How do we value lived experience?
/This article was featured in the SCDC Weekly - 9th April 2025
We know that valuing people's lived and living experience is an essential part of how good decisions are made. But how do we recognise this contribution? What can we do to properly value people's time and build fairness, inclusivity and sustainability into how we work?
It can be a highly complex area, and is very individual to those participating, with remuneration taking many forms that will be dependent on what is often limited available resources.
But there is also helpful guidance to learn from. The Social Change Agency have developed a Payment for Involvement Playbook where they note that "the issue of equal pay for equal work is front and centre," while highlighting how to deal with issues around not affecting people's benefit entitlements.
The Scottish Government have also published research around compensating participant time which includes guide payment rates - from £35 for one hour of activity that requires no preparation, and up to £280 for an all-day meeting with substantial prep and responsibility.
Remuneration is also tied closely to co-production. GCVS’s Rewards and Recognition Policy was co-created by the young people, parents and guardians who used family support services. Importantly, GCVS concluded that: “Repeating the process with a different cohort, on a different project would create a different rewards and recognition policy.
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