June 27, 2024

Gabi Lipska, Cumbria CVS’ District Manager for Westmorland and Furness, explains what Standard Operating Procedure writeshops are, and how they help with referrals and collaboration, team-building and trust, co-creation of resources and so much more:

Unlocking Knowledge, Building Community, and Enhancing Impact

System improvement and encouraging partnership and collaboration are two of our key strategic focus areas at Cumbria CVS. Greater collaborative practice, embracing abundance mentality – where we see how sharing resource, knowledge, learning about “what works” – benefits all of us. This is our aspiration in work with the sector as well as in our internal processes. But how do we translate these aspirations into practical action? One powerful example are our SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) writeshops.

What Is a Writeshop?

A writeshop is a workshop during which you talk, write, talk, write and…write. It is an intensive process that brings together our officers to create a new operational manual while having quality team time. This manual reflects and documents best practices, providing a solid, practical resource. But it’s more than just a manual—it’s a dynamic platform for democratizing knowledge within our organisation.

Our small but amazing team of officers create a resource that will support current and future team members. Writeshops have been used in the field of international development for years now. Mainly used by field workers who have amazing knowledge, insight and skills learnt on the job but little time to consolidate it in writing. I came across the concept thanks to my Dutch colleagues one summer during an international seminar in Austria years ago, but that’s another story. 😊

Co-design is a core component of how we connect, inspire and empower. It stimulates a creative, equal, collaborative environment for people to contribute, communicate and be bold to design new solutions for impact.

What’s great about a writeshop?

It takes time and effort to reach consensus and agree on every element of a resource, sometimes we all get each other immediately, sometimes we need extra time to reach shared understanding and unpack a concept or a phrase (not to mention on agreeing quality criteria and even a contents list). 😊

Our current officers team is truly diverse, and it translates beautifully into our process. Everyone brings their unique gifts, perspectives, ways of thinking and processing information and even different languages. This richness, generosity and curiosity about each other and how we see the world and our work have great value in itself. And while each team is different, and so are circumstances in which they operate, there are several clear benefits to this way of working and co production.

Referrals and Collaboration: Writeshops facilitate referrals between teams of community connectors and development officers. By sharing knowledge and experiences, we strengthen our collective impact.

Team Building and Trust: Every officer can feel part of a wider team. Trust grows as we collaborate, learn from each other, and celebrate achievements.

Co-Creation of Resources: Writeshops allow us to create resources based on best practices. We collectively design solutions that work, and that helps us learn.

Developing Standards: By documenting our processes, we establish consistent standards of work. This clarity enhances performance and results.

Professional Development: Writeshops teach us how to work collaboratively. Skills-based learning is woven into the process.

Improving Impact: As we refine our practices, we enhance our impact on the communities, groups and organisations we serve.

Community Identity: Writeshops foster a sense of community and identity within the team.

At the core of any writeshop are three processes that enhance the quality, content and presentation of the final product. These are: presentations and comments that facilitate information exchange; editing and rewriting that result to information-transformation; and small group discussions that generate content feedback. We review each other’s content, offer advice, tips, ask questions.

SOP writeshops exemplify our commitment to collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement. By harnessing the collective wisdom of our team, we create a stronger, more effective Cumbria CVS—one that thrives on shared knowledge and shared purpose.

You can find out more about our ways of working in future blog posts!