Children & Youth    Home & Community Health     Rehab & Disability

    Leadership

What is a CoP?

According to theorists Jean Lave and Etienne Wenger a community of practices is, “a process of social learning that occurs when people who have a common interest in a subject or area collaborate over an extended period of time, sharing ideas and strategies, determining solutions and building innovations.”

What is the purpose of a CoP?

Communities develop their practice through a variety of methods, including: problem solving, requests for information, seeking the experiences of others, reusing assets, coordination and synergy, discussing developments, visiting other members, mapping knowledge and identifying gaps.

What are the benefits of a CoP?

People see CoPs as ways of promoting innovation, developing a social network, and facilitating and disseminating knowledge within a group. Learning can be, and often is, an incidental outcome that accompanies these social processes.