This document provides information and guidance for establishing or enhancing a Community of Practice (CoP) through eXtension. It outlines the agenda, defines key terms like CoP and Community of Interest (CoI), describes the review criteria and process, and offers tips for success and common mistakes to avoid in the application. The overall goal is to leverage eXtension's online platform to expand Extension's reach and impact through virtual CoPs that serve identified CoIs with research-based educational content and programs.

2. Agenda
• eXtension in the CSREES Integrated
Grant Program
• What is eXtension?
• eXtension Criteria
• eXtension Review Process
• Successful Tips (Common Mistakes)
• Other CoP Opportunities

3. CSREES & eXtension Integration
CSREES -
grants.gov
*AFRI
New CoP
*SCRI
*Others
Enhance
CoP

4. www.extension.org

5. about.extension.org

6. eXtension Opportunities
• Establish a new Community of
Practice
• Enhance an existing Community
of Practice

7. Mission:
eXtension is a national internet-based
educational network that is integral to
and complements the community-based
Cooperative Extension System with
24/7/365 availability.

8. Why eXtension?
• Cooperative Extension at its best…
• meeting the needs of people in ways and in
formats of their choosing
• engage with content specialists any time, any
place, any where
• access to best-of-the-best content
– scalable, more specialized
• eliminate duplication, greater efficiencies
• development potential

9. Guiding Principles of eXtension
• Mission
• Vision
• Goals
• Values
• Guiding Principles
– Content
– Information Technology

10. Community of Practice
A virtual network of content providers who
share knowledge or competence in a
specific content area and are willing to
work and learn together over a period of
time to further develop and share that
knowledge in forms of educational
products and programs.

11. Community of Interest
An identified group of individuals
sharing similar interests, concerns, and
educational needs around a subject
area.

12. Collaboration, IP & Publishing
Requirements
• Register for an eXtension ID
– people.extension.org
• OpenID (authentication)
• Contributor & Business Agreements
– Institutional & Individual
• Content indexed solely through
www.eXtension.org

13. people.extension.org

14. Become a new CoP
• Contact eXtension
• Prepare the eXtension component
• Share with eXtension staff
– Letter of Acknowledgement

15. Key Criteria
• CoP lead information
• List of Core leadership members
• CoP description
– Including the plan to grow the CoP
– Evidence of:
• National/regional team
• Collaboration (institutional)
• Evidence of content expertise
• Sustainability

16. Describe the CoI
• Descriptions of:
– Scope and boundaries of the audience
being served
– Applicable needs assessment
– Marketability of products to the CoI

17. Describe the Plan of Work

18. Describe the Plan of Work
• Scope of work
– 12 months (content/program development)
• FAQs (100)
• Protocol Ask an Expert (AaE)
• Curriculum outline
• Basic information pages (250)
• Plans for Year 2 & 3
• Launch plans
• Sustainability

19. Budget
• Budget Form
– Funds for at least one annual face-to-face meeting
– Salary for one or more of the primary investigators
– Salary for necessary program support
– Travel expenses
– Subcontract amounts to identified institutions
– Evidence of budget sustainability (public, private)

20. Enhance a existing CoP
• Contact the CoP leaders of the CoP to
which you intend to enhance
• Contact eXtension
• Prepare the eXtension component
• Share with eXtension staff
– Letter of Acknowledgement

22. Key Criteria
• Contributing new content
• Increasing CoP membership
• Creating cross-disciplinary partnerships
within and across CoPs

23. Enhancements & Impacts
• Lead contact information
• CoP members involved
• Describe enhancements
– Explain how CoP will be affected
– Expected impacts
– Content development plan
– Interactive components

24. Generally the same…
• Describe the CoI
• Describe the Plan of Work
• Budget Inclusions

25. Questions & Answers

27. eXtension Review Process
Panel Manager + Review Panel
Review panel selection
Review panel composition
Evaluation criteria
Independent reviews
Panel meeting for discussions

28. Review Criteria
CoP lead contact information including name,
title, eXtension ID, address, e-mail, telephone
numbers, and other contact details.
The CoP lead contact must be must be a land
grant faculty member or professional staff with an
Extension appointment whose institution is in
good standing with eXtension.

