The One By One Project: A Promising Practice in Using a CoP Model to Strengthen Connections Between Sites

In a community of practice (CoP), a group often focused on a specific application area, collaborators share perspectives and expertise; identify promoters and inhibitors of change; suggest initiatives and activities; and share problems, solutions, and practices. CoPs within organizations can help prevent information across departments from being siloed. A CoP can also be used to disseminate new information, practices, or projects that might otherwise get overlooked.

Looking for a way to bring together the seven individual sites that make up the Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museum Wales (AC-NMW), the leadership team established a community of practice. To begin, leaders in the museums’ digital space were identified and meetings were set up every other month where leaders could share their work, promising practices, and knowledge across departments. In surveys distributed to members of the CoP participants reported the overall value of the CoP, aspects that worked well, and suggestions for improvements. Respondents said that CoP meetings increased their awareness of other museum projects and allowed them to learn, share, and collaborate in an informal way.

The AC-NMW CoP is a promising practice in that it resulted in increased transparency, encouraged collaboration, and promoted awareness of projects going on across the seven sites of the museum.

To learn about other CoPs that include topical areas such as informal STEM learning, accessible distance learning, broadening participation in STEM, and accessible information technology, visit the DO-IT Communities of Practice website.