Communities of Communities of PracticePractice

To solicit user To solicit user requirements requirements

and meet their needsand meet their needs

M.A. D'Iorio

AgendaAgenda

• the “Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure” experience

• From technical to users – Communities of Practice

• From first steps to operational systems – User Centric Design Methodology

• Recommendations and Discussion

Canadian Geospatial Data Canadian Geospatial Data Infrastructure Building it and using Infrastructure Building it and using it.it.

• GeoConnections 1 was a $60 million 6 year program launched in 1999 to build Canada's spatial data infrastructure;

• By late 2004, key framework data, standards, technologies and policies were in place

• GeoConnections 2 is a $60 million 5 year program launched in 2005 to use the Canada's spatial data infrastructure; using a Communities of Practice approach.

Conceptual Model - CGDIConceptual Model - CGDI

CommunityGateways/Portals

Access

Frameworks

StandardsPolicy

ESRIGeographyNetwork

Cdn InfoSystem for

the Env.

Gov’t ofSask

NaturalResources

CanadaNationalForestry

Technology&

Innovation

Int’l-Fed-ProvPartnerships

NationalAtlas

Sustainable Communities

Gov’t onLine

GlobalSpatial DataInfrastructure

Federal and Provincial Portals

Service Programs

Global Infrastructures

VendorInfrastructure

FederalInfrastructures

CGDI enabling infrastructure

of geospatial data andservices

Communities of practice are…Communities of practice are…

Etienne WengerRichard McDermottBill Snyder

Cultivating Communities of Practice, Harvard Business School Press, 2002

Groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic by interacting on an ongoing basis

CP Classic CharacteristicsCP Classic Characteristics

• Issue: Organizational constructs limit opportunities to understand common requirements

• self-organizing• informal• boundary-spanning, outside organizations• many kinds of members: contributors, lurkers,

newbies, facilitators, etc.• members distributed throughout an organization• voluntary, based on trust• sharing of best practices in reusable knowledge base• require more than just discussions.

CP desirableCP desirable• critical mass, • defined or definable needs to which GEOSS can respond, • the ability to identify and contribute to setting future priorities; • linked to existing information-system initiatives, • Clear governance mechanism,• use of SDI standards, • high visibility application in mind, • needs that can be addressed by available data and policies

apply,• will stretch capabilities • develop new insight,• the ability to foster collaborative arrangements to contribute

to the development applications; • an open communication process to define needs within the

community or with similar communities; and/or • willingness to help build awareness

Innovation Diffusion Challenge: “Crossing the Innovation Diffusion Challenge: “Crossing the

Chasm”Chasm”

THE THE CHASM CHASM

LaggardsLaggards

Early Early Majority Majority

Late Late MajorityMajority

InnovatorsInnovators

Early Early Adopters Adopters

• innovators and early adopters need vision• majorities need business plan (value proposition) to effect adoption/culture change • laggards need guarantees

(Rogers 1962, Moore, 1991; Horler and Teillet, 1996)

Stages of GrowthStages of Growth

Legacy

Stewardship

Maturing

Coalescing

Potential

Loose network of people with similar issues and needs

Members come together and launch a community

It forms an identity, takes charge of its practice and grows

The community is established and acts as the steward of its domain

The community has outlived its usefulness and people move on

Discover common ground and imagine a community

Find value in engaging in learning activities and design a community

Set standards, define a learning agenda, and deal with growth

Sustain energy, renew interest, educate novices, find a voice and gain influence

Let go, define a legacy, and keep in touch

Typical activities

(Wenger, McDermott, Snyder)

CP Engagement 1CP Engagement 1

• RFP tender process 2000 (did not work)• Announcement of Opportunity negotiated

process (worked well)– Letter of Intent (defines CP and how they will use

SDI/CGDI standards and framework data via a web application)

– If in scope, then full proposal which is written in consultation with project authority

– Proposal review by committee, adjusted accordingly then funded.

• Direct technical support of a CP web application

CP Engagement 2CP Engagement 2

• Workshops and CGDI technical literature• Challenging the CP’s to quantify service

delivery to their perceived users• Implementation of a User Centric

Design (UCD) methodology as part of an SDI implementation.

CP Definition 1 - CGDICP Definition 1 - CGDI

• CGDI 1 (99-05) – Sustainable Development,– Transportation/Road Applications, – Emergency/Disaster Mgmt, – Marine

• CGDI 2 (05-11) – Public Health: (Disease Surveillance and Population

Health), – Public Safety: (Emergency Management and Response

Planning, and Critical Infrastructure Protection.), – Environment: (Land/water-use planning within an

integrated management context; or Environmental assessments; or monitoring through the use of environmental or sustainable development indicators.)

– Aboriginal: (land and resource management and community planning)

UCD UCD –– Methodology MethodologyThe Bits and PiecesThe Bits and PiecesUCD UCD –– Methodology MethodologyThe Bits and PiecesThe Bits and Pieces

Deployment

Final SystemDesign

User Requirements- User Groups- What, Where, How

Business Requirements- Organization- User- Stakeholders

Never

Design & SystemRequirements

Product Design

System Design

- Design- Prototyping

Testing & Evaluation

Recommendations…Recommendations…

• the success of GEO is contingent on that of the UIC and ultimately of the CPs

• GEO UIC CPs should:– Engage users in the nine societal benefit areas– Engage a continuum from users to providers– Identify existing inventories of user requirements and

gaps and prioritize them– Be linked to the delivery of some tasks– Develop their terms of reference and “accountability

accord” with UIC– Be open to all interested participants– Inform the other GEO Committees of user

requirements

RecommendationsRecommendations

• The UIC discuss and agree on the criteria for success as a condition for “approval” of the proposed CPs

• The UIC track the CP deliverables• As appropriate, the CPs report at UIC

meeting on progress, discoveries, and best practices