Resources

This section contains all of the resources referenced throughout the CoP Resource Kit. The resources provided are intended to help you determine the current phase of your CoP, and provide you with downloadable, customizable templates to support you throughout your CoP’s lifecycle. To open a resource, click on the Resource Name in the following table.

The table below depicts appropriations by fiscal year starting in 1986 to present day. Effective fiscal year 2014, funding is being provided through the Prevention and Public Health Fund under the Affordable Care Act provisions.
Resource Name	Summary	Phase	Audience
You Might Be A CoP If… [DOC – 146 KB]	If you’re part of a group but not sure if it is functioning as a Community of Practice, this quiz may help you decide.	Quiz	Members of existing groups who may want to explore becoming a CoP
In What Phase Is My CoP? [DOC – 153 KB]	This quiz will help you decide which sections of the Resource Kit are most useful to you. This quiz may also assist you in determining at which phase in the CoP lifecycle your community operates.	Quiz	Leaders of existing CoPs
Could It Be A CoP? [DOC – 135 KB]	Have an idea for a new CoP? These questions will help you vet the idea with your peers and make sure you are on the right track.	Plan	Individuals that would like to start a new CoP
CoP Charter Template [DOC – 214 KB] CoP Charter Overview [DOC – 137 KB]	CoP charters, developed by each CoP, include mission, scope, objectives, and other course-setting components needed. These resources give you ideas for the type of information you may want to include.	Plan	Leaders of new and existing CoPs
Community Expectations [DOC – 138 KB]	It is important to provide guidelines to members to ensure they follow expectations that allow your CoP to thrive. This resource provides examples of general guidelines for participating in a CoP and specific guidelines for participating in a CoP meeting.	Plan	Leaders of new and existing CoPs
Case for Sponsorship Brief [DOC – 161 KB] Case For Sponsorship [PPT – 638 KB] Case for Sponsorship Brief [PDF – 216 KB]	As a new CoP it is important to retain a sponsor to support the community. These resources provide examples on how to demonstrate the value of sponsoring a CoP.	Plan	Leaders of new and existing CoPs that need an executive sponsor
Facilitation Tip Sheet [DOC – 202 KB] Advanced Facilitation Guide [DOC – 236 KB]	The facilitator is responsible for managing meetings, keeping conversations on track, and ensuring each member’s voice is heard. These resources provide suggestions for accomplishing these tasks.	Plan	Leaders and members acting as CoP Facilitators
Agenda Template [DOC – 149 KB]	The facilitator may use a variety of tools to manage meetings. This template can be used to help you put together a CoP Meeting Agenda.	Plan	Leaders and members serving as CoP Facilitators
Discussion Log Template [DOC – 150 KB]	The facilitator may use a variety of tools to manage meetings. This log can help you keep a running log of the discussion points during a CoP Meeting.	Plan	Leaders and members serving as CoP Facilitators
Scribe Template [DOC – 88 KB]	The facilitator may use a variety of tools to manage meetings. This template can be used to note and report the outcomes of CoP Meeting Agenda.	Plan	Leaders and members serving as CoP Facilitators
Follow-up Item Log Template [DOC – 145 KB]	The facilitator may use a variety of tools to manage meetings. This template can help you ensure that action items are assigned and appropriately monitored over time.	Plan	Leaders and members serving as CoP Facilitators
Meeting Feedback Form [DOC – 152 KB]	The facilitator may use a variety of tools to help them manage meetings. This template can be used to solicit information from members about the meeting process and where there are opportunities to improve that process.	Plan	Leaders and members serving as CoP Facilitators
SME Tip Sheet [DOC – 157 KB]	As a Subject Matter Expert for your community, your responsibilities include inviting experts to speak to your CoP, bringing in new ideas, identifying topics for meeting agendas, and maintaining the CoP focus. This tip sheet gives ideas for how to get all of this done.	Plan	Leaders and members who are CoP Subject Matter Experts
Technical Management Tip Sheet [DOC – 141 KB] Technology Tool Comparison [XLS – 84 KB]	You’re technically savvy, but for your CoP you also need to help identify the right tools for your group, define account permissions and roles, and help develop collaboration rules to ensure everyone acts respectfully. These resources provide ideas on selecting and managing technology within your CoP.	Plan	Leaders and members serving as CoP Technical Managers
Formation Announcement Template [DOC – 144 KB]	Your CoP has formed and now it is time to spread the word. This template offers boilerplate text for your use.	Launch	Leaders of new CoPs
