Co mmunities of Practice as the f uture tool of Cooperation Some stories and ideas Miguel Castro Cornejo miguel@ macuarium . com Macuarium Network SL Knowledge Sharing in Networked NGOs Brussels, October 29th 2003

A short intro What is Macuarium Big CoP system (lots of connected Communities of Practice) Volunteer, not for profit, “not funded by anyone” Worldwide With a research side Why we are here Knowledgeboard.com Though we could help other people with a similar problem We have done it before How we prepared What we do How could that be applied to NGOs our people work with What changes and opportunities arose Please interrupt as you wish: this is a workshop

What is Macuarium

Big CoP system (lots of connected Communities of Practice)

Volunteer, not for profit, “not funded by anyone”

Worldwide

With a research side

Why we are here

Knowledgeboard.com

Though we could help other people with a similar problem

We have done it before

How we prepared

What we do

How could that be applied to NGOs our people work with

What changes and opportunities arose

Please interrupt as you wish: this is a workshop

What is a Community of Practice What is a Community of Practice Lot of people working toward something they believe in. Geographically disperse. Learning from sharing each other’s experience in solving the same problems. Supporting each other. Getting better and more efficient all the time (tacit > explicit > tacit). Involving the society they live in. What is NOT a Community of Practice A particular set of software or tools you can buy. A one-way PR portal. A training system with teachers and alumns. An expensive cure-all consulting project. Networked CoPs Communities of Practice that can use online methods por contacting and for sharing information.

What is a Community of Practice

Lot of people working toward something they believe in.

Geographically disperse.

Learning from sharing each other’s experience in solving the same problems.

Supporting each other.

Getting better and more efficient all the time (tacit > explicit > tacit).

Involving the society they live in.

What is NOT a Community of Practice

A particular set of software or tools you can buy.

A one-way PR portal.

A training system with teachers and alumns.

An expensive cure-all consulting project.

Networked CoPs

Communities of Practice that can use online methods por contacting and for sharing information.

What’s cooperation all about Civil society Being passionate about something important Involving the right people Getting things done Getting the most out of limited resources Now, how does a CoP help there?

Civil society

Being passionate about something important

Involving the right people

Getting things done

Getting the most out of limited resources

Now, how does a CoP help there?

Unite the dots VIH NGO example Beneficiaries / affected people Communities / Families Volunteers Employees Managers (line-less) Governments and institutions Members / Sponsors General public Same problems, shared practice Official announcement lists? One-way portals? Face to face expensive meetings? Magazines, guides, manuals? “Knowledge repositories”? Expert networks? Let there be a Community of Practice

VIH NGO example

Beneficiaries / affected people

Communities / Families

Volunteers

Employees

Managers (line-less)

Governments and institutions

Members / Sponsors

General public

Unite the dots VIH NGO example Private, screened forum for affected people to share experiences (no names). Restricted access (but legible) forum for doctors and stakeholders. Restricted access (but legible) forum for families. Private forum for coordination of volunteer work across the country. Absolute control of privacy and authentification. End isolation Find best practices Find common problems to solve Allow easy implication of community and institutions Useful knowledge open to all the world More awareness

VIH NGO example

Private, screened forum for affected people to share experiences (no names).

Restricted access (but legible) forum for doctors and stakeholders.

Restricted access (but legible) forum for families.

Private forum for coordination of volunteer work across the country.

Absolute control of privacy and authentification.

End isolation

Find best practices

Find common problems to solve

Allow easy implication of community and institutions

Useful knowledge open to all the world

More awareness

United we learn Feeling isolated (agricultural dev., human and child rights, VIH, Down syndrome...) Reinvent the wheel (and some bad methods – think Down support groups who still advocate...) Identify trusty partners... Food and Hunger project example (who to deal with where, how to do it, what’s the right price). Any problem is enormous if it’s just ours.

Feeling isolated (agricultural dev., human and child rights, VIH, Down syndrome...)

Reinvent the wheel (and some bad methods – think Down support groups who still advocate...)

Identify trusty partners...

Food and Hunger project example (who to deal with where, how to do it, what’s the right price).

Any problem is enormous if it’s just ours.

