Support Package 1 - “Setting up a Community of Practice for inclusive Gender Equality”

This support package seeks to motivate and guide the creation and development of Communities of Practice (CoPs) that encourage and strengthen the design, implementation and evaluation of inclusive gender equality plans and policies in organisations.

A Community of Practice is defined as a group of “people who share a concern, a set of problems, or a passion about a topic, and who deepen their knowledge and expertise in this area by interacting on an ongoing basis” ¹. CoPs provide effective means to overcome the isolation that many equality-practitioners experience as they are working alone within their universities, research centres or other organisations. CoPs foster networking and peer-to-peer support among organisations to build a critical mass of actors within a geographic region or for a specific thematic topic. To the degree that CoPs often provide a safe space outside the formal hierarchies and strategic priorities of organisations, they offer a terrain to not only learn about bias, power and inequality but also to develop and probe alternative yet concrete academic practices. The focus on “practice” thereby is crucial, where new ideas are not only discussed but applied and tried out by rewiring institutional routines and decision-making procedures.

If you want to learn more about what CoPs are, how they function, or can be setup advance gender equality, jump our guidance document “How to set up a Community of Practice for inclusive Gender Equality?”.

In what follows we describe in more detail the guidance, resources, and dedicated support available through this support package.

Estimated budget

Setting up a Community of Practice is supported with approximately 5.000 Euros. Eligible costs cover travel and accommodation for CoP meetings, and consulting hours for Change Catalysts and/or other INSPIRE experts. Only Change Catalysts and experts listed in the INSPIRE stakeholder database are eligible to be contracted and funded by INSPIRE.

The following table indicates some of the activities that are eligible and deemed helpful for setting up a CoP.

Read the following as examples of types of activities and attendant costs based on tentative estimations and non-obligatory recommendations for the process of creating a CoP; they should be adapted to the different geographical and institutional contexts, as well as to the needs and plans of each CoP.

Resource type	What it includes?	Description in relation to SPkg1 aims
Change Catalysts	Contracted hours for the preparation, coordination and periodic evaluations of the CoP	Identification and selection of participating organisations. Elaboration of the working plan and selection of resources to be used during the development of the project. Preparation, coordination and registration of each meeting. Dissemination of resources provided by the participants. Coordinate and drive the CoP. Plan and oversee progress of CoP activities. Serve as contact point and intermediary between INSPIRE KSH and CoP members Participate and contribute to INSPIRE KSH board meetings Elaboration of explicative materials on the characteristics, objectives, and expected results of the CoP.
Expert advice	Contracted hours of mentors and experts	Provide support and input to CoPs through their specific and in-depth knowledge of Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, according to the context. Assist in the development of support processes, such as: mentoring, expert-support, consultancy, training, among others. Liaise with CoP Change Catalysts
Travel and accommodation	Travel and accommodation costs of CoP member for different occasions like kick-off or periodic meetings. Travel, accommodation and inscription fees for conferences, symposia, and other dissemination events.	Dissemination of these materials to academic organisations, research networks and scientific journals.

Expected outcomes

The following overview describes the expected outcomes of support package 1. The outcomes reflect the aim to create a new Community of Practice, defined by a shared interest and hence agenda, a formalised agreement among its members and work plan.

Beneficiaries of support packages during INSPIRE are expected to feed their achieved outcomes/results back into the knowledge base of their Knowledge and Support Hub and other CoPs.

Expected outcomes Support Package 1
Outcomes	Description
Kick-off meeting and report	First meeting of the CoP members – template agenda for the meeting, and for a report from the kick-off.
List of interested or involved organisations in the development of a CoP	CoP facilitator registers HEI and R&I organisations that wish to form a CoP to start and/or strengthen GEPs in universities and research centres.
Memorandum of understanding signed and presented	The signed Memorandums of Understanding ratify the organisational commitment of the HEIs, RPOs or other R&I organisations to form part of the CoP.
CoP work plan prepared and presented	A CoP work plan agreed upon by its members, as an instrument of scheduling meetings and issues to be addressed to achieve the design of the plan. At the same time, it ratifies the commitment of all members to participate and collaborate during the established period.
Consensus on CoP work plan	The CoP will design a work plan that includes the description of the activities to be carried out (exchange, production, analysis and/or sharing knowledge and experiences); also, practical and strategic recommendations for implementation in the member organisations. These work plans are key resources to motivate, create and strengthen the CoP dedicated to formulating or strengthening inclusive gender equality policies in R&I organisations.
Feedback on SPkg1: evaluate usefulness of the SPkg1 to promote processes of creation, development and in achieving positive results of the CoP.	The CoP coordination will evaluate the contents and guidelines of SPkg1, in order to make adjustments that improve the final version of the document.

