Applicants, beneficiaries, experts and decision makers can share their own ideas and experiences on web communities, enlarging their knowledge base and enhancing partnerships. Communities of practices are public web pages where you can participate to debates, ask for information, exchange documents and establish partnerships. Be one of us: join the ESF communities of practice!

The Community of Practice on Inclusive Entrepreneurship  (COPIE) aims to strengthen the capacities in designing, planning, managing and evaluating projects and programmes which are meant to make entrepreneurship a career option for everyone. In order to accomplish this goal, COPIE facilitates colleting information, sharing experience between all relevant actors, providing training and technical assistance. COPIE is supported by the DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities.
In order to register for the COPIE forum, access the link below:
 FORUM COPIE  

The Community of Practice on Gender Mainstreaming   in the new programming period (2007- 2013) is organised by the EQUAL Management Authorities of Finland, Belgium (Flanders), Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Austria. This communication platform was designed to allow collaboration and sharing experience between all actors involved in ESF implementation at different levels: programme managers, experts and institutions specialized in gender issues, ESF project promoters.

The EQUAL Community of Practice on Innovation and Mainstreaming   constitutes a useful instrument for promoting learning and sharing knowledge in the field of innovation and mainstreaming in the ESF context. It is a way of developing successful management practices.
In order to register for the forum, access the link below:

The Community of Practice on Partnership   was created in 2006 by the European Commission, together with the EQUAL Managing Authorities of Finland, Portugal, Austria, Czech Republic and Malta. The need for this community arose, on the one hand, from the desire to share the experience gained while working on partnership in the EQUAL programmes, and, on the other hand, from the need to take into account the partnership principle stated in the ESF European Regulation.
In order to register for the forum, access the link below:

The Community of Practice on Programme Management   is dedicated to the ESF Managing Authorities, to the supporting structures and other stakeholders to learn and exchange expertise and know-how in the field of programme management.

The Community of Practice on Sound Planning and Management   is meant to help its members to share their experience about the Project Cycle Management (PCM) and to be informed about the training seminars in this field.
In order to register for the forum, access the link below:

The Community of Practice on Transnational Cooperation   was set up to stimulate and facilitate peer learning on promoting transnational cooperation, principle on which ESF is focused during the new programming period.
In order to register for the forum, access the link below:

The Community of Practice on Evaluation    was set up at the initiative of the ESF Managing Authority in the Czech Republic and it is meant to stimulate sharing ideas on evaluating ESF interventions.   
In order to register for the forum, access the link below:

The Community of practice is a modern instrument for social learning, which brings together persons and institutions with common interests in their professional activity. These social actors share their experience, ideas, expertise and knowledge, in order to promote innovative quality solutions.

Etienne Wenger defined this new social concept: “the communities of practice are groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly ”.

At the foundation of all communities of practice lie the concrete experiences. The members of a community of practice share their experiences and try to identify together answers for their common questions.

Communities of practice developed also in the field of ESF , putting into practice the experience accumulated during the implementation the EQUAL   initiative. These communities cover a wide range of domains, from partnership to gender issues. The ESF communities of practice are open to all ESF stakeholders.