Annual Learning Event 2023
December 5 – 7, 2023
Purpose
The OCDC ICRG Annual Learning Event is designed to provide a mutual learning opportunity. It is designed to be participatory and interactive focused on issues identified by CDOs as result of their reflection on the past CDP and the new ones now starting. The ALE provides an opportunity for CDOs to strengthen their networks and form new ties within the CDP implementing partners and to reinforce a sense of community among all of us, consistent with cooperative values.
The ICRG will host a virtual session in early 2024, providing an opportunity for a broader segment of the CDP community to contribute, enhance, and bring additional value to the ALE outcomes by offering new insights and fresh perspectives. Stay tuned for further information!
Learn more about ICRG here.
ALE 2023 Goals
We will dive into three key themes in the context of past CDP learning and plans for the new 5 year cycle:
Focus on what enables truly locally led development. What does it take for the cooperatives to become vehicles of locally led development and achieve broader goals and aspirations in countries we work with and beyond. Part of this is how we use data to make policy decisions and inform program design for cooperative development, part is learning. We will explore elements of the co-op business model that are likely to provide leadership as co-ops seek to realize the aspirations of their members and the bottom-up approach supported by comparable structures across sectors.
Look at incorporating locally led development throughout a life cycle of a CDP project (from design to closeout) linking to USAID’s framework for the 5 Rs, 1) Results; 2) Roles; 3) Relationships; 4) Rules; and 5) Resources.
Address selected aspects of sustainability which is an important part of locally led development and strategies proved successful for local organizations to become sustainable or maintain their sustainability. We will probe these issues through presentations, conversations and small group discussions including by CDOs and visiting local staff and partners. Networking and relationship building will also be an integral part of this event.
Event Agenda
Tuesday, December 5
3:00pm
Arrivals and Check-In
5:00 – 6:30pm
Meet and Greet Reception
The Living Room
Wednesday, December 6
8:00am
Registration: Georgetown | Breakfast: DuPont
9:00am
Welcome, Introductions, Setting the Stage
Dupont
9:50am
Personal Goal-Setting for the ALE
10:15am
The New CDP! CDP Work at a Glance
11:00am
Break – Group Photo
11:30am
Research and Evidence: Supporting and Catalyzing Locally Led Development
Judith Hermanson, ICRG and Isaac Nyamongo, CUK
12:15 – 1:15pm
Lunch | The Living Room
1:20pm
Intentional Locally Led Development throughout a Life Cycle of a CDP Project (5Rs) | DuPont Rebecca Savoie, ICRG
SMALL GROUPS:
Group 1 (DuPont) – Roles – Led by Jennifer Wenborg, HP; Rapporteur Tindi Sitati, GC
Group 2 (DuPont) – Relationships – Led by Kari Onyancha, V37; Rapporteur Lydia Mutua, CUK
Group 3 (West End) – Rules – Led by Olga Oyier, GC; Rapporteur Alan Isaac, V37
Group 4 (Georgetown) – Resources – Led by Rebecca Savoie, ICRG; Rapporteur Hazem Harb, V37
2:30pm
Plenary – Report Out | DuPont
3:00pm
Break
3:30pm
Fireside Chat: Examples of Localization in Action – A conversation about successes in Guatemala, Madagascar, Uganda and Poland | DuPont
Moderated by Wangeci Gitata-Kiriga; Chat with Johnson Andinda, Uganda; Gabriela Delgado, Guatemala; and Barbara Czachorska-Jones, Poland
4:15-4:30pm
Recap and Reflections of the Day
6:00pm
Dinner at St. Gregory Hotel | The Living Room
Thursday, December 7
8:00am
Breakfast
