Applying Sense-Making Methodology To Establish Communities Of Practice: Examples From The British Council

This paper introduces readers to Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology and demonstrates how the British Council has applied it to build communities of practice. Sense-Making is based on a set of assumptions which challenge some fundamental knowledge management thinking. The Sense-Making assumptions imply the need for alternative procedures to be implemented to build and nurture communities of practice. Three primary applications are discussed: (a) conducting interviews to understand user needs; (b) managing best practices and worst practices; (c) designing face-to-face or online discussions. They are followed by four actual applications of Sense-Making Methodology in designing a Knowledge and Learning Community within the British Council in the areas of: (a) conducting user studies; (b) designing site navigation; (c) determining what documents members should share on the community intranet site; and (d) justifying the ROI of community building activities, This paper aims at stimulating further thinking and debate in adopting theoreticaily informed approaches to implement knowledge management.