What makes a successful Community of Practice? This presentation looks at the key ingredients, with particular emphasis on the role of the community facilitator for building trust and cooperation, enabling conversations to become active collaboration and co-production.

1. Steve Dale Director Semantix (UK) Ltd Collabor8now Ltd Communities of Practice: turning conversations into collaboration January 2009

3. What is a ? What is a Community of Practice?

5. A community

6. A domain of interest Gosport Allotment Holders & Gardeners Association

7. A place to meet

8. Someone to facilitate

9. A community of practice

12. What is a ? Step 1: Establish or identify a purpose Developing Successful Communities of Practice

13. What problem am I trying to solve?

14. Degrees of Transparency and Trust Increasing collaboration and transparency of process Join our list Join our forum Join our community

15. Is the answer already out there?

16. Dynamics of Different Network Types Long – term, no pre-engineered end Fixed ends when project deliverables have been accomplished As long as it adds value to the business and its members Time scale Links made based on needs of the individual Constant for a fixed period Semi - permanent Membership Interpersonal acquaintances Commitment to goal Common application of a skill Connections Extent of relationships Assigned project charter Knowledge domain Boundary Communication flows Accomplish specific task Learning Sharing Creating Knowledge Purpose Informal networks Project Teams Community of Practice

17. What is a ? Step 2: Identify your Community

18. Know your audience

19. This is our audience

20. Members of an active community occasional transactional peripheral active facilitator core group lurkers leaders outsiders experts beginners

23. Step 3: Understand the Culture and Behaviours

24. Addressing the culture

26. Levels of engagement Level of engagement Type of engagement Browse, search, learn (Anonymously) Comment (with attribution) Ask a question (with attribution) Write a blog Become a mentor Become an expert Register Comment (Anonymously) Waxing and Waning Interest

27. Patterns of contribution Ref: Jacob Nielson http:// www.useit.com/alertbox/participation_inequality.html Number of participants Number of contributions 1% active contributors 9% occasional contributors 90% readers (aka ‘lurkers’) The 1-9-90 rule

29. It’s more about the people than the technology

30. Community Archetypes In a perpetual personal duel. Generally don’t menace anyone except each other. Duelsists http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/duelists.htm

31. Community Archetypes For Ego , the discussion forum is all about him, and he regards discussions that stray from that topic as trivial dalliances. Ego is one the fiercest of all the Warriors and will fight to the death when attacked Ego http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/ego.htm

32. Community Archetypes Fillibuster Attempts to influence the forum simply by holding the floor. His monotonous hectoring and prodigious output of verbiage rapidly clears the field of other users http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/filibuster.htm

33. Community Archetypes Big Dog and MeToo Big Dog is a bully who doesn't hesitate to use his superior strength to intimidate other combatants. Me-Too will join the attack. Me-Too is far too weak and insecure to engage in single combat. http://redwing.hutman.net/~mreed/warriorshtm/bigdogmetoo.htm

35. Step 4: Develop the ‘Practice’

36. Attributes of a successful CoP Social Networking Culture Collaboration Tools Based on a slide by IBM Do we have a method to collaborate? Mechanism Does the CoP have the tools to collaborate effectively? Skills Do I want to be approached? How do I approach this person? Access Why will I cooperate with this person? Do I want to work with this person? Motivation How do I develop my reputation as a trusted member? Will this person help me? Benevolence How do I advertise my skills? Is this person competent? Competence How can I become more known? How do I know who is out there? Awareness Contributors I am someone Seekers I need someone Critical Success factors

37. Your community’s life-cycle From: Cultivating Communities of Practice by Wenger, McDermot and Snyder Plan Start-up Grow Sustain/Renew Close Level of energy and visibility Time Discover/ imagine Incubate/ deliver value Focus/ expand Ownership/ openness Let go/ remember

38. Building an environment to support collaborative working Find and connect with experts Find and connect with your peers Threaded discussion forums, wikis, blogs, document repository News feeds Event calendar News and Newsletters

39. What makes a successful community?

40. Facilitating or Coordinating a community Facilitation – the magic ingredient

42. What can you accomplish in one week? No time Lots of time 1 hr 5 hrs 10 hrs Start a discussion Upload a document Read a forum post Read a document Read a wiki Read a blog Respond to a forum posting Add an event Comment on a blog Contribute to a wiki Write a blog Be a community member Facilitate a community Upload a document Read a forum post Add an event Upload a document Read a forum post Comment on a blog Add an event Upload a document Read a forum post Read a wiki Comment on a blog Add an event Upload a document Read a forum post Read a blog Read a wiki Comment on a blog Add an event Upload a document Read a forum post Read a document Read a blog Read a wiki Comment on a blog Add an event Upload a document Read a forum post Contribute to a wiki Read a document Read a blog Read a wiki Comment on a blog Add an event Upload a document Read a forum post Write a blog Contribute to a wiki Read a document Read a blog Read a wiki Comment on a blog Add an event Upload a document Read a forum post Respond to a forum posting Write a blog Contribute to a wiki Read a document Read a blog Read a wiki Comment on a blog Add an event Upload a document Read a forum post

43. ACTIVITY: WHAT ARE THE ATTRIBUTES OF A GOOD CO-ORDINATOR?

44. A Good Facilitator/Coordinator?

45. A Facilitator/Coordinator cultivates the community

46. Step 5: Monitor and Measure Everything!

47. Metrics

49. Metrics – CoP Activity

52. Case Study: IDeA CoP Platform www.communities.idea.gov.uk

55. Over 700 local government services

56. Project Timeline Over 26,000 people registered Over 600 Communities 140 have IDeA involvement Official launch December 2007 Ongoing support to selected communities at the IDeA through a coaching and mentoring scheme Completion of application form to set up a community First pilot built on Drupal failed Assisted in running focus groups with potential members of the Pilot communities Introduces a technology platform to support collaboration Management team approval Developed and run training for facilitators Developed technology spec for online platform Various iterations business case to get management backing for KM strategy, including CoPs Intensive work with stakeholders Produced spec for the KM team structure Sept 05 Business Case Nov 08 People Dec 07 Launch Sept 06 Pilot Apr 06 Planning

58. CoPs in local government

59. Lessons Learnt: What went well and not so well

63. A Quote I'm now convinced that sharing knowledge, information and experience through CoPs is the future of success in local government, and that social media tools such as those employed within the IDeA CoP platform are the glue that can stick cross-sector collaboration projects together Local Authority CoP facilitator

65. A CoP Story from the private sector Asia Pacific Bohai: Knowledge about defective gas turbine rotors prevented certain engine failure. Potential cost saving of over $83 million

67. Stephen Dale www.semantix.co.uk www.collabor8now.com Email: [email_address] Twitter: www.twitter.com/stephendale Thank you!