Invitation Approach [DOC – 146 KB]	After identifying people who may be interested in joining your CoP, you may want to reach out to them personally. This template offers dialogue and text ideas to get you started.	Launch	Leaders of new and existing CoPs
E-mail Invitations [DOC – 130 KB]	If you’d like to reach out to potential members by sending them an email invitation to join your CoP, this template offers general text as a starting point.	Launch	Leaders of new and existing CoPs
Membership Tracking Template [XLS – 177 KB]	You’ll want to track both the people you invited to join your CoP, as well as those who have joined. This template makes it easy to log both in one central location.	Launch	Leaders of new and existing CoPs
Needs Assessment Template [DOC – 102 KB]	Public health professionals who want to launch a community can use this tool with potential members to assess the need for and interest in the community.	Launch	Leaders of new and existing CoPs
Brainstorming Technique [DOC – 165 KB]	Tap into the wisdom and experience of your Community of Practice and create a supportive environment where all ideas are welcome. Read this document for some ideas on how this process can work for your CoP.	Launch	Leaders of new and existing CoPs
Newsletter Template [DOC – 176 KB]	As your CoP begins maturing, you may want to develop a CoP newsletter for your domain. This template gives you a great start.	Launch	Leaders of new and existing CoPs
Case for Participation Reflection Guide [DOC – 149 KB]	Members may need to obtain permission or organizational support to participate in a CoP. By sharing this completed guide, potential members can identify mutual or shared goals with the CoP and determine how practical it is for them to participate. This resource also allows potential members to create a plan for obtaining support from their managers and sharing information about the CoP.	Sustain & Evolve	Individuals who are interested in joining a CoPs and want to justify and explain their involvement in the CoP to their managers and peers
The Case For Participation [PPT – 630 KB] Case for Participation Brief [DOC – 144 KB]	These resources aid potential members in sharing information about the CoP, as part of their plan to obtain support from their managers.	Sustain & Evolve	Individuals who are interested in joining a CoP and want to explain the concept to their peers or request permission to participate from their managers
Biographical Sketch Template [DOC – 196 KB]	To help your CoP members get to know one another, you can ask each to share information about their personal and professional interests. This resource provides the framework for capturing this information.	Sustain & Evolve	Members of CoPs who would like to provide a brief biography of themselves to their community
Facilitating Distributed Groups [DOC – 159 KB]	The Facilitator may want to explore the specific responsibilities of facilitators in this environment and to get tips on things to do before, during, and after an event or meeting.	Sustain & Evolve	Facilitators and other Leaders of CoPs
Storytelling Template [DOC – 173 KB]	Your CoP can start to tell stories from its inception. You can use this Microsoft Word template to structure storytelling activities and as means to gather information and document best practices/lessons learned from the community.	Sustain & Evolve	Members of CoPswho are interested in sharing stories and creating Success Stories
Mentor-Protégé Agreement [DOC – 155 KB]	If you set up a Mentor-Protégé program, it may be helpful to give participants guidelines for creating an agreement. This resource may also be used by community members who want to enter into a mentor/protégé relationship on their own. This resource can be used to ensure participants are considering concrete action items when making their arrangement.	Sustain & Evolve	Members of CoPs who are interested in forming a Mentor/Protégé relationship as either Mentor or Protégé
SWOT Analysis Tool [DOC – 132 KB]	A SWOT analysis will help you identify internal and external factors in the environment (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) that can help with the development of your CoP’s goals and objectives.	Evaluate	Leaders of new and existing CoPs
SMART Objectives Template [DOC – 187 KB]	When you begin to define the goals and objectives of your CoP, this template will walk you through the process of developing specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-based objectives.	Evaluate	Leaders of new and existing CoPs
Evaluation Interview Guide [DOC – 79 KB]	This Guide helps you evaluate a community’s impact on the individual members, their organizations, and the public health focus of the community. Questions enable you to assess CoP outcomes, success factors, and barriers that limit participation.	Evaluate	Leaders of new and existing CoPs
Innovation Tracking Tool [DOC – 227 KB]	Creation and dissemination of new products and ideas are important outcomes of CoP collaborations. This template provides a means to record and track innovations from CoPs.	Evaluate	Leaders of new and existing CoPs