ABSTRACT
This chapter addresses a lack of specific ground level tools and techniques for facilitators and community members involved in cultivating Communities of Practice (CoP) for institutional change. CoPs are complex and contextually sensitive social phenomena; thus, they require a facilitative framework to connect its members to co-create and collaborate. This chapter presents a selection of co-creation methods utilised in the Communities of PrACTice for Accelerating Gender Equality and Institutional Change in Research and Innovation across Europe (ACT). The authors reflect how such methods enable CoPs to unleash their potential, as well as enables them to act as change agents towards institutional change. This chapter presents the backdrop of the CoP concept and its theoretical framework, the CoP definition, CoP lifecycle phases, as well as CoP success factors and primary areas of activity and argues how these theoretical elements provide a rationale for co-creation activities. Then, the authors consider in more detail four co-creation activities (DAKI Retrospective, 1-2-4-All, Plan of Change, and Future Workshop) to demonstrate their potential strengths in CoP collaboration efforts. The authors hope to establish the usefulness of co-creation methods specifically when working in a CoP environment by bringing both concepts together.