Resources and guidance

A - KNOWLEDGE RESOURCES
Included	Description
Bibliographic references, with their corresponding access links	Publications (documents, articles, reports) that deal with the concept of community of practice, and other key literature for the design of gender equality policies in academic organisations.
English
1.1 Wenger-Trayner, E. and Wenger-Trayner, B. An introduction to communities of practice: a brief overview of the concept and its uses, 2015. https://www.wenger-trayner .com/introduction-to-communities-of-practice.	The text introduces the definition of the concept of community of practices, describes its characteristic features and points out important issues for its development. It is useful to guide the CoP facilitators in constructing the meaning and objective of said group space and for its development.
1.2 Palmén, Rachel and Jörg Müller . “Reflecting on a Community of Practice approach to organisational change for a greater gender equality in R&I and HE – Policy and practice” in A Community of Practice Approach to Improving Gender Equality in Research. London, European Commission, 2023. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003225546	This paper reflects upon the knowledge, experience and practice gained through taking a unique community of practice approach to fostering gender equality in the sectors of research and innovation, and higher education in Europe and beyond. It considers how inter-organisational collaboration can foster change for gender equality.
1.3 Minna Salminen-Karlsson. The FESTA handbook of organisational change. Implementing gender equality in higher education and research organisations. Sweden: Uppsala University, 2016. https://www.festa-europa.eu/sites/festa-europa.eu/files/Handbook%20of%20organizational%20change.pdf	The handbook offers a summary of experiences and general recommendations about the work on gender equality. Proposes the use of statistical information and diagnoses to identify and characterise problems of gender inequality. It also proposes alternatives to create a gender-sensitive culture and transparent mechanisms to promote women's careers.
1.4 Thomson, Aleksandra ; Palmén, Rachel; Reidl, Sybille; Barnard, Sarah; Beranek, Sarah; Dainty, Andrew and Hassan, Tarek. “Fostering collaborative approaches to gender equality interventions in higher education and research: the case of transnational and multi-organisational communities of practice”. Journal of Gender Studies 31, no. (2022) 1, 36–54. https://doi.org/10.1080/09589236.2021.1935804 https://openaccess.uoc.edu/handle/10609/139398	The text analyses experiences of transnational and multi-institutional communities of practice as a strategy for promoting GE initiatives. Prioritises collaborative methodologies and the construction of internal and external alliances to build legitimacy and points out the importance of analysing the particularities of each context.
1.5 European Commission. The Communities of Practice Playbook: A Playbook to Collectively Run and Develop Communities of Practice, 2021. https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2760/443810	The manual consists of guidance, good practices and interactive visual dashboards. Provides the tools and processes to create your community. It especially focuses on: vision (¿what is the reason for your community, ¿what are the SMART objectives?; governance (¿how do they work together, with whom and how take decisions?); leadership (¿how will you ensure strong leadership involvement in main groups?
1.6 Cambridge, D. & Suter, V. Community of Practice Design Guide A Step-by-Step, 2005. https://library.educause.edu/resources/2005/1/community-of-practice-design-guide-astepbystep-guide-for-designing-cultivating-communities-of-practice-in-highereducation	This guide provides a practical approach to creating communities of practice (CoPs) based on experiences working with corporations, nonprofits, associations, government organisations, and elements that go into educational institutions. It provides a structure to help clarify the most important design defining, designing, launching, and growing CoPs both online and face-to-face
1.7 Bultoc, Daniela. What Next? Managing the Transition to Independent CoPs: ACT Transitions to Independent CoPs. https://www.genderportal.eu/sites/default/files/resource_pool/transition_to_independent_cops_0.pdf	The article proposes guidelines for the continuity of independent CoPs, focused on analysing and creating conditions for their sustainability. Proposes a co-creation toolkit to choose between participatory methods, such as DAKI, Future Workshop or Critical Uncertainties that can be adapted to each context
1.8 Hodkinson, Phil and Hodkinson, Heather. A constructive critique of communities of practice: moving beyond Lave and Wenger. Sydney: New South Wales, OVAL Research, 2004. http://hdl.voced.edu.au/10707/18014	The authors carry out a critical reading of Wenger, focusing their interest on analysing the incidence of social and economic inequalities beyond the actual place of work and learning; analyse power relations and their influence on formal and informal social learning, addressing these processes from a social/participatory perspective
1.9 The FESTA Handbook on Resistance to Gender Equality in Academia: www.resge.eu	The handbook offers a summary of experiences and general recommendations about the work on gender equality. Proposes the use of statistical information and diagnoses to identify and characterise problems of gender inequality. It also proposes alternatives to create a gender-sensitive culture and transparent mechanisms to promote women's careers
Spanish
1.9 Bonder, Gloria. La institucionalización del enfoque de igualdad de género en universidades de América Latina: Experiencias, reflexiones y contribuciones para el futuro de la educación superior. Compilated: Gloria Bonder , Coordination: María del Carmen Tamargo, Edition: Anabella Benedetti, Cátedra Regional Mujer Ciencia y Tecnología, FLACSO Argentina, 2022. https://www.catunescomujer.org/nueva-publicacion-la-institucionalizacion-del-enfoque-de-igualdad-de-genero-en-universidades-de-america-latina-experiencias-reflexiones-y-contribuciones-para-el-futuro-de-la-educacion-superior/	The book contains articles whose authors are part of the “CoP of Gender Equality Policies in Universities and Research Centers in Latin America”, created in 2019 within the framework of the ACT on Gender Project. The objective is to contribute to the strengthening of the process of creation and implementation of GE programs in higher education institutions in Latin America
1.10 Sandra Sanz Martos: “Las comunidades de práctica o el aprendizaje compartido”, , UOC, P07/B0290/02655, https://www.uv.mx/dgdaie/files/2013/04/Sanz-Comunidad-Desde-Practica.pdf	The article reviews different definitions of CoPs, lists their specific characteristics, differentiating them from other forms of grouping. Analyses the contribution of technologies for the development and maintenance of CoPs
1.11 Zoia Bozu y Francesc Imbernon Muñoz. “Creando comunidades de práctica y conocimiento en la Universidad: una experiencia de trabajo entre las universidades de lengua catalana”. Revista de Universidad y Sociedad del conocimiento, Vol. 5, no. 9, 2009. http://dx.doi.org/10.7238/rusc.v6i1.20	The article states that the constitution of CoPs is a challenge that all education and training professionals must take on, since it is through these communities that new knowledge can be generated and transferred and better praxis can be achieved in research and teaching.

