Virtual communities of practice: Design directions for technology-mediated collaboration in the early warning activity

The performance of early warning activities involves the management of complex situations as uncertainty is common, information is frequently scattered and the number of stakeholders affected is large. In this context, the performance of early warning activities is distinguished by the significance of internalized experience as well as the generalized use of cultural knowledge, internalized domain knowledge and tacit knowledge. A suitable and well-known way to endorse the creation and exchange of this kind of knowledge –usually called soft knowledgeis the application of communities of practitioners. Based on the review of the communities of practice approach, its principles and rationale, this paper proposes a set of design guidelines aimed at addressing the technological design of technological platforms that support the creation, exchange and acquisition of soft knowledge for its application in early warning activities.