Communities of Practice (CoPs) established within ClimateSmartAdvisors project face challenges in maintaining active, consistent participation from advisors. Key barriers include time constraints, logistical difficulties, uneven engagement, and competing professional priorities. This Practice Abstract addresses how to enhance participation and sustain momentum in CoPs.
Analysis of CoP evaluation reports reveals that successful participation depends on several interconnected factors:
• Inclusive design and planning: CoPs that included all members at design and planning stages of the CoP lifespan tend to report higher participation
• Strong facilitation and clear goals: CoPs with well-defined shared objectives and supportive facilitation maintained higher engagement. Unclear or fragmented goals weakened commitment
• Practical, relevant content: When topics were directly aligned with the needs of CoP members, participation increased. Farm visits, demonstrations, and applied workshops were consistently rated as most valuable
• Regular, well-structured meetings: Frequent meetings (including shorter online check-ins) maintained continuity and momentum. Long gaps between sessions led to disengagement. Coherent scheduling strengthened participation
• Peer-to-peer learning: Interactive formats fostered engagement. Lecture-style sessions often left members disengaged, while collaborative approaches encouraged active contribution
To strengthen CoP participation, advisors are encouraged to:
• Include all CoP members early in planning the CoP activities
• Schedule meetings in coherent blocks with shorter intervals
• Prioritize co-designed, practice-based content over abstract discussions
• Balance online accessibility with in-person sessions
• Create tangible outputs to make results of participation visible and valuable
• Recognize professional development value explicitly, as this motivates advisors without direct financial incentives
