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Square peg round hole: navigating operational and interdisciplinary challenges in a co-produced, community-based research partnership

Emma Tuschick,J. Smith,Matthew Cotton,Jibin He,Ashley Blacklock,C. Jordan,H. Moore,A. Lake,Lisa Harris,Lesley Lowe,K. Baines,Joe Dunne,Emma L. Giles

Published 2025 in Research Involvement and Engagement

ABSTRACT

Inclusive, community-based research is increasingly important for aligning academic work with real-world needs. This paper describes the challenges and successes of a research collaboration between academic, health service, and voluntary sector partners, working together to address nutrition and food waste for individuals with severe mental illness. This reflective article reports a primary study evaluation of the process of a co-produced project aimed at developing a nutritious ready meal from surplus food to be distributed through Eco Shops, involving individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). A collaborative partnership was formed between a University, an NHS Foundation Trust, and a Voluntary Sector Organisation in the North-East of England. Data for this process evaluation were collected through a team questionnaire evaluating all aspects of the collaboration, including ethics, governance, and communication practices. While the overall project achieved positive outcomes, the collaborative research process included substantial challenges in ethical and governance alignment, collaborative working practices, and communication across diverse organisational cultures. This study highlights the need for flexible governance, clear communication protocols, and effective workload management in cross-sector collaborations. Insights emphasise adapting project frameworks to support interdisciplinary, community-focused research for successful, sustainable partnerships. This article presents a reflection on how a project in the UK, designed to help reduce food waste in a local community and improve nutrition of local people who have severe mental illness (SMI) trying the free ready meal, was developed and delivered. While the overall project had its own aims, this article focuses specifically on how the collaboration worked in practice. The project collected feedback from everyone involved using a questionnaire, which looked at how well the partnership worked, including ethics, rules, and communication. While the project had some good results, it also faced problems. These included difficulties with agreeing on rules, working together, and communicating between different groups. The questionnaire showed that while some parts of the project were successful, there were also delays and misunderstandings because the organisations worked in different ways. The study shows that for projects like this to work well, it is important to have clear rules, good communication, and a way to manage workload. It also suggests that project plans should be flexible, so they can work well for everyone involved and be successful in the long term.

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