From Worklearntogether.org

Contents 1 Implementation guidelines for Communities Of Practice within the hospitality sector 1.1 Part 1: information about the guidelines 1.1.1 Introduction 1.1.2 The purpose of the guidelines 1.1.3 Target audience 1.1.4 Background 1.1.4.1 Development team 1.1.4.2 Development approach 1.2 Part 2: Implementation guidelines 1.2.1 Critical success factors for the implementation of communities of practice 1.2.2 Identifying a common agenda 1.2.2.1 Analyse needs 1.2.2.2 Identify target group characteristics 1.2.2.3 Work on a calendar of activities 1.2.2.4 Be prepared to deal with resistance 1.2.2.5 Pay attention to identity 1.2.3 Building trust and commitment 1.2.3.1 Setting up a CoP takes time 1.2.3.2 Do not use a blueprint approach 1.2.3.3 Build a framework 1.2.3.4 Blend face to face activities with online activities 1.2.4 Delivering early success 1.2.4.1 Build on already existing environment 1.2.4.2 Focus on win win situations 1.2.4.3 Consult other organisations when selecting a target group 1.2.4.4 Embed a CoP in a sectoral learning portal 1.2.4.5 Spend enough time and effort in the formation of a CoP 1.2.4.6 Start with an icebreaker 1.2.4.7 Blend social and focused activities 1.2.4.8 Identify natural leaders or champions 1.2.4.9 Make sure participants talk to each other 1.2.4.10 Discuss useful initial activities 1.2.5 Supporting the community 1.2.5.1 Guide discussions without imposing rules 1.2.5.2 Monitor motivation 1.2.5.3 Provide ICT help 1.2.5.4 Become progressively unnecessary as a moderator 1.2.6 Learning & sharing knowledge 1.2.6.1 Do not act as a teacher 1.2.6.2 Actively influence the balance between giving and taking 1.2.6.3 Use experts to enrich the learning experience 1.2.6.4 Identify potential moderators at an early stage 1.2.6.5 Make roles clear 1.3 References 1.4 Links

Implementation guidelines for Communities Of Practice within the hospitality sector

Work and Learn Together Project

Leonardo Programme

Community Vocational Training Action Programme

Second phase: 2000-2006

16th of September 2007

Part 1: information about the guidelines

Introduction

These guidelines have been developed by the Work & Learn Together (WLT) project. The aim of the WLT project is to setup and sustain virtual Communities of Practice (CoPs) in order to facilitate and support lifelong learning activities of employers and employees in small and medium sized enterprises (SME's) in the tourist sector.

Recent research on on-the-job learning in SMEs has pointed to the importance of blend of learning and working, and of informal learning activities with a focus on real life workplace problems. Formal learningapproaches are often inappropriate for SMEs. However, learning activities within and between SMEs may be similar to informal learning processes within CoPs.

Communities of Practice are typically emergent and the goals are continually negotiated by participants. This is why attempting to design a blueprint for forming and supporting COPs is impossible: CoPs cannot be created. A better approach is to create the conditions in which a CoP can emerge and flourish and to facilitate the informal learning processes that already take place in SMEs.

The WLT project (http://www.worklearntogether.org/en/index.htm) is supported by the European Commission Leonardo da Vinci Programme (more info http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/newprog/index_en.html)

The purpose of the guidelines

These guidelines have been written in order to support people who have the responsibility to engage SMEs within the hospitality sector in virtual COPs.

Target audience

The guidelines are specifically written for those responsible for setting up, facilitating, cultivating and moderatinga (virtual) CoP for SMEs within the hospitality sector. But many of the guidelines can be applied in other sectors or situations.

Background

Development team

Developing the guidelines has primarily been the responsibility of the following sector organizations participating in the WLT-project:

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Name	Organisation	Website
Livia Sima	Maramures, Baia Mare
Elena Romanini	Consorzio Formmazione & Lavoro (CF&L)	www.apprendistato.org
Marcel van Holstein	Horeca Branche Instituut	www.svh.nland www.horeca.nl
Tina Hedi Zakonjšek	NTA, Ljubljana, Slovenia	www.ntz-nta.si
Renée Filius	Universiteit Utrecht	http://www.ivlos.uu.nl

Development approach

The guidelines have been developed on the basis of a mix of actual project experiences and research and publications on Communities of Practice. They have been developed through a collaborative writing process on this wiki. This was open to contributions from individuals outside the project as well as to project partners.

