Community of Practice
Overview
Per Etienne Wenger, “communities of practice are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavor: a tribe learning to survive, a band of artists seeking new forms of expression, a group of engineers working on similar problems, a clique of pupils defining their identity in the school, a network of surgeons exploring novel techniques, a gathering of first-time managers helping each other cope. In a nutshell: Communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.”
Limited resources may make us feel there is little time to reflect. And since funding is competitive, groups sometimes are protective of sharing information or even giving feedback to each other. In the article, Communities of Practice: A Process for Evaluating Racial Justice Work? Maggie Potapchuk shares: “To effectively create deep systemic change it’s critical to know how other organizations are contributing to the change process and analyzing the data. It makes sense to share observations and work collectively to track long-term shifts. …To develop such new ways of working, Communities of Practice are one path worth exploring.”
Practices
- Facilitating Learning Conversations and Communities
- Strengthening Social Change Through Assessment and Organizational Learning
- Within Our Lifetime: Racial Healing and Racial Equity Network
- Catalyzing Networks for Social Change a funder's guide
- Using Emergence to Take Social Innovation to Scale
- Deep Change: Transforming the Practice of Social Justice
- Catalyzing Networks: A Funders' Guide for Social Change
- Non-Profit Anti-Racism Coalition
- Building a Network for Transformative Change: A Network Vision and Convening Summaries
- Linking in the Lab: Innovative Cross-Movement Leadership and Learning
- Community of Practice Design Guide
- Learning in Philanthropy: A Guidebook
- Racial Equity in Service to Collective Impact and Movement Building: The Blueprint North Carolina Story
Tools
- Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Start-up Guide
- Spirit In Motion: Sustainability Toolkit
- Summary of Critical Moments Reflection
Research
- Learning from Reflective Practitioners and Engaged Academics
- Out of the Spiritual Closet: Organizers Transforming the Practice of Social Justice
- Peer Networking and Community Change
- Transformative Learning in Social Justice Organizations through Reflective Practice
- Vital Difference: The Role of Race in Building Community
- Fuzziness of Inclusion/Exclusion in Networks
