A Trumps Card game to help you plan a community of practice

1. CoP Trumps

2. CoP Trumps
Introduction
CoP Trumps is a card game that can be used as a prompt when building, facilitating
and measuring your Community of Practice.
The main premise behind CoP Trumps is to give you some suggestions of action to
undertake that will assist the collaboration within your community.
The Trumps below are based of 6 theme areas that where identified as part of the
Performance Improvement Benchmarking (River Diagram) that we are using for the
Local Government Improvement and Development led Communities.
You can find out more about the Performance Improvement Benchmarking from
Chris Collison Website http://www.chriscollison.com/pib.html
The six themes identified are:
1. Planning
2. Clear Focus
3. Engagement and Communication
4. Active Facilitation
5. Managing Content
6. Measurable Outcomes
Each Card will cover an Action, Tool or Techniques that you can use with an
estimate of between 1 to 10 on:
• Cost
• Learning Curve
• Knowledge Sharing
• Geek Factor
• Encourages Participation

3.
CoP Trumps
Instructions
All cards are dealt among the player. There must be at least two players and at least
one card for each player.
The starting player (normally the payer sitting on the dealer’s left) selects an attribute
from his or her topmost card and reads out its value.
Each player then reads out the value of the same attribute from their cards.
The largest value wins the “trick”, and the winner takes all the cards and places them
at the bottom of his or her pile.
That player then looks at their new topmost card, and chooses the attribute for the
next round.
In the event of a draw, the cards are placed in the centre and a new attribute is
chosen from the next card by the same person as in the previous round. The winner
of that round obtains all of the cards in the centre as well as the top card from each
player.
Players are eliminated when they lose their last card, and the winner is the player
who obtains the whole pack.

4. Community Plan Community Charter
Planning
Planning
Cost 3 Cost 3
Learning Curve 3 Learning Curve 3
Knowledge Sharing 7 Knowledge Sharing 5
Geek Factor 2 Geek Factor 2
Encourages Participation 8 Encourages Participation 7
Consist of events, communications A written expression of the
and day to day activities. That will community's purpose, boundaries,
spark community activity, attract membership criteria, sponsors, key
members and increase roles, ways of working, special
participation. focus areas and measures of
success.
Community Purpose Welcome Statement
Clear Focus
Clear Focus
Cost 2 Cost 1
Learning Curve 2 Learning Curve 1
Knowledge Sharing 8 Knowledge Sharing 8
Geek Factor 2 Geek Factor 2
Encourages Participation 7 Encourages Participation 8
Describes why the community The welcome message is similar to
exists. It is short and designed to the Community Purpose but will
capture both hearts and minds and welcome members to the
encourages ownership within the community and point them in the
community. direction of key activities and things
they need to know.

5. Water Cooler
Engagement and Communication
Detailed Profile
Engagement and Communication
Cost 1 Cost 3
Learning Curve 3 Learning Curve 3
Knowledge Sharing 8 Knowledge Sharing 7
Geek Factor 4 Geek Factor 3
Encourages Participation 8 Encourages Participation 7
Is a thread in the forum where Profiles have a dual use – they help
members can introduce themselves you let people know about your
and find out a little bit more about interests and experience, and help
who is in the community? Think of you find people that share similar
it as an online Ice breaker interests to you.
Invitations Newsletter
Engagement and Communication
Engagement and Communication
Cost 4 Cost 4
Learning Curve 3 Learning Curve 4
Knowledge Sharing 5 Knowledge Sharing 5
Geek Factor 5 Geek Factor 4
Encourages Participation 5 Encourages Participation 9
When kicking off the community or Is a regularly distributed publication
asking a new group of people use generally about the main topic that
an email invite or Invite to join are of interest to its member. And
function. Don’t forget to mention upcoming activities in the
the purpose and the expectations of community
being a member.

