Communities of Practice in Practice

What are Communities of Practice?

What are communities of practice? “Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly. It has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest.”

What are communities of practice? “ Membership implies a commitment to the domain, and therefore a shared competence that distinguishes members from other people.”

There are 3 crucial characteristics of a COP

1. The Domain “A shared area of interest”

1. The Domain In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other.

2. The Community In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information.

2. The Community Having the same job or the same title does not make for a community of practice unless members interact and learn together. Having the same job or the same title does not make for a community of practice unless members interact and learn together. A neighborhood for instance, is often called a community, but is usually not a community of practice. A neighborhood for instance, is often called a community, but is usually not a community of practice.

3. The Practice A community of practice is not merely a community of interest-people who like certain kinds of movies, for instance. Members of a community of practice are practitioners. They are committed to developing a shared pool of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems-in short a shared practice.

Cultivating useful data from your community Developing Visual Questions

1. Start with an image building phrase: ‘Imagine…’‘Imagine…’ ‘Think about the last time….’‘Think about the last time….’

Developing Visual Questions 2. Extend the image with at least two phrases: Who or what is involved in the activity;Who or what is involved in the activity; what are the steps, the information involvedwhat are the steps, the information involved

Developing Visual Questions 3. End with the information you need: What information did you have/want/needWhat information did you have/want/need what was the process for getting the work donewhat was the process for getting the work done

What are communities of practice? It is the combination of these 3 elements that constitutes a community of practice. And it is by developing these three elements in parallel that you can cultivate such a community.

Icebreaker What is your name and what unit are you in? Where are you from? What do you do in your spare time? What CoPs are you a part of?

CoPs and PSU

What do CoPs bring to the university? Connects people with similar interests who might not otherwise have the opportunity to interactConnects people with similar interests who might not otherwise have the opportunity to interact Stimulates learning and opportunities to share new ideas and best practices. Stimulates learning and opportunities to share new ideas and best practices. Creates a context through which partnering and collaboration can occurCreates a context through which partnering and collaboration can occur Serves as a grass roots forum where efficiencies and process improvement can be developedServes as a grass roots forum where efficiencies and process improvement can be developed

Why are CoPs important? Place to turn to for expertise related to the community’s area of interestPlace to turn to for expertise related to the community’s area of interest Incubator for new employees and young talentIncubator for new employees and young talent Provide growth and professional development opportunities for staff beyond their existing unit without requiring them to leave their unitProvide growth and professional development opportunities for staff beyond their existing unit without requiring them to leave their unit Resource pool of professional talent that can be leveraged for specific projectsResource pool of professional talent that can be leveraged for specific projects