Building Online Communities of Practice: The International Open Source Network Model

In this e-Note, the author presents one community of practice (CoP) as an example of how a participatory and sustainable CoP
may be established and expanded. Observations draw on the experiences of the International Open Source Network
(IOSN), a CoP "focused on promoting the strategic use of free/open source software (FOSS)
solutions for sustainable human development."



The author defines a CoP as "a group of people interested in or working on a specific area
or 'practice'." She presents 5 stages in the development of a CoP:

1. Conceptualise CoP: identify a focus area for the
   CoP based on an assessment of needs.
2. Define objectives: bring key stakeholders together
   to define objectives, and agree on an action plan
   and the working modalities for the CoP.
3. Begin CoP activities: the coordinator(s) and/or
   facilitator(s) expand the CoP and encourage
   contributions and discussions.
4. CoP consolidates: CoP members understand the
   benefits of working together and move towards
   more active collaboration.
5. CoP matures and expands: CoP members become
   coordinators and/or facilitators themselves, and
   engage in innovations and knowledge creation;
   CoP expands as its contributions

To exemplify this process, the founding principles of IOSN are described, as well as the technologies and communication strategies it has
utilised to incorporate community participation while sustaining growth. Some of the techniques IOSN has used include:

• Comment forms
• Solicitation of contributions through another online form
• Discussions organised on specific topics
• Online polls and surveys
• Community provided blog sace for individuals
• Use of wikis to allow users to easily enter and update content

The author lists the following lessons learned from managing and facilitating the IOSN CoP:

• Identify clear objectives for the CoP; it is important
  that members and visitors are clear about the
  purpose of the CoP.
• Select suitable platforms, CMS and tools that meet
  your CoP’s needs; migrate to a new CMS, if
  necessary.
• Appoint a coordinator or facilitator for the CoP; s/he
  is pivotal to the effective functioning of a CoP,
  especially for quality control and encouraging
  members’ participation; a national focal point is
  also essential for country-specific sections.
• Use a range of tools and technologies to
  encourage community members to contribute and
  share information and experiences.
• Know your community members, i.e. their work,
  needs, interests, areas of expertise, and offer
  tailored products and services to meet members'
  needs.
• Respond promptly to questions and requests for
  technical support.
• Promote your CoP both online and offline.
• Acknowledge and promote community members’
  contributions.
• Use an Open Content License such as one
  provided by the Creative Commons to implicitly
  give permissions to reproduce (or modify)
  materials.
• Strengthen the sense of community through faceto-
  face exchanges.