Part 2: Implementation guidelines

Critical success factors for the implementation of communities of practice

The success of a community of practice depends, to a large extent, on participants in the community. Voluntary participation depends in turn on self determination and the practical relevance of the community for individuals or organisations. This can be cultivated best, when the following critical success factors are taken into account:

1. It is important not to apply specific and narrow criteria with respect to what constitutes a CoP and to when a CoP is successful. Communities are intrinsically hard to define, because they are not by nature clearly bounded.
2. Participants in a community of practice have to experience the relevance and perceive the goal(s) of the community as useful. They will have to be able to identify themselves with the community, to become “owners” of the community and enthusiastic about it.
3. Participants in a community of practice have to be convinced of the fact that continuously improving and learning (new) competences leads to an improvement in job performance.
4. To realize this within the community requires commitment and mutual trust. Participants need to know their participation is valued by other participants both because of the knowledge they bring to the community and also because of their way of working and communicating.
5. The initiator of a COP will have to be prepared to allow considerable freedom for participants.
6. Participants need to have well developed social skills. Working together both inside and outside the community will lead to the faster development of new knowledge, insights and solutions compared to trying to solve problems alone.
7. Especially in the start up phase, a lot of attention will have to be paid to community building by community participants themselves.
8. Conflicts have to be dealt with in a timely and respectful manner. The solution of a conflict is not seen as a victory or loss for individual participants but rather as a learning opportunity for the community as a whole.
9. Dialogue has to take place. Conclusions have to be drawn in a collaborative way. The opinions of all participants should be respected. Conclusions should not be imposed by the moderator.
10. Participants should experience the community as a safe environment in which they can express their opinions and positions without fear, feel free to ask questions and free to explore non-conformist solutions and creative ideas.
11. Participants need to experience commitment and support from the management of the organization (if applicable).
12. Participation can contribute to personal growth, new knowledge, and improved work performance.
13. Multidisciplinary communities can bring together participants from different hierarchical layers of an organization.
14. On-line CoPs need to be supported by collaborative working tools, with the potential to extend functionality as a community becomes more developed.
15. The management of the organisation (if applicable) has to understand and actively support the strategic importance of the CoP but should not be directly involved in its daily operation or setting the goals of the CoP. The management has to accept and trust the community as a “self-steering" unit.

Identifying a common agenda

Analyse needs

Sector organization representatives, entrepreneurs, employees working in SMEs in the tourism sector can all contribute to the needs analyses process. To explore the learning needs of potential CoP participants, it could be useful to perform some kind of needs analysis using (a mix of) instruments such as face to face or online interviews, face to face or online questionnaires and surveys and focus groups.

Identify target group characteristics

Take into account:

• the experience with online activity and online learning
• the level of technical support participants might need
• the kind of initial resources that would be valuable for participants
• the temporal framework, consisting of elements such as:
  • an initial educated guess about how the CoPs life cycle will evolve
  • a shared history
  • an events calendar
• an estimate of the level of commitment and contribution of participants of the potential CoP
• What relations and contacts and shared information already exist between potential participants and what face to face and on-line collaborationand activities already take place?
• What kind of regular activities will most likely be seen as relevant to participants of the potential CoP?

short story... timing

Work on a calendar of activities

It can be useful to collaboratively work on a calendar (such as a calendar of tourist events or a calendar of learning activities). Such an activity keeps the CoP focused and alive.

Be prepared to deal with resistance

Make sure you can clearly communicate the benefits of a CoP. CoPs can be chaotic, informal and of open ended. In contrast SMEs are often task-oriented, hierarchical and focused on business activity. Workers and managers within SMEs may not immediately see the benefits of a CoP. SMEs will not usually commit large budgets to experiment with CoPs. Good communication is critical to overcome these difficulties and to convince those involved.

short story... a bad example

Short story - surprising reactions

Pay attention to identity

A key aspect of successful CoPs is a shared identity (see social identity), or a sense of belonging to the CoP. There must be “something in common “ for individuals to join and remain in the community. As communities of practice are voluntary, there must be a specific interest, a common problem, a general objective which is sufficiently clear (see group cognition [1]. Participants might, for example, experience a sense of belonging:

• because they all work in the hospitality sector
• because they share the same profession or perform the same tasks in different restaurants, hotels, lunchrooms, guesthouses, etc.
• because they operate within the same supply chain
• because they work in similar or complementary businesses
• because they work and live in the same region

It is therefore important that initiators of a CoP identify:

• a common interest or shared history
• a shared identity
• how potential members currently interact with each other
• shared objectives, shared learning needs

If identity has not been taken into account it is difficult to identify a common agenda.

