Wenger E C, Snyder W MHarvard Business Review, (USA), Jan-Feb 2000 Vol 78 No 1

Start page: 139. No of pages: 7

Introduces the idea of communities of practice and identifies their main characteristics. Compares their purpose and composition with formal workgroups, project teams and informal networks, noting their informal, self-selecting and ongoing nature. Suggests that paradoxically, to reach their full potential, these communities need organizational recognition and support. Uses examples to identify ways in which communities of practice add value to organizations, by driving strategy, starting new lines of business, rapid problem solving, transferring best practices, developing professional skills and helping organizations to recruit and retain talent. Regards the community of practice as a source of knowledge development and therefore central to meeting the challenge of the knowledge economy.

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The policy of pumping money and public service energy into combating drugs has been vindicated in a new survey. The NEW-ADAM (New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring) research programme is designed to help the Government develop and monitor its anti-drugs strategy.Findings from research conducted in 1998, which has just been revealed, show a growing link between drugs and crime – with 69% of interviewees arrested testing positive for drugs. It also found that heroin and crack / cocaine users were four times more likely to shoplift, and five times more likely to commit robberies, than those not taking these drugs.

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A new report suggests that joining up across departments can save money, create efficiency and save public organisations from being swamped with data. The Accounts Commission, which is responsible for overseeing the
audit of councils, boards and NHS organisations in Scotland, says that councils need to improve the way they manage data and information.

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