AALEP'S COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE IN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS

AALEP's view of a community of practice is that of a group of people who share a concern for government relations and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly.

Our view of a community of practice is not merely that of a club of friends or a network of connections between people. Our community of practice's identity is defined by a shared interest in government relations. Our Community Membership therefore implies a commitment to the field of government relations and therefore a shared competence.

In pursuing their interest in government relations, community members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each other, and share information. They build relationships that enable them to learn from each other. From our standpoint, having the same job or the same title does not make for a community of practice unless members interact and learn together.

Members of our community of practice are practitioners. They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems- in short a shared practice.

Our Community of Practice in Government Relations provides opportunities for:

• Problem Solving
• Requesting Information
• Seeking Experience
• Reusing Assets
• Coordination and Strategy
• Discussing Developments
• Documentation Projects
• Visits
• Mapping Knowledge and Identifying Gaps