4 REASONS TO JOIN AALEP's COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE (CoP)

While there are communities of practice for engineers, marketers, manufacturing specialists, geologists, architects, lawyers and countless other professionals, there was an absence of a Community of Practice (CoP) for practitioners within the broad field of public policy advocacy, government relations and public affairs. Hence the decision by AALEP to rectify this situation and our launch of a Community of Practice specifically for people who are involved in our profession.

The purpose of our CoP is primarily to help each other to improve our practice, by using the tacit knowledge of the community as a shared resource. Our CoP enables anyone to raise issues and problems, and see if anyone within the community can provide insights and suggest solutions. Our CoP does not deliver anything collectively to a host company; everything we create are for the benefit of our community members.

4 Reasons to Join

1. Solving problems quickly : Members of our CoP know whom to ask for help with a problem. They also know how to ask questions so that peers can quickly comprehend and focus on the heart of the problem.
2. Transfer best practices: Our CoP does much more than work on a specific problem. It’s also an ideal forum for sharing and spreading best practices.
3. Development of professional skills: Effective learning depends on the availability of peers and their willingness to act as mentors and coaches. The best practitioners don’t simply rely on their own brilliance; they read peer-reviewed journals, attend conferences in which their colleagues discuss new trends, work alongside other practitioners who are developing innovative techniques. Communities of practice are particularly effective arenas for fostering professional development. Conferences, both in person and on-line, presentations, hallway conversation, dinners and chatrooms are opportunities for members to exchange ideas, build skills and develop networks.
4. Help you recruit and retain clients.