Special Table 1 (West End) – Exploring Strategies for Co-op Climate Adaptation and Mitigation, led by John Adekunle, Genex Guest
Special Table 2 (Georgetown) – Key Findings and Lessons Learned from Project Evaluations, led by Ashley Holst, GC
9:00am
Welcome and Insights from Day 1 | DuPont
9:20am
CDP as an agent of change for Locally Led Development through Cooperatives
SMALL GROUPS:
Group 1 (DuPont) – Helping to build stronger local leadership – Led by Alex Dunkel, ACDI VOCA; Rapporteur Johnson Andinda, HP
Group 2 (DuPont) – Identifying and measuring the level of internal development of an organization – Led by Dalia Mehiar, WOCCU; Rapporteur Jasmine Mesidor, NCBA CLUSA
Group 3 (DuPont) – Exploring financial sustainability, Led by Quintin Dipina, WOCCU;
Rapporteur Hazem Harb, V37
Group 4 (West End) – Continued focus on Inclusion – How does that bear on, advance, hinder locally led development? To foster it, what groundwork needs to be done under CDP? Led by Britt Cruz, HP; Rapporteur Piper Marsh, V37
Group 5 (Georgetown) – Achievements beyond CDP program goals; Link to USAID’s “Progress Beyond Programs” Led by Dary Goodrich, EE, Rapporteur Abby Anderson, USAID
10:15am
Break – Check Out
11:00am
Plenary – Report Out | DuPont
11:40am
Wrap up and Next Steps
11:55am
Concluding Remarks
12:00pm
Time for CDO networking around joint action opportunities
12:30pm
Lunch | The Living Room
Participants
Judith A. Hermanson, PhD
Director, ICRG
Paul Hazen
Executive Director, OCDC
Barbara Czachorska-Jones, PhD
Learning and Training Manager, ICRG
Sylandi Brown, MA
Communications Manager, ICRG
Rebecca Savoie, PhD
Senior Researcher, ICRG
Wangeci Gitata-Kiriga
MC-Facilitator, ICRG
LuAnn Werner
Deputy Executive Director, OCDC
Nadege Besson-Rouse
Organizing Assistant, ICRG
Justin Franks
IT Consultant, ICRG
Abegail (Abby) Anderson
Communications & Knowledge Management Specialist, USAID
Professor Isaac Nyamongo
Deputy Vice Chancellor (Cooperative Development, Research and Innovation), The Co-operative University of Kenya
Dr. Lydia Mutua
Registrar Academic, Co-operative Development, Research, and innovation Division (ACDRI), The Co-operative University of Kenya
Ashley Holst
Chief of Party, CLEAR+, Global Communities
Olga Oyier
Kenya Country Team Lead and Policy & Legislative Affairs Specialist, Global Communities
Tindi Sitati
Collaboration Learning & Adapting Officer, USAID (CLEAR) Cooperative Development Program, Global Communities
Kari Onyancha
Director, Strategic Growth & Partnerships and Program Management, Land O’Lakes Venture37. OCDC Board Chair.
Hazem Harb
Senior Program Manager, Land O’Lakes Venture37
Piper Marsh
Program Specialist, Land O’Lakes Venture37
Alan Isaac
Program Director – Program Management, Land O’Lakes Venture37
Dary Goodrich
Chocolate Products Manager, Equal Exchange
Quintin Dipina
Africa Portfolio Consultant, World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU)
Dalia Mehiar
MEL Manager, Financial Inclusion, World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU)
Camila Piñeiro
Co-op Development Specialist, National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA)
Jasmine Mesidor
Program Manager, National Cooperative Business Association CLUSA International (NCBA CLUSA)
Alex Dunkel
Senior Project Coordinator, ACDI/VOCA
Britt A. Cruz
Deputy Director, HealthPartners
Jennifer Wenborg
Director, International Development, HealthPartners
Johnson Andinda
Deputy Chief of Party, HealthPartners-Uganda
Rebecca Skipp
Source Development Manager, Frontier Co-op
Gabriela Delgado
Chief Commercial Officer, FEDERCOVERA, R.L.
Marcel Petrutiu
Director of Global Development, GENEX
Adekunle, John (Olayiwola)
Head of Dairy Development Operations, FrieslandCampina Wamco Nigeria PLC
