Commissioning FAQs for learning communities

What are learning communities?

Learning communities are spaces where people with a common learning interest or connection come together to exchange knowledge, ideas, and experiences. They provide opportunities for shared learning, support, and collaboration to spark change. They may also document learnings, develop knowledge and practices to strengthen capability in their focus area, and share these widely. They operate with different levels of participation, formality, and structure depending on their purpose, resources, and participants.

What learning communities will be commissioned under SEDI?

SEDI learning communities will bring people together around areas of social enterprise interest and impact to produce knowledge resources and practice-sharing experiences that help build capability across the Australian social enterprise sector (the Sector). They will create space for diverse perspectives, voices and leadership with a commitment to decolonising the Sector. They will contribute to making the Sector more welcoming, reflective and inclusive of all.

SEDI learning communities aim to:

Connect actors across the social enterprise ecosystem - so the work is not done alone.
Support learning and sharing of knowledge - so the work builds on what exists.
Nurture ideas for change – so the work innovates and grows through collaboration.
Build sector capability – so collective skills and practices evolve together, learning with diverse actors across the social enterprise ecosystem and beyond.

Who will convene SEDI learning communities?

As the SEDI Education and Mentoring Coordinator, Social Enterprise Australia will select and engage individuals or organisations to convene SEDI learning communities to deliver specific services and knowledge resources for the benefit of the Sector. This includes coordinating and facilitating learning communities on a topic of relevance and value to the Sector, as well as documenting and sharing learnings in a variety of formats to help engage, connect, develop and grow the Sector.

What objectives will SEDI learning communities meet?

SEDI learning communities will respond to priorities and themes identified by the Sector. In line with SEDI commissioning priorities, Social Enterprise Australia will intentionally bring together diverse perspectives to co-create learning shaped by social enterprise sector values and challenges.

Key objectives include:

To bring to life sector values of authenticity, collaboration, creativity, diversity, and justice.
To share existing knowledge and invite co-creation of knowledge that effects broader sector learning and is freely available to all.
To recognise and value First Nations leadership, cultures, and experience in enabling people, place, and planet to thrive.
To engage social enterprise actors from diverse and under-represented backgrounds.
To contribute to sector innovation and development through experimenting and learning together.

SEDI learning communities will:

Focus on priority topics and themes of learning value and interest to the Sector.
Convene diverse Sector actors, voices, and perspectives.
Co-create knowledge, practices, and resources.
Engage with equity and justice challenges in the Sector.
Produce knowledge resources and practice-sharing experiences that advance Sector learning, innovation, and capability-development.

Why are SEDI learning communities being supported?

Many learning communities exist or are emerging in the Sector. They hold valuable lived and learned experience in key areas of social enterprise development. Many are under-resourced with limited capacity to document, produce and share learnings. The knowledge produced by these communities is often underutilised by the wider sector.

As part of SEDI, funds will be applied to uncover and share these learnings and leading practices to help engage, connect, develop and grow the Sector.

What are the types of SEDI learning communities?

Four types of learning communities will be commissioned under SEDI. They will offer opportunities for social enterprise actors of different types, sizes and stages of development, to share knowledge and practice. They are:

Open Learning community

The Open Learning community is a space where knowledge, stories, skills and experience from other SEDI learning communities, and from the wider social enterprise community, are shared through online events and forums, open to all. Social Enterprise Australia will commission and co-produce online events and forums of shared value and interest to the Sector.

Key attributes of the Open Learning community include:

Engaging diverse sector perspectives including those that are under-represented in the sector.
Sharing knowledge and practice in various interactive formats (eg. online workshops, storycircles, panel discussions, curious conversations, Q&As, and other forums)
Growing connections, practices and leadership that enable people and the planet to thrive.
Being open to all to engage, explore, and learn.
Guided by key topics and themes identified by the Sector.

When selecting convenors of Open Learning community events or forums, consideration will be given to:

What topics and formats would be most valuable to help develop Sector knowledge and capability in areas of identified and unmet need?
Co-creating learning opportunities that target these gaps.

Expressions of Interest from conveners of Open Learning community events and forums closed on 30 August 2024

Peer Learning and Support learning community

These communities invite people to engage around topics of social enterprise interest and impact. Participants help and support each other through building relationships, nurturing ideas, and sharing learning. These communities create connection opportunities for individuals with different levels of experience in the social enterprise space including those who may not see themselves as experienced practitioners but have learnings to share which can inform Sector development and growth.

Key attributes of Peer Learning and Support communities are that they:

Focus on places or themes of social enterprise interest and/or impact.
Convene meet-ups (online) to connect and share experiences.
Explore and exchange ideas.
Organise knowledge-sharing events.
Share updates on planned and delivered activities.
Monitor how active, responsive, and valuable the community is to participants.

When selecting convenors of Peer Learning and Support communities, consideration will be given to:

What theme or purpose might be of interest and value to the sector to form a Peer Learning and Support community around?
Are there existing peer learning communities in this area?

Expressions of Interest from conveners of Peer Learning and Support learning communities closed on 30 August 2024.

Deep Experience - learning communities

These communities bring together people from different organisations with deep experience around a specific area of social enterprise activity or challenge. They have an intention to learn together, solve problems related to the focus area and develop practices to share widely. They may be open to growing numbers of participants, or they may have specific criteria and limited numbers of participants depending on their purpose and capacity.

