Isolated communities of practice: knowledge transfer among social impact assessment practitioners

Abstract

This research investigates the mechanisms for learning within a professional group of social scientists who are operating in the environmental consulting industry by showing that they function as isolated communities of practice. Social practitioners find their place in the environmental industry by conducting social impact assessment studies as a requirement for development project’s environmental permitting and authorisation. There is a need to build capacity and awareness about social impact assessment in the global sphere. In order to do this, we need to look at the capacity of the social practitioners or scientists responsible for conducting social impact assessment processes and investigate how knowledge is transferred among these specialists. This research propagates that social impact assessment practitioners identify and operate as communities of practice based on their interactions and participatory learning with each other. Qualitative research was undertaken with a small group of social practitioners across Canada, South Africa, England and Australia. The research also looks at whether the community of practice theory can be applied to the environmental consulting industry as a whole, to preserve the transfer of knowledge and improve the technical growth of individual members, thereby increasing their technical capacity to produce quality social impact assessment reports. There is an existing structure of learning in environmental consultancy companies which facilitates knowledge sharing in the technical discipline of social impact assessment. Methods such as the senior review process, brainstorming sessions and mentorship are the most practical as they can be accommodated within the organisational hierarchal structure. Other mechanisms such as technical forums, conferences and self-learning are available in consulting organisations if the situation in the organisation is favourable. This means that people have to be willing to drive these particular mechanisms in order for them to be successful forms of knowledge transfer. This research found that one of the problems faced by the global environmental companies, is maintaining a connected social impact assessment community when individuals are located throughout the world. In the recent years whenever companies have been under pressure to meet revenue targets and the priority has been project work, it has it is difficult to implement any knowledge sharing mechanisms which may detract from business goals. At a global industry level, the biggest challenge is the competitive nature of environmental consulting companies to secure large projects. By understanding and implementing the communities of practice theory to this industry, the process of knowledge transfer between social practitioners which currently occurs naturally, can be maintained and even improved. However, the application of the community of practice model within this organisational context may not be relevant, due to the additional resources and time required to implement such a model. Knowledge transfer is already occurring without the benefits of the community of practice model and the requirements to maintain this model in the workplace may outweigh the benefits at this time. In the future, when the environmental industry climate stabilises, a further look at implementing this model could be undertaken.