PAHO/WHO Communities of Practices

1. PAHO/WHOCommunities of Practices Knowledge Management and Communication – DD/KMC

2. Knowledge Management and Communication - KMC KMC Vision PAHO’s public health information is clear and widely accessible to all people in the Americas. KMC Mission KMC prepares and disseminates health information to improve public health and reduce inequities in health knowledge among the people of the Americas.

3. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices CoPs have existed in organizations for years and have allowed groups of people who may share a concern, set of problems, or simply passion about a topic to come together and deepen their knowledge and expertise in a particular area.

4. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices The PAHO KM strategy is built on four pillars: An effective collaboration based organization A learning organization A partnership and network building organization An authoritative source on public health information and knowledge CoPs can play an integral and critical role in all the four dimension of the strategic pillars.

5. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices PAHO CoPs Methodology Collaborate Share Experiences Exchange Knowledge Find Solutions Foster Learning Innovate

6. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices PAHO CoP Methodology Overview CoPs can be developed through a variety of activities and around various topics Problem Solving Requests for information Identifying information needs and flows Seeking experience Coordination and Synergy Discussing developments Lessons Learned

7. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices CoPs are a useful perspective on alleviating knowledge gap and enhancing learning processes in and across an organization. CoPs can serve as an innovative instrument to improving an organization’s performance. CoPs can contribute to PAHO’s mission of becoming a Knowledge-based learning organization that is horizontal and cross-cutting.

8. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices • CoPs are different from traditional work groups because: • A CoP is a truly cross-cutting horizontal entity that is not bound by hierarchical patterns and allows the members and the (leader, moderator and facilitator) to function as needed in order to meet the expected outcomes. • A CoP allows people from different areas of work to come together with similar interests to learn and share for their own benefit as well as of the community.

9. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices • A CoP has the flexibility to evolve, grow and function as the members see the need without being restricted by rigid working mechanisms and protocols. • A CoP allows members the freedom to share their knowledge and opinions in order to work effectively towards achieving the expected outcomes. • A CoP is a methodology that focuses on the 'what to do' and the 'how to do' aspects. • A workgroup or a taskforce can create a CoP around a particular issue or topic.

10. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices The PAHO methodology to conduct a CoP includes three main phases: Design, Implementation & Evaluation Design Phase Identification of objectives and expected results. Identification of CoP roles and responsibilities and membership. Identification of target audience Identification of KMC Support through any or all phases

11. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices Implementation Phase Selection of KM tools and mechanisms Submission of Design metadata Launching process Development process Evaluation Phase Conclusions & Recommendations Lessons Learned After-action reviews Publishing outcomes

12. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices Roles and Responsibilities in a CoP: Leader Moderator Facilitator Members The leader, moderator and facilitator have an integral role in all three phases. The moderator and facilitator are the back-bone of a CoP

13. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices The members of a CoP are the driving force and what keeps the community alive and moving forward. The members together with the leader, moderator and facilitator work together to achieve the expected outcomes of the CoP within a given time frame. The tacit knowledge that resides in the heads of the employees is captured through different means that enriches the CoP and is the value added in this process.

14. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices The KM tools are not the CoP itself and only serve as a vehicle to drive the CoP Members who are passionate, dedicated, and committed are the driving force of the CoP. If a CoP is not adding value to the members knowledge, it is a sign that the CoP may not be functioning properly. Thorough and periodic evaluations should be conducted to ensure the CoP is functioning in line with the objectives.

15. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices PAHO Communities of Practice Portal A PAHO CoP portal has been developed to serve as a platform for all information related to Communities of Practice such as: PAHO CoP Methodology, Relevant reference materials & Links, List of active and completed CoPs in PAHO, How to join or request a CoP, and FAQs.

16. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices PAHO CoP Methodology available to download at: https://portal.paho.org/sites/ikm/PAHOCoPs/Default.aspx

17. YP’s Implementation of their own CoPs • Technical cooperation • Taining (Digital literacy) • Evaluation • Lessons learned • After action reviews • Technical cooperation • Public web site for CoP’s (BVS, Virtual Campus, PH Observatory)

18. PAHO CoPs MethodologyConducting Communities of Practices Questions? Questions? Questions? Questions?

19. Urban HEART and Equity Health Impact AssessmentPlan of ActionCommunity of Practice PAHO/WHO Knowledge Management and Communication Area PAHO/WHO - Knowledge Management and Communications - Deputy Director's Office

20. Plan of Action Community of Practice CoP Terms of Reference PAHO/WHO - Knowledge Management and Communications

21. Plan of Action Community of Practice PAHO/WHO - Knowledge Management and Communications

22. Plan of Action Community of Practice CoP Roles and responsibilities PAHO/WHO - Knowledge Management and Communications

23. Plan of Action Community of Practice Leader (s) Provides leadership support but does not have to be directly involved in the routine activities of the CoP. The CoP Leader can guide the moderator during the ‘design phase’ by providing a vision and identifying priority topics or areas around which a CoP can be developed. In addition, the leader can contribute towards cultivating the CoP and motivating the moderator, facilitator, and community members as needed. At the end of the evaluation phase, the leader shares the conclusions and results of the CoP with all the members. Moderator (s) Plays a vital role in triggering activity and participation in the community through input, discussions, raising concerns and identifying new related topics that can help the community evolve and grow. Moderates discussions, evaluates comments and input and draws conclusions to share among the entire community and ensures that the CoP is in line with its defined objectives. The moderator may or may not have a complete understanding of the methodology to implement a CoP and receives this guidance and support from the facilitator. The moderator can discuss ideas or planned objectives of the CoP with the facilitator to ensure that they are tangible and refined enough to be achieved for the CoP members. Sends email invitation to potential members to attend kick- off meeting once design phase is completed. Sends updates on progress or highlights concerns to the community members as needed during the implementation and evaluation phase. The moderator promotes the CoP through sharing its purpose and mission in house and outside the organization as needed. Lastly, as part of the evaluation phase, the moderator captures and compiles information on the outcomes and results, to be shared by the leader via email, with all the members. Facilitator (s) Is the back-bone of a CoP and fully understands the methodology to initiate and develop a CoP. Provides guidance and support to the moderator through all phases; design, implementation, and evaluation or as needed. The facilitator helps the moderator in achieving the expected outcomes by providing recommendations on utilizing asynchronous and synchronous tools and mechanisms and planning activities and tasks around each objective to meet the expected outcomes of the CoP. In addition, provides guidance to moderator, if needed, on the technical aspects of tools selected in the implementation phase. Lastly, the facilitator promotes the CoP through sharing its purpose and mission in house and outside the organization as needed. PAHO/WHO - Knowledge Management and Communications

24. Plan of Action Community of Practice CoP plan of action PAHO/WHO - Knowledge Management and Communications

25. Plan of Action Community of Practice May 9 2011 Dec 30, 2011 PAHO/WHO - Knowledge Management and Communications

26. Plan of Action Community of Practice Kick-off meeting The objectivesand expected outcomes of the CoP must be shared by the moderator and/ or facilitator to ensure all members have a clear understanding of how the CoP will function. The leader or moderator of the CoP can choose to present a recommended plan of action or the immediate next step/planned activity in line with the objectives of the CoP to the community members that will serve as the basis of the development of the CoP PAHO/WHO - Knowledge Management and Communications

27. Plan of Action Community of Practice Members • All PAHO/WHO Member States and observers PAHO/WHO - Knowledge Management and Communications

28. eHealth Regional Strategy and Plan of Action Community of Practice CoP next steps PAHO/WHO - Knowledge Management and Communications Deputy Director's Office

29. Plan of Action Community of Practice PAHO/WHO - Knowledge Management and Communications

30. Plan of Action Community of Practice CoP – Sharepointhttps://sites.paho.org/EHIA/default.aspx Listserver Equity & Health Impact Assessment network  Website: http://listserv.paho.org/archives/ehia.html Email: EHIA@LISTSERV.PAHO.ORG 8/20/2014 PAHO/WHO - Knowledge Management and Communications 30

31. Thanks !! Thanks !!! Thanks !! Thanks !! Thanks !!