Key attributes of Deep Experience learning communities are that they:

Focus on a specific area of shared inquiry and relevance to the social enterprise sector.
Leverage wisdom across diverse individuals, organisations, and roles with expertise in the focus area.
Build trust among participants to enable free exchange of information and knowledge.
Facilitate interactions that enable members to gain learning from the group and contribute to the group’s learning in the focus area.
Have an identified coordinator (or co-coordinators) and processes to support regular communication, interaction, and learning.
Convene regular meetings (online) and pursue activities between meetings that create learning value.
Develop agreed terms of reference and ways of working.
Develop and share knowledge and practice resources with the sector to advance the area of practice (eg. guidance, tools, and strategies).
Provide thought leadership, insights, and advice to inform development of a collective and strategic voice on the topic.
Monitor how active, responsive, and valuable the community is to participants.

When selecting convenors of Deep Experience learning communities, consideration will be given to:

Are there people who would benefit from connecting to develop practice in an area of focus?
Is there an existing or emerging community that could produce valuable learnings if supported to meet regularly, share knowledge, and develop resources for the sector?
Are there gaps in Sector capability that could be best addressed by a Deep Experience learning community?
Is there a new development in the Sector that requires a Deep Experience learning community?

Expressions of Interest from conveners of Deep Experience learning communities closed on 30 August 2024.

Innovation Collaboration – learning communities

These are communities of diverse social enterprise actors that are set up to innovate and transform systems. They experiment with doing things differently to bring to life a just, healing, and regenerative future that enables people and the planet to thrive.

Key attributes of Innovation Collaboration learning communities are that they:

Emerge around complex challenges and focus on a bold goal.
Engage a variety of diverse actors to experiment with breakthrough ideas and new practices.
Involve bottom-up, top-down, and side-to-side innovation that spans organisational and sectoral boundaries.
Explore equity in social enterprise design, development, policy, practice, and leadership.
Question dominant assumptions and challenge us to see and be differently.
Grow connections.
Focus on learning in action and experimentation.
Learn and practice humility and shared responsibility for the future the Sector wants to see and be.
Learn and practice healing-centred systems change, recognising that individual, intergenerational, collective, historical, and systemic traumas are present in any form of social justice and change work.

When selecting convenors of Innovation Collaboration learning communities, consideration will be given to:

What big idea might an Innovation Collaboration in the social enterprise space seek to explore or test?
How might an Innovation Collaboration challenge ‘the way we’ve always done things’ in the social enterprise sector, to improve our impact on people and planet?

Some global examples of innovation collaboration learning communities include:

Expressions of Interest from convenors of Innovation Collaboration learning communities closed on 30 September 2024.

Submit an Expression of Interest for Innovation Collaboration learning communities.

What are some potential focus areas for SEDI learning communities?

Learning communities may already be established, or may be newly proposed, to address knowledge and practice gaps in the Sector. They may focus on:

Areas of Sector capability-development including and not limited to:

Starting and running a social enterprise
Impact measurement
Inclusive culture
Ethical governance and leadership

Areas of social enterprise impact including and not limited to:

Environmental care
People-centred services
Access to decent work
Community-led innovation

Areas of under-representation in Sector learning and expertise including and not limited to:

First Nations communities
Rural and regional communities
Culturally and racially marginalised communities

What process is being followed to commission SEDI learning communities?

As the SEDI Education and Mentoring Coordinator engaged to commission SEDI learning communities, Social Enterprise Australia has agreed to:

Identify learning needs and gaps in the social enterprise sector that could be well-served by a SEDI learning community.
Ensure that commissioning decisions are informed by the social enterprise sector.
Clearly communicate the types of learning communities to be commissioned (including expected deliverables from convenors and amounts to be paid to convenors of learning communities).
Procure learning community convening services with capable, credible, and specialised actors.
Encourage innovative approaches that centre equity and justice in driving change.
Support collaborations between different sector actors, and production of resources that are freely accessed and evolved in the Understorey commons.
Engage with convenors of SEDI learning communities to co-create a clear, realistic, and responsive set of deliverables.
Support the delivery of SEDI learning community services in ways that are clear, fair, efficient, and reasonable.
Strengthen relationships with SEDI learning communities through mutually empowering monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
Ensure commissioning of SEDI learning communities in line with principles for good conduct, practice, and governance.

What next?

SEDI learning communities will be developed to the following timeline:

A survey is currently open to gather views on SEDI learning communities. Information gathered from this survey will help inform priority topics/domains, communities and practice challenges.
Expressions of Interest for Open Learning community events and forums will be sought from 31 July 2024.
- Open Learning community events and forums will run on an ongoing basis.
Expressions of Interest from convenors of Peer Learning and Support learning communities will be sought from 31 July 2024 to 30 August 2024.
- Convenors will be required to enter into an agreement with Social Enterprise Australia. It is anticipated that outcomes will be notified by 30 October 2024.
Expressions of Interest from convenors of Deep Experience learning communities will be sought from 31 July 2024 to 30 August 2024.
- Detailed proposals will be sought from shortlisted individuals/organisations.
- Convenors will be required to enter into an agreement with Social Enterprise Australia. It is anticipated that outcomes will be notified by 30 October 2024.
Expressions of Interest for convenors of Innovation Collaboration learning communities will be sought from 30 August 2024 to 30 September 2024.
- Detailed proposals will be sought from shortlisted individuals/organisations.
- Convenors will be required to enter into an agreement with Social Enterprise Australia. It is anticipated that outcomes will be notified by 30 November 2024.

Last updated: 16 October 2024