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CLLE – COVID-19 and Cooperative Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa
This research sought to identify the major challenges faced by cooperatives in sub-Saharan Africa during COVID-19, as well as strategies and strengths employed by cooperatives to mitigate adversities. The ICRG further endeavored to understand whether and how these challenges and strengths/ strategies related to cooperative business resilience during hardship. Through a combination of survey interviews, Read More
Cooperative Resilience: Annotated Bibliography
The following bibliography and its annotations were prepared through careful reading of the U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council and the International Cooperative Research Group’s work in creating a Business Resiliency Framework. As recovery efforts from COVID-19 continue to shape cooperative policies, it is the hope of OCDC and ICRG to provide academically rigorous recommendations and Read More
Climate Finance – A Companion Report
This companion report provides a summary of main funders providing climate financing and key resources for countries where OCDC members operate and support cooperatives (as of June 2022). It complements the report “Climate Finance for Cooperatives. A Resource Guide” (2022), which contains more information on acronyms and interpretation for some of the sources mentioned. Together, Read More
Climate Finance Report
The idea for this research paper came out of discussions that took place during the 2022 International Cooperative Research Group (ICRG) Annual Learning Event organized by OCDC in January 2022. During the Learning Event, OCDC’s CDO members expressed interest in understanding better the ‘green’ (or environmental) and climate finance landscape, given how closely the green Read More
CR2 Synthesis Report
The CR2 report highlights findings from the Collaborative Research for Cooperative Resilience Program. COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH FOR COOPERATIVE RESILIENCE (CR2) RESEARCH PARTNERSHIPS: A multisectoral analysis of cooperative resilience in emerging markets during COVID-19. The research took place with research partners selected through a competitive grant program administered by the International Cooperative Research Group (ICRG) under the Overseas Read More
The ICRG’s Resources at a Glance!
The ICRG is dedicated to sharing our learning about cooperative development. We have nearly 300 free resources to help you uncover everything you want to know about the benefits of cooperatives. From financial security to youth engagement, to food security, gender equity and learning and training, we’ve got you covered! Click here to read the Read More
The Cooperative Context in Kenya: A Review of the Historical, Legal and Regulatory Environment
What Difference Do Cooperatives Make? is a multi-year, multi-country cross-regional research study conducted under the guidance of the OCDC Research Group. It focuses on the effects that cooperatives have on the social and economic well-being of individuals and their broader effects on communities where they are located. The focus is on the primary society but Read More
¿Qué Diferencia Marcan las Cooperativas?: Informe de Resultados Globales
“What Difference Do Cooperatives Make?” (WDDCM) is a four-year research project that looks at the difference that primary cooperative societies are making in the lives of their members across four countries – Kenya, Peru, Philippines, and Poland. The research was designed to examine the hypothesized “cooperative difference,” if any, across sectors, and to present its Read More
The Cooperative Context in the Philippines: A Review of the Historical, Legal and Regulatory Environment
This Cooperatives in the Philippines – Context Study was prepared under an OCDC International Cooperative Research Group (ICRG) collaboration with Global Communities. It is a companion study to the primary research carried out in the Philippines as part of the ICRG’s four-country study “What Difference Do Cooperatives Make?” Its purpose is to provide an understanding Read More
The Cooperative Context in Peru: A Review of the Historical, Legal and Regulatory Environment
The following cooperative country context study intends to provide an overview of the present-day situation of the Peruvian cooperative movement, reviewing co-operative history in Peru, and referencing the legal and institutional framework surrounding it. The study assesses the impact of the cooperative sector in Peru’s economic and social realms, its role in job creation and Read More
Cooperative Development in Philippines: A Legacy of USAID Assistance
Through the Legacy Study Series, the International Cooperative Research Group (ICRG) of the U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC) has sought to capture USAID’s programmatic influence through its investments in cooperative development. In conjunc-tion with other studies carried out in Poland, Kenya, Philippines, and Peru under the ICRG’s “What Difference Do Cooperatives Make?” (WDDCM) research Read More
Cooperative Development in Peru: A Legacy of USAID Assistance
The International Cooperative Research Group (ICRG) of the U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC) has carried out a series of Legacy Studies describing USAID’s programmatic influence through its investments in cooperative development. In conjunction with other studies carried out in Poland, Kenya, Philippines, and Peru under the ICRG’s “What Difference Do Cooperatives Make?” research initiative, Read More
Cooperative Development in Kenya: A Legacy of USAID Assistance
USAID commissioned the International Cooperative Research Group (ICRG) of OCDC to carry out a legacy study to examine what, if any, lasting effects of the USAID assistance to cooperatives can be seen in Kenya today, nearly 20 years after its conclusion. The ICRG carried out this study as a complement to the countrywide survey research Read More
What Difference Do Cooperatives Make? Global Outcomes Report
“What Difference Do Cooperatives Make?” (WDDCM) is a four-year research project that looks at the difference that primary cooperative societies are making in the lives of their members across four countries – Kenya, Peru, Philippines, and Poland. The research was designed to examine the hypothesized “cooperative difference,” if any, across sectors, and to present its findings Read More