29. Review Criteria
List of CoP core leadership members, titles,
institutions or business affiliation and e-mail
addresses and a description of how the
leadership team was formed.

30. Review Criteria
Description of the CoP, including:
•plan to increase the CoP membership
• CoP leadership and management plan
• number of face-to-face meetings
• audio and/or Web meetings planned
• methods to achieve the CoP'scontinued
productivity
• Other funding and potential
development opportunities

31. Review Criteria
Description of the CoI to be served and
methods the CoP will use to engage the CoI
with educational products and programs on
a continuing basis.

32. Review Criteria
Logic model description for CoP.
Including inputs, outputs and outcomes
(short, medium and long term) for a three-
year period.
Detailed plan of content aggregation,
evaluation and development/repackaging for
year one and maintenance, sustainability
and evolution over time.

33. Review Criteria
Scope of Work over the first 12 months.
Include:
• Number of published FAQs (minimum of 100)
• Protocol for the quot;Ask an Expertquot; function
• Curriculum content outline
• Number of basic information pages (minimum of 250)
• Other deliverables, e.g., educational, analytical tools

34. How it works…
P Basic Information
r
Ask the Experts
o
FAQs
Distance Diagnostics
d Discussion & Chat
u
?
Decision Tools

 c
Web Conferencing
Streaming Videos
t Individual Learning Modules
s
Questions, Multiple Learning Modules
Issues, or
Certificate/Credit Courses
Life Events
Communities
of Interest

35. Review Criteria
Brief description of deliverables for years two and
three.
Anticipated date of CoP inclusion in the
eXtension public site (www.extension.org).
Resources currently available to this proposed
CoP and plans for CoP sustainability.

36. eXtension Review Process
Review Panel + Panel Manager
The reviewer selection process
Review panel composition
Evaluation criteria
Independent evaluations
Panel meeting for discussions

37. Success Tips
Completely read the application
Form a Community of Practice
Quick reference sheet on
“How to form a CoP”
http://about.extension.org/wiki/How_to_Form_a_Community_of_Practice
Complete all paperwork - get signatures
Submit on time

38. Success Tips
Review other successful application
Easy to read & understand
Clear description of CoP
Clear description of CoI
Explain and describe any prior collaboration
CoP leader to review your application

39. Success Tips
Clearly explain the plan of work
Include logic model
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/evallogicmodelworksheets.htm
l
Clearly state CoP/CoIengagment
Deliverables for year 1
Projected deliverables for year 2 & 3

40. Review Criteria

41. Review Criteria

42. Success Tips
Clearly explain the plan of work
Include logic model
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/evallogicmodelworksheets.htm
l
Clearly state CoP/CoIengagment
Deliverables for year 1
Projected deliverables for year 2 & 3

43. Success Tips
Expertise of the PI(s) and leadership
team
Inclusive of key individuals
Letters of support - Institutions, Industry,
or Associations

45. Success Tips
Expertise of the PI(s) and leadership
team
Inclusive of key individuals
Letters of support - Institutions, Industry,
or Associations

46. Common Mistakes
Community of Practice
Community of Interest
Plan of Work

47. Common Mistakes
Community of Practice
Leadership not clearly identified
No clear description of CoP
No clear plan on expanding
membership of community
No clear description of CoI

48. Common Mistakes
Community of Practice
Lacks comprehensive CoP plan
Lacks inclusion of 1890 and/or 1994
Institutions
Lacks key individuals in CoP
Little demonstration of institutional support

49. Common Mistakes
Community of Interest
No clear description of CoI
No clear plan on engagement
No needs assessment or plan to
develop

50. Common Mistakes
Plan of Work
Too ambitious
No logic model or incomplete
No curriculum plan
Lack plan for handling Ask an Expert
Lacks number of FAQs

51. Common Mistakes
Plan of Work
No defined deliverables for year 1
No plan for sustainability
Lacking National scope or plan
Lack of or poorly described mgmt plan
Lack of evaluation of educational
products

52. Questions & Answers

53. Other Opportunities
CoP by Application
Needs based process

54. Questions & Answers