Co-operative Identity Programs

Co-operative Identity Program

The Co-operative Federation of Victoria Ltd has been working with the UK Co-operative College in recent years.

Three Co-operative Identity Programs have now been successfully

provided in Australia by the UK Co-operative College in partnership with the Co-operative Federation of Victoria Ltd:

Capricorn Society Ltd. 30-31 August 2006

Murray Goulburn Co-op.Co.Ltd. 5-6 September 2006

Open Program 7 September 2006:

These programs confirmed that co-operatives have undertaken many positive activities that derive from their co-operative status, but at this time they do not know how to aggregate them together into a clear co-operative education strategy. The workshops provide a first step for developing and maintaining an ongoing strategy.

A brief report on the Open Program follows:

Open Programme - Creating value for the dairy industry in rural communities
7 September 2006

36 Participants

Overall positive workshop rating                                         76%
Meeting workshop expectations                                         98%   35 Yes 1 No
Content and delivery average                                              82%
Administration average                                                        77%
Would other benefit from this workshop                             31 Yes.

The individual who graded the workshop as not meeting their expectations, stated that this was because it exceeded their expectations. This obviously has a negative impact on the scoring, but provides welcome feedback about their feelings at the end of the workshop.

This workshop had a wide spread of participants.

Comments from participants

I’m more informed

A better understanding of co-ops and where we need to be going

Broader understanding of the movement

Greater ability to spread the message

Greater overall knowledge

I can share my commitment

This has been a good interaction manager, members and directors and hearing their passion for the Co-op

Actions by participants as a result of the workshops

In the action planning phase participants committed themselves to immediate actions to implement what they had learnt. A selection of these included:

Promote or focus on values

Keep promoting the benefits of the co-op to stakeholders

Apply what was learnt to board table and strategy development

Concentrate on and define member benefits

Drive better value to members

Brief/enlighten my team/staff

Undertake a co-op directors course

Push the message/talk up the benefits

Able to promote values to members/suppliers

Become a student of co-operatives

Re-instate the co-op values in the ‘new blood’

In board discussions and decisions I will now understand the complete nature and structure of the co-operative

Have amore aligned strategy and decision making process

I will be better at walking the talk

Subsequent to the workshop these two comments were received:

“Without the UK Co-operative College we would not have been able to proceed with the workshops – because you can’t invent the credibility, legitimacy, experience and expertise that the College brought to the workshops. While Australia has trainers and educationalists willing to deliver any course anywhere, they are devoid of co-operative history, experience and expertise and this would be counter-productive.”

“For the first time in many years, there have been a series of workshops on the co-operative identity and how this is integral to the business goals and strategies of co-operatives. We have some very strong co-operatives committed to co-operative values and principles but unsure of their relevance and potential to be integrated into business practice. What the workshops have demonstrated is that co-operative values and principles can drive business growth and are a marketing advantage.”
In co-operation:

Last updated:09-Jan-2007

Co-operative Federation of Victoria Ltd, 71 Franciscan Avenue, Frankston, Victoria AUSTRALIA Telephone: 61 03 9785 6704
Email: cfv@australia.coop