What Difference Do Cooperatives Make? Peru
The “What Difference Do Cooperatives Make?” research initiative is a comprehensive, evidence-based study that rigorously examines the impacts that cooperatives have on the lives of people who belong to cooperatives. It is the “first” study of its kind, using the same methods in Poland, Peru, Philippines and Kenya. The Peru Country Study, which surveyed a representative sample of Read More
What Difference do Cooperatives Make? Philippines
The “What Difference Do Cooperatives Make?” research initiative is a comprehensive, evidence-based study that rigorously examines the impacts that cooperatives have on the lives of people who belong to cooperatives. It is the “first” study of its kind, using the same methods in Poland, Peru, Philippines and Kenya. The Philippines Country Study, which surveyed a representative sample Read More
What Difference do Cooperatives Make? Kenya
The “What Difference Do Cooperatives Make?” research initiative is a comprehensive, evidence-based study that rigorously examines the impacts that cooperatives have on the lives of people who belong to cooperatives. It is the “first” study of its kind, using the same methods in Poland, Peru, Philippines and Kenya. The Kenya Country Study, which surveyed a representative sample Read More
What Difference Do Cooperatives Make? Poland. A Pilot Study
The OCDC Research Group (RG) carried out this pilot study in Poland as the first in a series of country studies designed to understand the extent to which objective evidence will demonstrate that cooperatives provide a sound platform on which to base broad-based international development for sustainable, locally owned and institutionalized results. The Poland country Read More
COVID-19: Impact on Agricultural Cooperatives
Our member, Land O’Lakes Venture37, in collaboration with USAID Office of Local Sustainability has collected data to understand impact of the pandemic on cooperatives in 8 countries. The USAID Cooperative Development Program, funded out of the USAID Office of Local Sustainability, focuses on building capacity of cooperative businesses for self-reliance, local ownership and sustainability. Land Read More
Cooperative Governance Assessment
Identifying Cooperative Board Training Needs by Stages in the Board’s Development. The US Overseas Cooperative Development Council recently developed tools to identify unique director training needs of early stage cooperatives in developing countries. This manual is a guide for in-country implementation of the tools. It is primarily directed toward staff organizers and trainers in Cooperative Read More
Context Study Poland
This is a desk review and an attempt to capture a ‘bird’s eye view’ of the situation of Polish cooperatives today, rather than a detailed presentation of the evolution of the movement or its branches. It cannot do justice to the analyses and empirical material amassed over more than two decades or the presentations made Read More
Key Stakeholder Presentation and Dialogue – Philippines
This overview paper for the study “What Difference do Cooperatives Make?” in the Philippines sets out the initial findings of the recent research conducted by the International Cooperative Research Group of the U.S. Overseas Cooperative Development Council. The research provides the important perspective of members of primary societies across sectors and across regions, compares and Read More
Key Stakeholder Presentation and Dialogue – Kenya
This paper provides an overview of the initial findings of recent research on the cooperative sector in Kenya and identifies some possible paths for policy and/or further debate and exploration. “What Difference Do Cooperatives Make?” in Kenya tells us that cooperatives are indeed making a significant economic difference in the lives of the members and Read More
Start A COOP 101
Start.COOP by International Labour Organization (ILO) is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 Unported License. Start.COOP has been developed as a low-cost, easy to use training tool for those interested in starting and launching a cooperative in a participatory manner. It draws on technical content from existing materials in different ILO cooperative training tools Read More
Side Selling In Malt Barley Cooperatives
Self Help Africa (SHA) has been implementing a project since 2010 targeted at increasing the income of malt barley farmers in Ethiopia through more effective cooperative management in Arsi and West Arsi Zones of Oromia region. The project has been supporting Galema and Raya Kejewa cooperative unions to ensure efficient aggregation of products, better access Read More
Assessing Cooperative Training Needs in Developing Countries
It is widely known that a competent board of directors is an important factor in cooperative success. However, directors of local cooperatives in developing countries may be unfamiliar with democratic governance processes and the skills needed for effective directing. While there are significant impediments to good cooperative governance (e.g., inadequate training, weak leadership, and corruption), research Read More
Not Too Poor To Invest: The Case For Smallholder Farmer Ownership Programs
Experience has shown creation and growth of a member-owned capital base is crucial to the long-term sustainability of member owned businesses and can provide an effective savings tool and financial safety net for smallholder farmers. Information presented in the paper grew out of the results of an Equal Exchange (EE) project to introduce member equity Read More
Agricultural Cooperatives in Africa
This report is the first outcome of a joint project by the International Cooperative Research Group, a division of the US Overseas Cooperative Development Council (OCDC), and the European Research Institute on Cooperatives and Social Enterprises (EURICSE). The purpose of the research is to provide an analysis of the legal, economic, and policy environments in Read More
Cooperative Development in Poland: A Legacy of USAID Assistance
USAID commissioned the International Cooperative Research Group (RG) of OCDC to carry out a legacy study to examine what, if any, lasting effects of the USAID assistance to cooperatives can be seen in Poland today, nearly 20 years after its conclusion. The RG carried out this study as a complement to the countrywide survey research Read More
