The CEIC Innovation Network takes a ‘Communities of Practice’ (CoP) approach to its programme. This term was coined over 30 years ago by cognitive anthropologist Etienne Wenger, who defines CoPs as:
“Groups of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis.”
In this context, a community of practice is a group of individuals with shared interests or goals who develop both their individual and shared identities through community participation.
While people have learned together through informal CoPs throughout history, the primary use of the concept originated in learning theory, which explains how individuals acquire, process, retain, and recall knowledge during the process of learning. A CoP builds on this theory to translate learning into real-world applications.
Key attributes of a CoP include:
- Connecting people who might not otherwise have the opportunity to engage on the topic
- Enabling dialogue between people to solve problems and explore opportunities
- Capturing and sharing existing knowledge to identify best practice
- Working and collaborating to generate new knowledge and ideas that have practical applications
CEIC introduces theory and models to programme participants to enable the development of knowledge and practices that help them innovate. Communities of practice often rely on face-to-face meetings as well as web-based collaborative environments to communicate, connect and conduct community activities.
Is a community of practice just another term for a project team?
No, a community of practice is different to a project team in several ways. Project teams are driven by deliverables influenced by milestones and results, whereas CoPs take a more organic approach to learning and shaping outcomes.
Project teams typically have designated members who have consistent roles during the project, whereas CoP membership tends to fluctuate, with members taking on new roles within the community as interests and needs arise.
Additionally, project teams are usually dissolved once their objective has been achieved, while a CoP can exist as long as the members believe they have something to contribute to or gain.
Every CoP will have a unique objective. Some might be focused on creating a forum to help members with everyday work needs, while others will centre on bringing together bodies of knowledge and best practice that members can draw from. Others, such as CEIC, are all about innovation, and creating breakthrough ideas and new approaches.
The CEIC’s Communities of Practice
CEIC’s Innovation Network programme draws on CoP principles to link industry sectors together, enabling them to share knowledge and create a practical solution to circular economy-related challenges. The CEIC programme delivers learning within a Programme Community of Practice (PCoP) where professionals learn with and from each other.
Participants come from public, private and third sector organisations, and have a variety of backgrounds, including operations management, product design, economics and development. This creates a rich environment for innovation and knowledge-sharing that participants may not be able to access otherwise.
At the heart of CEIC’s PCoPs, we ensure all participants:
- Have a safe and supportive space to experiment with new ideas and ways of thinking
- Are able to focus on real-world challenges and practical solutions
- Form a community of leaders that keep learning together even when the programme ends
To date, CEIC has welcomed and supported 385 participants from 256 organisations into CoPs focused on driving the circular economy in Wales [November 2025].
