CoP 101: Not Just a Lecture Series

Most Communities of Practice aren't actually communities—they're just a series of lecture webinars. In this video, I break down the critical difference between bringing in expert speakers and building a real community where peers learn from each other. After running the CDC's evaluation Community of Practice for 5+ years, I've learned what actually works (and what fails). What you'll learn: * Why most "CoPs" are just monthly webinars in disguise * The matchmaker principle: your first job is building connections * How to use speakers FROM your community (not outside experts) * Breakout groups that actually work * The pen pal program experiment we're trying The bottom line: Before you can build capacity, you need to build community. That means getting people to know each other—not just watching presentations together. If your organization is thinking about starting a virtual CoP or wondering why yours isn't working, this framework will help. Links: FreshSpectrum: https://freshspectrum.com Schedule a consultation: https://freshspectrum.com/consulting About this channel: I help organizations transform evaluation from reports nobody reads to systems that drive decisions. Subscribe for frameworks, case studies, and methods from 15+ years transforming evaluation for organizations like CDC and major foundations.