6. Polls
Engagement and Communication Photos
Engagement and Communication
Cost 2 Cost 3
Learning Curve 3 Learning Curve 5
Knowledge Sharing 2 Knowledge Sharing 3
Geek Factor 3 Geek Factor 5
Encourages Participation 8 Encourages Participation 6
Snapshot questions, usually with Everyone likes photo’s it’s a great
choice of short answers, used to conversation point. Taking photo’s
gauge general consensus, check at events and conference brings the
temperature, or get a rough idea of community together by showing that
how a group of people feel about an members are real people and not
issue or idea. just an image in the screen.
Events Online Conference
Engagement and Communication
Engagement and Communication
Cost 9 Cost 8
Learning Curve 6 Learning Curve 9
Knowledge Sharing 10 Knowledge Sharing 10
Geek Factor 5 Geek Factor 8
Encourages Participation 10 Encourages Participation 10
Events are a gathering of members An online conference uses the
normally F2F designed to Community of Practice as a
accomplish many goals including: conference venue. This means that
information exchange collaboration, participants can access the
networking, interaction and more conference from anywhere in the
world and can do this at any time.

7. Interviews Alerts
Engagement and Communication
Active Facilitation
Cost 5 Cost 2
Learning Curve 6 Learning Curve 4
Knowledge Sharing 6 Knowledge Sharing 7
Geek Factor 5 Geek Factor 3
Encourages Participation 6 Encourages Participation 9
Are semi-structured and have a Email updates of the latest activity from
your community, these can be set up
general theme that will be explored
as immediate, daily or weekly and will
to elicit the knowledge and summarise updates across all the
experience of the individual (s) to functions that the community uses;
be shared with a wider audience. including forums, events, library, wikis
Be it in Audio, Video or Written and blogs.
Notice Boards Back channelling
Active Facilitation
Active Facilitation
Cost 3 Cost 7
Learning Curve 3 Learning Curve 6
Knowledge Sharing 7 Knowledge Sharing 9
Geek Factor 3 Geek Factor 2
Encourages Participation 7 Encourages Participation 9
A Notice Board is a place where It is the ability to contact members
thoughts, ideas and questions are when appropriate, to encouraging
shared. On their own, these items group discussion, model behaviour
are not in depth enough to require a and assist the members in getting
separate forum. answers to questions.

8. Hotseats Hot Topics
Active Facilitation
Active Facilitation
Cost 7 Cost 2
Learning Curve 5 Learning Curve 2
Knowledge Sharing 6 Knowledge Sharing 8
Geek Factor 5 Geek Factor 3
Encourages Participation 8 Encourages Participation 8
Enables participants to ask the Discussions around a topic that is
person in the hot seat (usually an hot at the moment in time. It may
expert in their field) questions, to involve a series of techniques such
which they can respond over a set as a hotseat, a face to face event
period of time. which are all linked together around
a discussion for a time period.
Peer Assists Seeding
Active Facilitation
Active Facilitation
Cost 7 Cost 7
Learning Curve 5 Learning Curve 3
Knowledge Sharing 9 Knowledge Sharing 7
Geek Factor 4 Geek Factor 3
Encourages Participation 9 Encourages Participation 8
A workshop or meeting designed to The community will need
gain knowledge and insight from documentation and guidance for all
members of the community around a aspects. Remember this will always be
particular issue. With members an ongoing process, but you should
sharing their experience and insights consider which aspects of your
on the issue. And assisting the Peer in community are most important and
the resolution of the issue. need to be seeded.

9. Feeding Marketplace
Active Facilitation
Active Facilitation
Cost 7 Cost 5
Learning Curve 4 Learning Curve 5
Knowledge Sharing 8 Knowledge Sharing 9
Geek Factor 2 Geek Factor 5
Encourages Participation 8 Encourages Participation 8
If you do not feed the community Could be seen as a 'dating service'
with content, connection and a little for knowledge. It identifies what
bit of fun, they will stray and go else people know and what they need to
where, just like the cat in the know on a particular subject, and
picture. then connects them appropriately.
Google Alerts Google Reader
Managing Content
Managing Content
Cost 1 Cost 1
Learning Curve 4 Learning Curve 6
Knowledge Sharing 5 Knowledge Sharing 5
Technical 5 Technical 6
Encourages Participation 6 Encourages Participation 5
Are email updates of the latest Known as RSS ('Really Simple
relevant Google results (web, news, Syndication'), allow you to see
etc.) based on your choice of query when websites have added new
or topic. content as soon as it’s published,
without having to visit the websites
you have taken the feed from.

