Communities of Practice (CoPs) are increasingly used to strengthen collaboration and evidence use across development portfolios, yet many struggle to translate that promise into meaningful results. The difference between CoPs that thrive and those that plateau often comes down to foundational design choices: clarifying their purpose, building trust, balancing stakeholder roles, and matching formats to learning needs.

This synthesis, developed by IPA with support from The LEGO Foundation, distills lessons from nine learning-oriented CoPs through interviews, focus groups, and literature review. The full report and accompanying brief outline five building blocks that guide effective CoP design and execution, providing practical guidance for funders, learning partners, and implementing organizations seeking to strengthen collaborative learning and make evidence more useful for program decision-making. Together, these recommendations ensure that CoPs can serve as effective learning mechanisms that generate more than the sum of their parts.