome
The project produced a structured co-design toolkit that staff can use as a reference and practical guide without needing to read it from end to end. Its three parts move from foundational understanding, to step-by-step delivery, to application across COORDINARE’s core organisational functions.
The toolkit supports staff to assess appropriateness and readiness, establish governance, undertake research, plan and facilitate engagement, develop and test prototypes, validate emerging solutions, prepare for implementation and communicate outcomes.
Practical resources are embedded throughout, including planning and governance templates, readiness and appropriateness tools, participant engagement guidance, facilitation resources, prototype selection guidance, validation checklists and implementation planning supports. Together, these resources give COORDINARE a repeatable foundation for embedding co-design more consistently across its work.
Link to our vision
A more impactful social purpose sector — this project supports our vision by strengthening COORDINARE’s capability to involve people with lived experience, communities, providers and system partners in decisions that affect them. The toolkit helps turn co-design principles into consistent, safe and practical organisational practice, supporting services and system improvements that are more responsive to real needs.
How we can help
We support Primary Health Networks and other health organisations to build co-design capability, develop practical tools and frameworks, and embed lived experience and stakeholder insight into commissioning, service design and system improvement.
Explore more of our work in co-design here.
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