Assessing the CBA community of practice?

This briefing note examines the development of a community of practice (CoP) centered on community-based adaptation (CBA), using a series of conferences organized by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) as a case study. It discusses the functions of this CoP, its growth in participation and thematic scope, and proposes a 'realist' evaluation framework to measure its actual impact on policy and practice.

• The community of practice emerging from the IIED's community-based adaptation (CBA) conferences fulfills six core functions: acting as filters for information, amplifying lesser-known ideas, convening practitioners, facilitating thematic networks, building a community with shared values, and investing in/providing support for participants.
• The CBA conference series has seen significant growth in both thematic breadth and participant numbers. The number of themes addressed increased from six at the first conference to 18 by the sixth. Participation grew from 90 people at the first event to 389 at the fifth and 315 at the sixth, with an increase in sectoral diversity over time.
• To better support the community's need for learning and dialogue, the sixth CBA conference shifted away from rigid formats and PowerPoint presentations toward 'out of the box' interactive sessions.
• The CBA community of practice is supported by digital and organizational tools beyond the annual conferences, including the Community-Based Adaptation Exchange (CBA-X) online resource, the weADAPT Google Earth layer for sharing projects, and the Global Initiative for Community-Based Adaptation (GICBA) for funding.
• The authors propose using a 'realist' evaluation approach to assess the CoP's impact. Unlike simple input-output measurements, this approach focuses on the 'implementation context' to understand how, why, and when the community improves practice, specifically testing the role of 'deliberative platforms' in generating policy-relevant knowledge.

APA

Gundel, S., Anderson, S., Kaur, N., & Schoch, C. (2013). Assessing the CBA community of practice? Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Briefing-Note-on-Assessing-the-CBA-Community-of-Practice.pdf

Chicago

Gundel, Sabine, Simon Anderson, Nanki Kaur, and Corinne Schoch. Assessing the CBA community of practice? Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2013. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Briefing-Note-on-Assessing-the-CBA-Community-of-Practice.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Gundel |first1=Sabine |last2=Anderson |first2=Simon |last3=Kaur |first3=Nanki |last4=Schoch |first4=Corinne |title=Assessing the CBA community of practice? |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=April 2013 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Briefing-Note-on-Assessing-the-CBA-Community-of-Practice.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{gundel2013assessing, author = {Gundel, Sabine and Anderson, Simon and Kaur, Nanki and Schoch, Corinne}, title = {{Assessing the CBA community of practice?}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2013}, month = apr, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Briefing-Note-on-Assessing-the-CBA-Community-of-Practice.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }