Implications and Potentials of Co-Designing Processes in Local Governement for the Inclusion of Immigrants in Rural Germany

Often, projects aimed at simplifying application procedures, changing laws, or modifying websites are not tested in advance with the people for whom these processes and structures are intended. As a result, improvements frequently fail to materialize and the processes remain inaccessible and difficult to understand. One idea to counteract this and thus improve the usability is to design such processes and tools together with the relevant target groups right from the start. We aim to explore the existing experiences of so-called co-design or co-production processes, how they need to be structured in order to be effective, and whether there are specific aspects in rural areas that need to be considered. We assume that, if implemented, these approaches can lead to greater understanding and acceptance of the mentioned processes and changes. By actively involving migrants in the design of integration processes, their needs and expectations can be better met.