Short story - discover obstacles in the shared history

Building trust and commitment

Setting up a CoP takes time

Setting up a virtual CoP takes time, especially the case when a face to face CoP is not already formed. Building trust and commitment and facilitating the emergence of a common identity is a slow and time consuming process.

A short story from the Romanian COP’s

Do not use a blueprint approach

As a moderator do not try to create a CoP on the basis of a blueprint. Instead, focus on:

• creating the conditions in which a CoP will emerge and can be sustained
• cultivating and facilitating the community
• fostering the self-determination of the community

Short story - speaking their language

Build a framework

• Set up the initial configuration of a flexible and open online environment (tools)
• Agree upon initial norms which govern the way the community functions, based on a consensus among participants. The negotiation process which leads to consensus typically includes forms of active participation and the exchange and sharing of information. The development of protocols, conventions and timescales might also be considered. Agreeing upon such initial norms creates
  • awareness
  • a repertory of common language
  • styles of action.

As the community develops, the initial functionality required by the community and the norms by which the community operates may change.

A Short story: it is important to build a framework

Blend face to face activities with online activities

Blending face to face activities with online activities helps participants in getting to know each other and in building trust. In such a context participants can use the (virtual component of the) CoP e.g. for the preparation of or reporting about meetings, preparing presentations or workshops etc.

Short story - stage fright

Delivering early success

short story... lessons learned

Build on already existing environment

If possible, implement the virtual COP within the context of an already existing environment, e.g. an existing COP which has not used a virtual environment yet.

short story..existing network is not good enough
short story ... existing network

Short story - an existing network may see the CoP as competition

Focus on win win situations

SME’s tend to see themselves as existing in a permanent state of competition. Therefore within the COP’s one should focus on those issues which can be beneficial for all of the participants involved, e.g. promoting the hospitality sector, a certain geographical area together or improving quality or hygiene in the workplace, etc. etc.

Consult other organisations when selecting a target group

Public authorities and institutions such as national, regional or local sector organizations within the hotel and tourism sector can be helpful when selecting a target group for a CoP. They can interface to reach a great number of SMEs which could be interested in participating in a CoP.

Embed a CoP in a sectoral learning portal

A CoP can be embedded in a one stop web portal for learning and development at the hospitality sector level. This is in line with the recommendations of the European study E-learning in Continuing Vocational Training, particularly at the workplace, with emphasis on Small and Medium Enterprises

The development of a one-stop web portal will be the cornerstone of the infrastructure for Life Long Learning (See TENCompetence project). Some research suggests SMEs require a 'one stop shop' for e-learning. To inform and promote best practice and facilitate information and knowledge sharing, it has been suggested the EC should support portal development. One role for the portal is to provide access to “SME shared knowledge”. This free content and “proprietary formal e-learning” are not in contradiction, because (at the contrary of their equivalent free or proprietary software) they do not address the same needs: immediate one side, formal certification at the other side. Therefore a single portal, which can be maintained by hospitality sector organizations, could both attract SMEs finding their shared knowledge and lead them to formal certifications if needed. It has also been suggested that the use of Open Source and Social Software can replace the need for proprietary software, both producing better quality products and allowing resources to be spent on tailoring solutions to particular needs, rather than having to invest in expensive proprietary products.

Spend enough time and effort in the formation of a CoP

Spend enough time and effort in the formation phase (and also on thinking about the formation phase) to make the CoP successful. The formation phase of a COP is the most important phase. In this phase the community is initiated, common interests are identified, and relationships form.

Make sure you demonstrate in this phase the potential value of the community to participants. (The subsequent integration phase (the phase in which the community evolves and matures and focuses on particular topics, exchanging and co-constructing knowledge and developing its own way of collaboration) will more or less take place by itself once the formation phase has been successful).

Short story - the importance of identifying communication habits

Start with an icebreaker

Start with an icebreaker or a “getting to know you activity” to create a sense among participants that they are a group. If you do not pay attention to this, participants will feel isolated and lost. They will quickly drop out of the group. Make sure everybody knows each other, is visible and participating

Blend social and focused activities

Give people an opportunity to present themselves when they start participating in the CoP. At the same time make sure those activities are goal oriented and promote interaction. There should be a balance between social elements and the reasons why participants have joined the group.

Identify natural leaders or champions

Natural leaders or champions within the potential community should, in an early stage, be identified. They can attract other participants.

Make sure participants talk to each other

A useful activity is to ask each participant to ask a couple of questions to other members. This introduces the idea that participants should be talking to each other instead of to the moderator.

Discuss useful initial activities

Suggest useful activities or ask participants to suggest useful initial activities. This may be a discussion or an search for information . Remember that the very first activities need to be useful and valuable for participants to make them stay in the community.

Supporting the community

Guide discussions without imposing rules

A moderator should guide the discussion but should not be too dominant. The rules and ways to work together should be negotiated by the participants.

Monitor motivation

Pay regular attention to the motivation of participants. Take into account the motivation to use the community for learning purposes and to share knowledge. When motivation seems to decrease talk with the participants about the reasons why motivation is low and what can be done about it.

Provide ICT help

Provide help to make sure participants can quickly focus on sharing information and collaboration instead of on technology related issues. Some participant may be less familiar with the technology tools used within the virtual environment and may initially feel uncomfortable in using those tools.

Short Story...

Become progressively unnecessary as a moderator

At the beginning a moderator will need to be very active. As time goes by and the CoP is up and running participants within the COP will gradually take over the tasks that initially were carried out by the moderator.

Learning & sharing knowledge

Do not act as a teacher

As a moderator one should not try to act as a teacher. The typical teacher role does not fit well with the concept of a CoP. A moderator facilitates the activities in a CoP but does not design and structure the learning activities as in a more formal learning environment.

Actively influence the balance between giving and taking

Try as a moderator to influence the balance between contributing to and benefiting from the community by inviting participants who seldom contribute to make a contribution.

Use experts to enrich the learning experience

Identify which experts, e.g. a very good chef or an excellent hotel owner to participate in community activity to enrich the learning experience.

Identify potential moderators at an early stage

It is useful to know from the start who could contribute to the community by being a moderator. The moderator should preferably be someone who has face to face or online experience with the moderator role.

Make roles clear

Make the roles of all people involved in the CoP clear from the start:

• The sponsor: cultivates and protects the network by providing the financial resources and management support.
• The leader: the guide and manager. The leader is responsible for:
  • creating the conditions to let the CoP emerge and develop
  • monitoring the added value and strategic relevance of the CoP
  • making sure the CoP is visible.
• Moderator: responsible for moderation process
• (Subject matter) experts: has an overview of the knowledge domain and is responsible for answering questions.
• Event coordinator: provides access to the CoP and organizes network events
• Participants: it is possible to give very active participants the role of moderator.
• ICT-expert: is responsible for monitoring and maintenance of the CoP.

References

• Kearney, N. & Scheuermann, F. (unpublished article) Communities for the “less convinced” A model for SME Learning based on Communities of Practice.
• Special Interest Group (2005) Creation and Development of a Virtual Community of Practice (V7 – English), eLearning Project Exemplo
• Developing Knowledge Management in the Information Authority (2004) Information Authority (http://www.informatics.nhs.uk/download/792/part1.pdf)
• Introducing Communities of Practice (COP’s) (2004) Information Authority (http://www.informatics.nhs.uk/download/793/part2.pdf)
• How to get to 7 (2004) Information Authority (http://www.informatics.nhs.uk/download/794/part3.pdf)
• A toolkit of techniques and ideas (2004 Information Authority (http://www.informatics.nhs.uk/download/795/part4.pdf)
• Guidelines communities of practice, Emerce.
• E-learning in Continuing Vocational Training, particularly at the workplace, with emphasis on Small and Medium Enterprises

Links

• www.tencompetence.org
• www.confesercenti.it
• www.confcommercio.it
• www.ueapme.com
• www.cescot.it
• www.iscomer.it
• iscomgroup.it
• www.cts.it

Marchello 13:04, 20 April 2007 (CEST)