10. Useful Resources FAQ’s
Managing Content
Managing Content
Cost 5 Cost 5
Learning Curve 5 Learning Curve 5
Knowledge Sharing 8 Knowledge Sharing 8
Technical 5 Technical 5
Encourages Participation 6 Encourages Participation 6
Everyone needs to know where you Many new members to a
get your information from by community will gravitate towards a
gathering a list of websites, books FAQ page to orient themselves. A
and articles that you use and asking good FAQ should answer almost all
others to build on this list of of the most common questions
information concerning the community.
Themes and Tags Blog
Managing Content
Managing Content
Cost 4 Cost 5
Learning Curve 4 Learning Curve 5
Knowledge Sharing 4 Knowledge Sharing 6
Technical 4 Technical 5
Encourages Participation 4 Encourages Participation 6
Themes are bit like a folder Is an online journal reflecting the
structure by which content can be thoughts and activities of a
arranged. Tags complement this by community member. This form of
adding keywords to content. You web publishing has become an
can see the key language being established communications tool,
used in the community and is simple to create and use.

11. Weeding Welcome Pack
Managing Contnetn
Managing Content
Cost 5 Cost 4
Learning Curve 4 Learning Curve 3
Knowledge Sharing 4 Knowledge Sharing 9
Technical 4 Geek Factor 3
Encourages Participation 4 Encourages Participation 8
Communities occasionally need A welcome pack brings newcomers
weeding by the removal of dead up to speed with the latest
posts old documents etc. But happenings in the community and
sometimes there are thing that you its history. And will include links to
can do with the old material and re- all the key content in the
use them. community.
Articles & Case Studies Anecdotes & Stories
Measurable Outcomes
Measurable Outcomes
Cost 7 Cost 7
Learning Curve 6 Learning Curve 8
Knowledge Sharing 7 Knowledge Sharing 8
Geek Factor 5 Geek Factor 5
Encourages Participation 8 Encourages Participation 9
A tool used to present an in-depth write
up examining and capturing a real-life Something told or recounted in the
situation from beginning to end. A form of a causally-linked set of
chance to highlight to others what events; accounts or tales.
happened, why and how it happened Storytelling is a connected series of
and what was instrumental in shaping happenings, whether true or
the outcome. fictional.

12. Satisfaction Surveys Benchmarking
Measurable Outcomes
Measurable Outcomes
Cost 5 Cost 8
Learning Curve 5 Learning Curve 5
Knowledge Sharing 5 Knowledge Sharing 8
Geek Factor 5 Geek Factor 5
Encourages Participation 6 Encourages Participation 8
A satisfaction survey is used to Is the process of comparing the
determine the fulfilment of community and it performance
members' desires, needs, and metrics including cost, quality etc
wants in relationship to the with other communities to learn
community. from good practice and indentify
areas for improvement.
Exit Strategies Legacy
Measurable Outcomes
Measurable Outcomes
Cost 5 Cost 9
Learning Curve 8 Learning Curve 5
Knowledge Sharing 4 Knowledge Sharing 8
Geek Factor 4 Geek Factor 5
Encourages Participation 4 Encourages Participation 4
Is the close down of the community The legacy is what the community
due to it reaching its objectives or is remembered for or what it has
life cycle. It may also be a hand produced that can be left behind in
over to members who wish to carry a format for others to use once the
on with the theme area. community has gone.

13. Metrics
Measurable Outcomes
Cost 4
Learning Curve 5
Knowledge Sharing 4
Geek Factor 6
Encourages Participation 5
Is a type of measurement used to
gauge some quantifiable
component of the communities
performance, e.g. members,
document downloads etc. They can
be used to monitor the
communities’ performance in terms
of achieving its goals.