B - Methodological resources & tools for the planning and management of CoPs
Included	Description
Tools for systematising and analysing information on the organisations that are part of the CoP and for the process of creation, development and evaluation of the CoP.	These methodological resources are useful in the organisation and facilitation as well as the planning and evaluation phases of the CoP.
2.1 Gender Equality Audit and Monitoring (GEAM) tool https://geam.act-on-gender.eu/	It enables the collection of basic data on GE in institutions through a standardised survey. Its consistent use allows it to assess the impact of GEPs over time, as well as to make comparative analyses between institutions. It was developed by AdvanceHE, Notus and OUC, in collaboration with ACT project partners. It is available in several languages.
2.2 ACT Co-creation toolkit https://zenodo.org/record/5342489/files/ACT_D2.7_Co-creation_Toolkit_Version2.0_31AUG2021.pdf?download=1	Compiles a set of participatory methods and tools useful for CoPs to achieve the development of GE measures and promoting institutional change.
2.3 SPEAR CoP-methodology https://zenodo.org/record/8334711	It presents the working methodology of the Communities within the framework of the SPEAR project. This consists of the feedback of two modalities: Communities of Practice and Learning Communities. This is a valuable experience to see the functioning and contributions of the CoPs in the framework of a broader project, such as INSPIRE.
2.4 INSPIRE Open Training Units	Co-creation workshops which aim to develop and systematise practice-oriented knowledge and tools for change. They are rather generic and overarching in their subject coverage. They provide introductions and guidance on key themes of GE in R&I. They will be available on INSPIRE’s online training platform and through GenPORT.

C - Audiovisual resources
Included	Description
Videos	These are useful to inspire and support activities on key themes that will be addressed by CoPs.
3.1 Introducing CoPs as an instrument for organisational change- ACT Project, https://vimeo.com/504769756	Introduction to the definition and characterization of Community of Practice as a way of working for Gender Equality, based on the experience of the ACT on Gender Project. Formed by groups of representatives from HEI, R&IO and RFO, the CoPs are framed in a shared domain of interest that becomes also a source of identification and a sense of commitment to a community.
3.2 ACT on Overcoming Resistance https://vimeo.com/493415371	It presents an overview of the main resistance to the proposal of a structural change, such as GEPs. Resistance to change has been identified as one of the main factors hindering its development, so identifying the different forms and causes of resistance is a first step to overcome them effectively.
3.3 GEAM Tool - An introduction https://vimeo.com/438557308	It presents how the GEAM Tool works, its main benefits for understanding and analysing the development of GEPs in each institution and for comparing between them. It also explains the steps to follow to access it and to use it efficiently.
3.4 The ACT Co-creation Toolkit https://vimeo.com/436466471	Describes the main objectives and benefits of this resource developed in the framework of the Act on Gender Project. Explains how to access it from the project site and its different sections including a Set of tested methods for working in a collaborative manner, specifically useful for the development of communities of practice dedicated to advancing GEPs and promoting institutional change.
3.5 SPEAR webinar on Obstacles, Dilemmas and resistance to Gender Equality Implementation https://gender-spear.eu/e-learning/virtual-materials/presentation/17/obstacles-dilemmas-and-resistance-to-gender-equality-implementation	Workshop given by Eva Sophia Myers in the framework of the SPEAR project in 2020. It presents a theoretical and practical framework for understanding the main reactions to the implementation of GEPs; analyses the dynamics of resistance and its complexity; and provides a support framework for addressing these obstacles.
3.6 SPEAR CoP experiences https://youtu.be/QXAh5KuIpeI	In this presentation SPEAR experts, leaders and advisors share SPEAR’s objectives, methodology, outputs and impacts as examples of practices and prerequisites for inclusive gender equality in European Academia.