Performance Improvement and Assessment of Collaboration: Starting points for networks and communities of practice

This report by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) provides a framework for understanding and assessing the performance of collaborative networks and communities of practice (CoPs). It distinguishes between networked governance, inter-organizational relationships, and inter-individual collaborative relationships, arguing that the latter should be assessed based on social capital, value creation, and structural evolution rather than rigid terminology.

• The authors identify three primary types of collaboration to simplify the 'tangle of terminology' often found in collaborative efforts: networked governance (horizontal decision-making), partnerships or alliances (inter-organizational relationships driven by shared institutional objectives), and collaborations of individuals (such as CoPs and knowledge networks) seeking knowledge and support for purposeful action.
• Communities of Practice (CoPs) are defined as groups of people who share a concern or passion for a topic and deepen their expertise through ongoing interaction. While they can be fostered by organizations, they remain fundamentally voluntary relationships among individuals and have become nearly indistinguishable from other knowledge networks in practice.
• Performance assessment for individual collaborations should focus on four key areas: the focus and extensiveness of the network (purpose and reach), the evolution of the network's structure over time, the level of social capital, and the activities and outcomes that lead to shared value creation.
• Social capital is described as the 'fabric of trust, shared values and understanding' that enables diverse participants to achieve collective goals. The report highlights the importance of 'connectors' (who increase information flow) and 'bridgers' (who connect individuals of differing knowledge levels or sectors) in building this capital.
• The report distinguishes between two types of value creation in networks: 'applied value,' which is the extent to which learning is used by the individual member, and 'realized value,' which refers to the difference made for organizations and the broader challenges the network addressed.
• Several tools are suggested for network assessment, including Social Network Analysis (SNA) for visualizing relationship patterns, the Cynefin Framework for exploring solutions in complex contexts, and the Digital Habitats Spidergram for analyzing community activity patterns.

APA

Creech, H., Laurie, M., Paas, L., & Parry, J.-E. (2012). Performance Improvement and Assessment of Collaboration: Starting points for networks and communities of practice. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/performance_improvement_networks.pdf

Chicago

Creech, Heather, Michelle Laurie, Leslie Paas, and Jo-Ellen Parry. Performance Improvement and Assessment of Collaboration: Starting points for networks and communities of practice. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2012. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/performance_improvement_networks.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Creech |first1=Heather |last2=Laurie |first2=Michelle |last3=Paas |first3=Leslie |last4=Parry |first4=Jo-Ellen |title=Performance Improvement and Assessment of Collaboration: Starting points for networks and communities of practice |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=August 2012 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/performance_improvement_networks.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{creech2012performance, author = {Creech, Heather and Laurie, Michelle and Paas, Leslie and Parry, Jo-Ellen}, title = {{Performance Improvement and Assessment of Collaboration: Starting points for networks and communities of practice}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2012}, month = aug, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/performance_improvement_networks.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }