Communities of Practice (CoPs) are being launched and explored at the 2008 PHIN Conference in response to Partner requests for a more open, collaborative PHIN. During the conference, you will have a  number of key opportunities to learn about and become involved in a PHIN CoP.

Not sure what a CoP is or how participation can benefit you or your organization? Then first plan to attend the Sunday interactive workshop, Communities of Practice for PHIN. There you will learn about this collaborative and innovative approach to knowledge sharing and problem solving. Be sure to attend the Tuesday plenary session, where you can hear Etienne Wenger, who coined the term “community of practice” and is considered to be the father of the CoP model. Wenger defined a CoP as "a group of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis." He will speak on the cultivation and evolution of PHIN communities.

Ask yourself: Do you want help with challenges, access to expertise, or to just have fun with colleagues who engage in the same meaningful work? From your organization’s perspective, do you need a knowledge base or a way to keep abreast of innovation, new strategies, or solve problems more efficiently? If so, don’t miss these other conference opportunities around CoPs:

• PHIN CoPs kickoff at the plenary on Tuesday morning
• CoP sessions devoted to CoP topics such as the CoP conceptual framework and CoP technical requirements
• PHIN booth sessions demonstrating the CoP Toolkit
• Community meetings: Six PHIN communities will launch or continue their work in facilitated 90-minute sessions. In addition to the first PHIN CoP meeting, the following communities will gather:
  • PHIN
  • Enterprise Architecture
  • InfoLinks
  • Electronic Laboratory Reporting
  • Outbreak Management
  • Vocabulary and Messaging
• Join a CoP!
• View CoP Activities at the conference (PDF)
• View CoP Activities at the conference (HTML)

Come learn, collaborate, innovate, and have fun in a community at the 2008 PHIN Conference!

Additional Information

• Public Health Vocabulary CoP Brochure
• CoP article: PHIN Vocabulary: Shared Language, Meaningful Conversations