Examples of Use of Communities of Practice
The Xerox Experience
Studies of experiences at companies such as Xerox have demonstrated that CoPs are a very effective way for professionals to share informal or tacit knowledge gained from experience in the field. This sharing among participants results in building on current knowledge and expanding the practice (Saint-Onge & Wallace, 2003). The Xerox study focused on field service staff. Observers noted that the "tech reps" often exchanged repair tips in informal situations. This sharing of tips learned through experience in the field was critical to helping the tech reps do a better job and could not be found in a training manual or classroom setting. Ultimately, Xerox worked to facilitate communication among the tech reps by providing radios and developing an electronic database of tips and solutions (Brown & Gray, 1995).
The Armed Forces Experience
Baum (2005) reported on two active online CoPs that were developed by U.S. Army company-level commanders from their desire and need to share critical information not available in training, but acquired from day-to-day experiences. CompanyCommand.com was established in 2000 as a professional forum for U.S. Army captains, and in 2001, PlatoonLeader.org was developed for lieutenants. Recognizing the value of these online CoPs, the Army later began to provide server space and support to maintain them (Baum, 2005).
The OSEP Experience
While more commonly recognized in the sphere of business, the application of CoPs in areas such as education and research is expanding. The Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) has sponsored several activities that incorporate CoPs as a technical assistance (TA) strategy for enhanced collaboration and problem solving in order to improve results for children with disabilities (Linehan, Müller, & Cashman, 2005). These include TA Communities, facilitated by several Regional Resource Centers and national TA centers, and the IDEA Partnership at the National Association of State Directors of Special Education (NASDSE).
TA Communities (http://www.tacommunities.org) was established in 2003 to bring together personnel at local and state levels to address issues related to implementing special education legislation through six CoPs (Lee, 2003). A second-year evaluation study noted that there is satisfaction among CoP participants but that neither the participants nor facilitators reported high levels of involvement in the CoPs (DeStefano, Ruedel, Skipper, Shami, & McInerney, 2005).
The IDEA Partnership at NASDSE (http://www.ideapartnership.org) currently sponsors CoPs that address 1) IDEA/Title I Collaboration; 2) Shared Agenda Across Education, Mental Health, and Family Organizations; and 3) Interagency Transition (Linehan, Müller, & Cashman, 2005).
References
Baum, D. (2005, January 17). Annals of war: battle lessons. The New Yorker. Retrieved February 15, 2006, from http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?050117fa_fact
Brown, J. S,. & Gray, E. S. (1995). The people are the company: How to build your company around your people. Fast Company, 1. Retrieved February 15, 2006, from http://www.fastcompany.com/online/01/people.html
DeStefano, L., Ruedel, K., Skipper, S., Shami, M., & McInerney, M. (2005). Third-party evaluation of the OSEP communities of practice (COPs) initiative: A report of findings from the second facilitators interview and COPs member survey. Washington, DC: Division of Research to Practice, Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education.
Lee, S. S. (2003, August 18). New technical assistance initiative: Memorandum to Chief State School Officers and Lead Agency Directors. Washington, DC: Office of Special Education Programs, U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved February 15, 2006, from http://www.tacommunities.org/ev_en.php?ID=1482_201
Linehan, P., Müller, E., & Cashman, J. (2005, June). Communities of practice: Activities sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs. (Synthesis Brief). Alexandria, VA: Project FORUM, National Association of State Directors of Special Education. Retrieved February 15, 2006, from http://www.nasdse.org/publications/Communities of Practice Activities Sponsored by the Office of Special Education Programs.pdf
Saint-Onge, H., & Wallace, D. (2003). Leveraging communities of practice for strategic advantage. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann.
Adapted from NCDDR's Focus: Technical Brief Number 11 Communities of Practice: A Strategy for Sharing and Building Knowledge.