Maturing Communities of Practice: Tuning the Soundboard of Collective Learning
Introduction: What Are Communities of Practice (CoPs)?
A Community of Practice (CoP) is more than a working group or interest circle. It is a dynamic, evolving group of people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic and deepen their knowledge and expertise by interacting on an ongoing basis. CoPs are built on mutual engagement, a shared domain of interest, and a repertoire of practices.
They form organically or can be intentionally cultivated. In either case, CoPs enable social learning, support knowledge sharing, and create space for collaborative problem-solving. CoPs have been adopted across sectors — from education and healthcare to NGOs, corporate environments, and public administration — as effective vehicles for capability development and innovation.
To explore more about the foundational ideas and practices, see the Wenger-Trayners’ CoP Guidebook and related reflections on Building and Growing Communities of Practice.
Context: Why Focus on the Maturity of a CoP?
While CoPs often emerge naturally, their long-term impact depends on intentional development. Many communities plateau or lose momentum without structured reflection. The maturity of a CoP is not about hierarchy or time — but about the depth of relationships, clarity of purpose, and effectiveness in generating value for members and the wider context.
Understanding CoP maturity allows community leaders, facilitators, and supporters to:
- Assess where the community currently stands
- Identify strengths and areas for development
- Design appropriate interventions
- Navigate tensions and trade-offs between stability and transformation
Guiding question: Is your community growing by design or drifting by default?
The Maturity Framework: Tuning the Dimensions Like a Soundboard
The maturity model introduced by Beverly and Etienne Wenger-Trayner is grounded in real-world community development and includes seven interrelated dimensions. These offer a rich structure for strategic reflection and planning:
Beverly Wenger-Trayner encourages us to imagine the model like a soundboard in a music studio: each dimension is a slider. There is no “correct” setting — and no fixed position. Communities have their own unique “sound,” which they are constantly tuning depending on context, purpose, and evolving needs.
This metaphor reminds us: maturity is not a formula — it is a living, adaptive design.
“There are no right or wrong responses — each community will sound different. And it should.” – Beverly Wenger-Trayner
1. Practice
The community’s ability to support members in their day-to-day work through learning, tools, methods, and feedback loops.
- Are we helping each other with real challenges from practice?
- Do we document and reflect on what we learn together?
2. Domain
The clarity, legitimacy, and development of the shared domain of interest.
- Have we defined our domain in a way that others can understand and connect to?
- Are we shaping and contributing to this domain in the wider world?
3. Context
The CoP’s relationship to its organizational or societal environment.
- How do we fit within our broader landscape?
- Are we building partnerships and responding to trends?
4. Community
The sense of belonging, shared norms, and pathways to deeper participation.
- Who belongs to our community, and why?
- How do newcomers integrate and grow within the group?
5. Identification
The emotional and personal connection members have with the community and its purpose.
- Do we foster strong, trusting relationships?
- Is there a shared identity and culture that supports agency?
6. Leadership
How leadership is distributed and enacted within the community.
- Who takes initiative and leads — and how is that supported?
- Do we intentionally develop new leadership capacities?
7. Self-Awareness
The community’s ability to reflect on its own learning processes and strategic direction.
- Are we aware of the value we create?
- Do we revisit and reimagine our collective goals?
Guiding question: Which dimensions are we strong in — and where do we need to grow?
Reflections from Practice: A Workshop Experience
In October 2025, members of the Ukrainian CoP Guidebook Translation Team participated in the first full-depth “Maturing CoP” workshop, hosted by the Wenger-Trayners in Portugal. The workshop offered a unique opportunity to experience the model in action — using real community cases, engaging in peer clinics, and mapping the seven dimensions with clarity and care.
Participants appreciated how the model supports both emerging and established CoPs. It provides a common language that bridges practice and strategy. As one participant noted: “It helps us see the community not as a product — but as a living process.”
Guiding question: What would change if we viewed community growth as a strategic design challenge?
Application: How Can the Maturity Model Be Used?
The CoP maturity model is a flexible tool, adaptable to different contexts. It can be applied in:
- Industry: To strengthen internal knowledge-sharing communities, innovation hubs, or cross-functional teams.
- NGOs and civil society: To support networked learning, build leadership pipelines, and scale good practices.
- Public sector: For building communities around policy domains, reform initiatives, or shared missions.
- Education and academia: To enhance peer-to-peer learning, connect researchers, or build interdisciplinary collaboration.
Use cases include:
Community self-assessment and strategy development
Leadership development and succession planning
Funding and sponsorship alignment
Evaluation of community impact
Guiding question: Where could this framework add clarity or spark growth in your context?
Summary: From CoP to Mature Learning Ecosystem
A mature Community of Practice is not simply older or bigger. It is one that has evolved in alignment with its purpose, people, and context — supported by reflection and intentional action.
The seven dimensions of maturity offer a powerful mirror and roadmap. Whether you are cultivating a grassroots learning circle or stewarding a transnational network, this framework can help you:
- Deepen collective learning
- Support leadership and identity
- Enhance strategic relevance
Final question: What is your community ready to mature into?
This article was inspired by the Community Maturity Workshop (October 2025) with Beverly and Etienne Wenger-Trayner, and supported by the Ukrainian CoP Guidebook Translation Project.
Was bedeutet der Begriff “Wissen”? Wie kann man diesen Begriff in einer für jeden verständlicher Form erklären?
Aus welchen Komponenten wird dieser Begriff zusammengestellt? Hier kann die Wissenstreppe von Klaus North behilflich sein.
Stellen Sie sich einen Küchenchef vor, der in einem Restaurant arbeitet und eine neue Speisekarte mit vegetarischen Gerichten anbieten möchte.
Der Koch weiß, wie man Gemüse zubereitet, aber er weiß nicht viel darüber, wie man schmackhafte und ausgewogene vegetarische Gerichte zubereitet, die die Gäste ansprechen.
In dieser Situation kann der Küchenchef Wissensmanagement einsetzen, um sich das Wissen anzueignen, das er für die Zubereitung dieser Gerichte benötigt.
Zunächst kann der Küchenchef Informationen über die verfügbaren pflanzlichen Zutaten und ihre Nährstoffeigenschaften zusammentragen.
Dann kann er/sie Daten über die Vorlieben der Gäste für vegetarische Gerichte und die Marktnachfrage im Allgemeinen einholen.
Durch diese Sammlung von Informationen und Daten kann der Küchenchef explizites Wissen und ein besseres Verständnis für den Kontext, in dem er arbeitet, erlangen.
Nachdem er sich dieses Wissen angeeignet hat, kann er seine kulinarischen Fähigkeiten einsetzen und mit verschiedenen Zutaten und Techniken experimentieren, um schmackhafte und ausgewogene vegetarische Gerichte zu kreieren.
Schließlich kann er sein Wissen mit anderen Köchen und Mitarbeitern des Restaurants teilen, was das kollektive Wissensmanagement in der Organisation fördert.
Durch den aktiven, bewussten und systematischen Einsatz des erworbenen Wissens kann der Koch schließlich erfolgreiche vegetarische Gerichte kreieren und damit Kompetenz in der vegetarischen Küche entwickeln, sich mit seinen Gerichten von den übrigen Restaurants in der Umgebung abheben und sich mit der Zeit einen Wettbewerbsvorteil für das Restaurant verschaffen.
Durch operatives und strategisches Wissensmanagement hat der Koch das notwendige Wissen erworben, um neue Gerichte zu kreieren und die Qualität der gesamten Speisekarte zu verbessern, was zum Erfolg des Unternehmens geführt hat.