CoP: Getting Started 3

Forming a Community of Practice

• Based upon the work of Etienne Wenger• Communities of Practice (COP) 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.

• Website:– http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm

IDEA Partnership: Another View of COP

• www.ideaparternship.org• A Community of Practice (CoP) is quite

simply a group of people that agree to interact regularly to solve a persistent problem or improve practice in an area that is important to them.

• A New Approach to Solving Complex Educational Problems– Cashman, J., Linehan, P., & Rosser, M. (2007). Communities of Practice: A new

approach to solving complex educational problems. Alexandria, VA: National Association of State Directors of Special Education.

– http://www.ideapartnership.org/documents/CoPGuide.pdf

The Community and its practice groups

• The community keeps the members focused on the big picture of behavioral health

• The practice groups keep the community sensitized to the dimensions of the issues

• Together, the community and the practice groups:– make connections– invite participation– create and share knowledge– change practice!!!

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COPs involve sharing....

• vision• passion• decision making• problem solving• knowledge• language• commitment• work

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COPs are not successful because of like-minded

people,they are successful because of

shared passion.

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3 Critical Elements to a COPReference: Etienne Wenger

• The Domain– A “shared identify” that unifies the community

• The Community– Members building relationships & helping each

other. Members engaging in shared dialogues, activities, and information and resource sharing.

• The Practice– Practitioners with a shared repertoire of resources

that interact for a shared purpose.

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5 Critical FunctionsReference: Etienne Wenger

• Educate– Collecting and disseminating information related to problems of

practice

• Support– Provide a method for communicating and interacting (eg. Wiki

worksite, Sharedwork.org, etc.)

• Cultivate– Assist a group in “getting going” and sustaining a positive “rhythm

of interaction”

• Encourage– Promote the work and accomplishments of the community by

talking about the work

• Integrate– Involve and integrate the community work in the policies and

decision-making of the organization8