by: Emma Laurence
A Community of Practice (COP) is a group of people who have a common interest, passion or profession and who come together to learn more about it and share their experiences. A COP can be an effective way for education providers to share knowledge, skills and learnings across their institutions, while building a sense of collegiality and community.
COPs can be centred on anything from refining processes to improving student outcomes, but they do need to be well structured and considered in order for them to succeed.
There are 12 simple steps you can take to establish a well-functioning Community of Practice at your institution:
- Define the purpose:
Clearly define the purpose of the community of practice. What is the problem or opportunity that the COP aims to address? How will you communicate this to potential members? This helps in ensuring you have members who are genuinely interested in the topic. - Identify stakeholders:
Identify key individuals or groups that have an interest in the community’s purpose. Stakeholders could include leaders, potential participants or experts who can support and contribute to the COP’s goals. Engage with early adopters who are enthusiastic about the COP and can help influence others to join. - Form a core group:
Identify a small group of founding COP members who are passionate about the topic and are motivated to contribute and learn. This group will help establish the culture, structure and initial activities of the COP. - Clarify roles and responsibilities:
Define the roles within your COP. This can include facilitators, contributors and participants. Encourage members to take ownership of their roles and contributions to the community. - Set shared goals:
Define common goals for the COP that align with the needs and interests of the members. Having shared goals will help guide the activities of the COP as well as ensuring everyone is working towards the same purpose. - Develop a COP strategy:
Design the strategy for the way the COP will operate. Consider the frequency of meetings, the types of activities (e.g. discussions, workshops, webinars. Forums and in-person events) and how the community will communicate. - Choose communications tools:
Identify technology platforms (such as MS Teams) that will allow the COP members to interact, share resources and discuss topics. - Foster engagement:
Foster a collaborative and engaged environment where members can work together on projects, solve problems, and contribute to the collective knowledge pool. Offer opportunities and events to facilitate discussions for members to share their knowledge experiences and challenges. - Encourage peer learning:
Foster a collaborative and engaged environment where members can work together on projects, learn from each other and share expertise, solve problems, and contribute to the collective knowledge pool. - Provide resources and support:
Share relevant resources, articles, and tools that can benefit members and offer support in the form of mentoring, training sessions, or access to experts in the field (which could be outside your organisation). - Measure progress:
Regularly evaluate the progress of the COP against its goals. Collect feedback from members and make adjustments to improve the community’s structure and activities. - Celebrate Success and sustain the COP:
Acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the community and its members irrespective of whether its completion of a successful project, sharing of a valuable insight or seeing growth in the COP. Sustain the long-term viability of the COP by periodically reviewing the goals, engaging new members and adapting to the evolving needs of the community.
If you would like advice on setting up a Community of Practice at your institution, please contact us at info@dvesolutions.com.au.