Three Basic Tools for Building Community/Networks in a Real World Case Study

1. Three Basic Tools for Building Community/Networks in a Real World Case Study Naava Frank and Lara Nicolson JCSA Annual Meeting June 5th2012 Baltimore • nfa

2. Agenda • Welcome/Introduction/Goals • Overview Communities of Practice (CoP)/Networks • Case Study: The Baltimore Associated Family Engagement Community of Practice • Demonstrate 3 Community of Practice tools • Wrap up

3. Goals • Demonstrate three important tools for building communities of practice (and networks) • The One on One Interview • The Design Team • The Community Charter • Illustrate the ways these tools were used in a real world case study of The Baltimore Associated Family Engagement CoP • Provide participants with templates that can be utilized in their work with CoP • Your expectations?

4. Community of Practice Definition A community of professionals who share a common set ofproblemsandsystematically share theirknowledge,expertise and tools in order toimprovetheir practice and theperformance of theirorganizationbyinteracting on anongoing basis. From Cultivating Communities of Practice, Wenger, McDermott and Snyder

5. The Baltimore Associated Family Engagement Community of Practice Context for creation of the CoP: • How: Baltimore Community Study and Learning Commission • Who: 7 Associated Agencies & 12 members involved in Engagement of Families with Young Children • What: Learning, collaboration, sharing and developing best practices as individual agencies as well as shared vision. Collaborative project to impact Jewish families with young children across Baltimore. • Mode of sharing/communication:meetings and wiki www.bjfamiliescop.wikispaces.com

6. Tool 1: The One on One Interview • Background of the CoP Interview • Goal, Relationships and Style of the CoP versus Job Interview • Template Interview Guide • Results of Baltimore Family Engagement CoP Interviews

7. Tool 2: The Design Team

8. Ownership vs. Buy-In Ownership: When you own or share the ownership of an idea, a decision, an action plan, a choice; it means that you have participated in its development, that it is your choice freely made. Buy-In: When someone else has done the development and the thinking about an idea. They have to convince you to “buy-in” to their idea to implement it. Since you were not part of the initial development process; you cannot fully understand its history or genesis.

9. Distributed Leadership: The Case of Kehilliyot • Find the best path by tapping the expertise, ideas, and effort of every member involved • Take turns leading, at different times and in different ways http://kehilliyotwelcome.wikispaces.com

10. Tool 2: The Design Team Work together to design opportunities for people to learn with and from one another.

11. Who are We This is what we are now This is what we are not now Why we Exist = why did you come? What we Value = what do want this group’s values to be Community Objectives Measures of Success Tool 3: The CoP Charter Knowledge Communities 2008

12. Baltimore Family Engagement Community of Practice Charter We are Jewish professionals that seek to reach, inspire and engage families to grow Jewishly Who are we -Women with diverse professional experience and skills sets -We represent Associated agencies with diverse constituents -We are mission-driven, hardworking and committed -We are pluralistic, idealistic and realistic -We are open to collaboration This is what we are -Functioning in isolated pockets -With unlimited resources -Satisfied with the status quo -Inexperienced -Representing synagogues This is what we are not Why We exist -Our success depends upon collaboration- many are stronger than one -We share a goal to engage families -To define directions for our individual agencies & our shared agendas -Formalize the community mandate -Part of our organizational mandate -Learn from one another and share expertise -Develop best practices What we value -Respect one another’s opinions and expertise -Cooperation to avoid duplication & competition -Diversity of this group and Jewish families -Pluralism -Collaboration -Honesty -Opportunity and growth -Time commitment Identify/inventory what we are all doing and how we can collaborate to maximize efficiency SMART goals To have peer learning (from inside and outside the group) in order to grow professionally Define our shared, vision and goals Develop a shared Marketing Plan Assess current successes/failures in community engagement Develop and share programs of excellence Create relationships for future collaborations Explore using technology for this COP (video chat/conferencing) and in our work (social media) Knowledge Communities 2008 and Associated 2011 Using marketing plan to maximize our target audience and combining marketing resources Measures of success Create Vision statement Document that maps out agencies roles, programs First collaborative event

13. Wrap Up • Completion of Reflection Sheets