Building Partnerships and Capacity for Coordinated

Transportation

Wisconsin Mobility Management Training Program

September 9, 2009

Judy L. Shanley, Ph.D.

Education Program Specialist

US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)

Co-Chair, Education and Technical Assistance Workgroup, United We Ride

No official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education of any product, commodity, service or enterprise referred to in this presentation is intended or should be inferred. Opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Education.

We Have a lot of Time Together….• Establishing and Sustaining Communities of

Practice– What, how, why

• Leveraging Partnerships to Facilitate Change and Improvement– Garnering support– Conducting needs assessment– Acquiring resources– Implementing innovations– Evaluating and scaling-up

And More Tomorrow…

• US Department of Education Resources

• Data and Needs

• What’s Next – how can we work together?

Our Learning Today…

• Share experiences

• Not one expert

• Respect

• Interactive

• Have fun

• Let’s apply…

Communities of Practice

What are they, and why do they matter?

I would not have been able to take on this additional responsibility related to mobility management if I did not have the support

of this community….

Jackie’s Story…..WI Mobility Manager

August 7, 2009

What are communities of practice?

“ “ Groups of people who share a concern or Groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact learn how to do it better as they interact regularly” (Wenger, 2002).regularly” (Wenger, 2002).

Mobility Manager Community

• What is your domain?

• What are your practices?

• What does it mean to be part of this community?

Share your experiences regarding communities of practice…

The domain… Membership implies a commitment to the domain, Membership implies a commitment to the domain,

and therefore a shared competence that and therefore a shared competence that distinguishes members from other people. They distinguishes members from other people. They value their collective competence and learn from value their collective competence and learn from each other, even though few people outside the each other, even though few people outside the group may value or even recognize their group may value or even recognize their expertise.expertise.

The practice…• Members of a CoP are practitioners. Members of a CoP are practitioners.

They develop a shared repertoire of They develop a shared repertoire of resources: experiences, stories, tools, resources: experiences, stories, tools, ways of addressing recurring problems- ways of addressing recurring problems- in a short and sustained interaction.in a short and sustained interaction.

The community…

• In pursuing their interest in their In pursuing their interest in their domain, members engage in joint domain, members engage in joint activities and discussions, help each activities and discussions, help each other and share information. They other and share information. They build relationships that enable them to build relationships that enable them to learn from each other.learn from each other.

As a Mobility Manager, Are you involved in a Community of

Practice?

• Describe the characteristics of this community.

• What are the activities of your community?

• What are the benefits or advantages of using a CoP?

• What makes the Community successful?

Variations: CoPs are Flexible!

• Large, medium, smallLarge, medium, small• Within organizations, or including Within organizations, or including

members from various organizationsmembers from various organizations• Meet face-to-face, or onlineMeet face-to-face, or online

A CoP strategy can…

• offer a way to solve complex offer a way to solve complex problems;problems;

• promote the spread of best promote the spread of best practices;practices;

• develop members’ professional skillsdevelop members’ professional skills

Advantages of working as a CoP

• Broader communication and Broader communication and dissemination of information;dissemination of information;

• Ability to look more deeply at issues;Ability to look more deeply at issues;• Access to information about real Access to information about real

world implementationworld implementation

More advantages of CoP…

• Better feedback on emerging ideasBetter feedback on emerging ideas• Connections to stakeholders with Connections to stakeholders with

influenceinfluence• Alliances with intended beneficiariesAlliances with intended beneficiaries

Long term benefits

• Access to Access to existing existing networksnetworks

• Creation of new Creation of new alliesallies

• Deeper Deeper networks for networks for disseminationdissemination

Long term benefits

• Increased likelihood of sustainable solutionsIncreased likelihood of sustainable solutions

• Synergy across levels on implementationSynergy across levels on implementation

• Ongoing feedback mechanisms for Ongoing feedback mechanisms for stakeholder inputstakeholder input

Why TAcommunitiesWhy TAcommunities

• To bridge To bridge knowledge–practice knowledge–practice gap gap

• To provide TA to all To provide TA to all who desire and/or who desire and/or need itneed it

• To move promising To move promising practices beyond practices beyond pockets of excellencepockets of excellence

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The WorkThe Work Enhancing the

capacity to support coordinated transportation….

Enhancing the capacity to support coordinated transportation….

THE NEXT STEP…

www.ideapartnership.org

http://www.tadnet.org

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http://www.tacommunities.org