Using the CAMEL Model to Build a Community of Practice
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'We do want to show people what we do, and we also want to show what the issues and implications are of what we do ... However we also don't particularly want to wash all our dirty laundry in public.'
As with the Uruguayan farmers, we found that, although the informality of the network was one of its strengths, it was important to operate within a structured framework and to set some 'ground rules'.
The sharing of practice is a difficult area as there is often considerable pressure to show your institution in the best possible light and to gloss over the issues representing the 'warts and all' that is required for institutions to learn from each other and further develop practice. The group has to find a way of addressing the issues, and meeting the objective of disseminating something useful to the outside world, whilst respecting institutional sensitivities. A quote above from a participant in our pilot demonstrates this.
The Johari Window (Luft & Ingham 1955), named after the first names of its inventors, Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham, is a useful model describing the process of human interaction and is commonly used by self-help groups.
A four paned 'window' divides awareness into four different types, as represented by the quadrants: open, hidden, blind, and unknown. The lines dividing the four panes are like window blinds, which can open or close as the interaction progresses.
- The OPEN quadrant represents knowledge that is known to all. This can be purely factual but can also include elements of Mission/Vision. At the start of your project the opening of this first quadrant will not be very large, since there has been little time to exchange information. As the process of getting to know one another continues, the window blind opens placing more information into the open window
- The BLIND quadrant represents knowledge that is overt to outsiders but hidden from internal people in the same way one remains oblivious to a smut on one's cheek whilst it is plainly obvious to an observer. A challenge for your group is to get this information into the open in an acceptable way so that outsiders can act as 'critical friends'
- The HIDDEN quadrant represents things that are overt to insiders but hidden to externals such as issues relating to internal politics. As trust between the parties grows they will feel more comfortable with the kind of self-disclosure that opens this blind
- The UNKNOWN quadrant represents things that are known to neither insiders nor outsiders. Being placed in new situations often reveals new information not previously known to self or others. In the CAMEL pilot the process of describing existing practice to others gave people some surprising insights about themselves and their institutions. We hope that this will happen in your project
The underlying philosophy of the CAMEL model is based on trying to draw back the shutters so that more information is in the OPEN quadrant. This does not necessarily mean it is in the public domain rather that it is available in a way that is useful to the participants.
'It's a holistic kind of getting together in terms of both the known dimensions ... and also the things that are more hidden'
Trust is central to the sharing of real experiences and practices and so it is highly recommended that The Chatham House Rule applies. The Chatham House Rule reads as follows:
'When a meeting, or part thereof, is held under The Chatham House rule, participants are free to use the information received, but neither the identity nor the affiliation of the speaker(s), nor that of any other participant may be revealed'.
If you decide to publish the findings of your community of practice, you will need the permission of all participants and must be careful to obtain permission to include attributable information. This may be a challenge in terms of demonstrating the value of the project to others. 'The biggest issue we might face is extracting benefit for others - the benefit for those involved will be easy both to demonstrate and articulate - benefit for others may be more problematic, although this may be through providing a model rather than through spreading content.'
We hope the quotes from participants in the pilot will serve to illustrate the transferable value of a network of this type. The external evaluation report on the pilot noted 'Considering the short time-frame ... it was surprising the extent to which an ethos of open and trusting relationships had developed within the community'. Our CAMEL pilot ran for 12 months.