CoPs - Using Knowledge effectively to Foster Change

Introduction ll Concept ll How CoPs work ll Forming a CoP

SA PPLPP perceives Communities of Practice as an effective and efficient form of contributing towards an on going dialogue process which stays at the centre of SA PPLPP.

CoPs symbolise new agendas for human and institutional knowledge sharing. Challenging top–down knowledge management cultures, these tools of collective learning aim to address a critical question, ‘how to manage knowledge and keep it alive and useful?’ In the livestock context, CoPs allow people to transcend professional and organizational hierarchies to intensively interact through E-Exchanges, meetings, learning events etc. to deepen their understanding and interest on a topic or issue related to pro-poor livestock development (See Example CoP4LPD below). They also highlight the need to harness good practices as well as experiences related to changes in policies, individuals and processes which can contribute towards development of a pro-poor livestock orientation.