ANN UK Communities of Practice

Communities Of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.

COPs are formed by people who engage in a process of collective learning in a shared domain of human endeavour. There are 3 main characteristics of COP.

·      The domain – a COP is not merely a group of people, but is has an identity defined by a shared domain of interest. Membership therefore implies a commitment to the domain, and therefore a shared competence that distinguishes members from other people. The domain is not necessarily something recognised as “expertise” outside the community.

·      The community – in pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other; they care about their standing with each other. Members do not necessarily work together on a daily basis.

·      The practice – a COP is not merely a community of interest. Members of a community of practice are practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems—in short a shared practice. This takes time and sustained interaction.