As the PEAs in Pods project has just completed its first phase, the recruitment of our new Public Engagement Ambassadors, otherwise known as PEAS, I have had the opportunity to work with a fantastic group of people on a truly innovative and exciting project. Over the past three months, I have been reflecting on my experiences, and I would like to share some of my insights.
Challenging Expectations and Assumptions
The project has certainly challenged my expectations and assumptions. I came into this project with a background in technical funded projects, which tend to have fixed agendas and definite sub-task deadlines. However, the PEAs in Pods are based on the ethos of co-production and an evolving way of doing things. Our first two project meetings were spent getting to know the core research team and looking at our hopes, fears, goals, and dreams. Using tools like Miro, I was pleasantly surprised by the richness of the content that we generated. Working with social scientists has also been a new and rewarding experience.
I have found the experience of working with the core research team to be extremely comfortable and motivating. Our meetings have been productive, and as a computer scientist specialising in AI, I have found our meetings to be very beneficial. I have also had the opportunity to promote the project through talks and panels, including the Greater Manchester Information Board, Manchester Council, Leeds Digital Festival, the GM AI Foundry SMEs, the Office for AI and OfCOM. These talks and events have allowed me to share my experiences and insights with others, and I feel inspired.The key takeaway from this week for me has been to try and not panic, to accept that co-production is a new way of working, and to acknowledge that I am on a learning curve. This project is a journey with ups and downs along the way. However, I am confident we will achieve and approach each challenge positively and do great things by working together.