Giving a voice to local / affected people Laos / Tibet / Bolivia, (Ueli). Develop the people and the institutions , not just plug a hole. Let them share in the (right) conversations. Let them learn to do it themselves. Let them put their own concerns on the table. It’s not bringing a cure, it’s training nurses.

Laos / Tibet / Bolivia, (Ueli).

Develop the people and the institutions , not just plug a hole.

Let them share in the (right) conversations.

Let them learn to do it themselves.

Let them put their own concerns on the table.

It’s not bringing a cure, it’s training nurses.

Networked means now Emergency management Coordination Latest news In-the-day asynchronous answers The useful knowledge at the useful place No unexpected delays, no breaks, fast response to problems (Hunger relief example)

Emergency management

Coordination

Latest news

In-the-day asynchronous answers

The useful knowledge at the useful place

No unexpected delays, no breaks, fast response to problems (Hunger relief example)

Getting a message across Cost of operating a vibrant newschannel? A good community can publish over 100 newspieces a day. Word of mouth. Implication (400 active users / over 150 people paying membership cards) and more implication (6.000 people helping each other solve real-world problems) is what gets the message across (AEAT example). Write books, launch lobbying campaigns, organise events, promote people or causes...

Cost of operating a vibrant newschannel?

A good community can publish over 100 newspieces a day.

Word of mouth.

Implication (400 active users / over 150 people paying membership cards) and more implication (6.000 people helping each other solve real-world problems) is what gets the message across (AEAT example).

Write books, launch lobbying campaigns, organise events, promote people or causes...

Reduce the effect of volunteer rotation The knowledge is in the house (memory) Don’t really go away (plugged in the CoP) Volunteers already know before becoming mods (a moderator is someone who already moderated) Low time-charge of moderation Low time-charge of CoP admin ... especially comparing with a content portal.

The knowledge is in the house (memory)

Don’t really go away (plugged in the CoP)

Volunteers already know before becoming mods (a moderator is someone who already moderated)

Low time-charge of moderation

Low time-charge of CoP admin

... especially comparing with a content portal.

Manage as needed VIH NGO case: three levels of privacy , concern about predation, etc. Project management (tasks, deadlines, people, contacts, completions, alarms) Activist coordination Public participation and content generation ( KM ) Local involvement layer Edit, ban, moderate... It’s your network You put the controls where you want them

VIH NGO case: three levels of privacy , concern about predation, etc.

Project management (tasks, deadlines, people, contacts, completions, alarms)

Activist coordination

Public participation and content generation ( KM )

Local involvement layer

Edit, ban, moderate... It’s your network

You put the controls where you want them

Digital divides needn’t stop CoPs The right choice of tools can allow contact in Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Laos and Barcelona. Integrate simple, cheap email tools with complex forum or project management... if you need them . CoPs can be done on a shoestring. Email, internet centres ( see Cindy’s example ), SMS, well-designed tools. Put the experts at the point where they are needed (and the real-world experience in touch with the “experts”)

The right choice of tools can allow contact in Cote d’Ivoire, Kenya, Laos and Barcelona.

Integrate simple, cheap email tools with complex forum or project management... if you need them .

CoPs can be done on a shoestring.

Email, internet centres ( see Cindy’s example ), SMS, well-designed tools.

Put the experts at the point where they are needed (and the real-world experience in touch with the “experts”)

Costs? What costs? Cut down on communications costs Cut down on travel costs Cut down on expert time Reuse knowledge and practice Boost efficiency Open Source freeware, or cheap software Volunteer moderators / facilitators / editors (Some consulting, yes, probably)

Cut down on communications costs

Cut down on travel costs

Cut down on expert time

Reuse knowledge and practice

Boost efficiency

Open Source freeware, or cheap software

Volunteer moderators / facilitators / editors

(Some consulting, yes, probably)

Questions and cases How does this apply to...? Yes, but . How can a particular obstacle be solved? I have an example that...? Could you give an example of...? What should we do to...? We have until 14,30, or during networking sessions. Miguel Cornejo Castro [email_address]

How does this apply to...?

Yes, but . How can a particular obstacle be solved?

I have an example that...?

Could you give an example of...?

What should we do to...?

We have until 14,30, or during networking sessions.

Miguel Cornejo Castro

[email_address]