O5 : UPPScience Community of Practice Observatory

UPPScience shall establish a panel of five observers of the dynamics and client experience within the UPPScience Community of Practice. The panel of observers shall be the UPPScience Community of Practice Observatory and the publication of its findings and recommendations under the leadership of the partner IIP.

It will take stock of the dynamic and the learning experience of the network in the community of practice. It will focus on the requisite characteristics of a successful community of practice as opposed to those of a project team or a network.

The activity consists of the monitoring of the dynamics in the community of practice on the basis of the known characteristics of a community of practice, based on existing international research.

The function of the monitoring is to ensure that the partnership functions well beyond the normal role of a virtual community formed around project activities. This shall be inspired by the definition :

"A project team differs from a community of practice in several significant ways (McDermott, 1999).

A project team is driven by deliverables with shared goals, milestones and results.
A project team meets to share and exchange information and experiences just as the community of practice does, but team membership is defined by task.
A project team typically has designated members who remain consistent in their roles during the project.
A project team is dissolved once its mission is accomplished.

By contrast,  a community of practice is often organically created, with as many objectives as members of that community.

Community membership is defined by the knowledge of the members. CoP membership changes and members may take on new roles within the community as interests and needs arise.

A community of practice can exist as long as the members believe they have something to contribute to it, or gain from it."

It stands to reason that the activities for the delivery of IO5 will be carried out concurrent with the development of IO2.

This activity shall include ongoing recommendations and observations by the Observatory to the rest of the UPPScience partnership (especially the new comers into the practice) in order that they may be directed towards building a successful Community of Practice.

The costs related to this IO are exclusively staff costs of the partners involved in the development and delivery of the output.

O5 A1 Informal liaison with the leader of IO5.The establishment the UPPScience Community of Practice Observatory under the leadership of the partner IIP.
O5 A2 Close liaison between the leader of this IO and the leader of IO2
O5 A2 Close liaison and sharing of findings between the leader of this IO and the leader of IO6 and IO7 in order that the findings may be integrated into the recommendations by UPPScience.
O5 A2 The publication of its findings and recommendations of UPPScience Community of Practice Observatory.