COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE
The Inter-American Development Bank’s (IDB) Integration and Trade Communities of Practice (CoP) ecosystem is a notable example of implementing a successful knowledge management solution. This CoP ecosystem was created in 2014 to gather and harness relevant integration and trade knowledge in Latin-American and the Caribbean. Thanks to its pivotal role in these two regions, the IDB created and leveraged knowledge in niche areas such as the rules of origin of foreign trade or the authorized economic operator.
Nonetheless, knowledge was not organized or adequately codified to be used to its full potential. The CoPs effectively faced this challenge and organized diverse groups of renowned subject-matter experts around 14 theme CoPs. Each CoP included a resource repository/library (where pertinent documents and experiences were uploaded), an online discussion forum (where the experts can start cutting-edge discussions), and webinars (online conferences and round-tables where knowledge was created and disseminated). The CoPs used a blended WordPress and BuddyPress technology that supported social media and collaborative learning.
I have selected this artifact because it is a powerful knowledge management tool. In this capacity, I had the opportunity to lead the creation and implementation of the project following Etienne Wegner’s model.
I led a subject matter experts team hired as CoP facilitators and other regional partners, such as La Fundacion Torcuato di Tella in Argentina, who supported the technology and the CoP dynamization services. We developed tailored methods to implement the knowledge management cycle successfully (create, discover, capture, organize, disseminate, and use knowledge). In that sense, this ecosystem is related to Telefonica’s Schools, webinars, and publications.
This multistakeholder project allowed me to implement a model that solved many knowledge management challenges in topic areas. From governmental agencies to think tanks, different audiences took advantage of this knowledge ecosystem. The ecosystem reached more than 2,000 active members at the end of 2016. Moreover, some webinars reached more than 200 users.
However, it was not an easy journey. The CoPs regularly faced challenges related to keeping the knowledge flowing, motivating their members to share knowledge actively, and improving the design of its knowledge products. Dissemination and engagement are difficult areas that require tailored strategies such as gamification.
This project allowed me to create a CoP ecosystem from the beginning. I learned about the best methodologies for implementing knowledge management tools. Collaborating with the CoP members, I designed knowledge management packages and codified them meaningfully. I also developed strategies to incentivize members' participation and promote a culture of open dissemination within their organizations.
Most of the time, knowledge is stored in organizational silos. These silos prevent knowledge from being shared, and consequently, they also prevent teams and organizations from evolving. This project changed my way of implementing strategies for breaking these silos. Additionally, I had the opportunity to build rapport with international organizations and beneficiary countries. I experience that understanding the stakeholder's needs it's critical to designing and implementing knowledge management solutions.
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