Assessment of Cooperatives in the Poultry Industry - 2013.pdf - Seda

Research Report: Addressing the Needs, Opportunities and Challenges of Cooperatives
and Collectively Owned Enterprises in the Poultry and Related Industries
structured process will ensure full development and assistance provision when
needed.
This form of training and support will also assist cooperatives to see the benefit in
the assistance they are receiving. It was discovered through the survey that many
cooperatives had business plans in place, but did not make use of these in their
operations. This was partially as a result of cooperatives not understanding the value
of a business plan.
Through a set time for development and increased accountability for the training and
assistance, the graduated development programme will be able to end after a
specified length of time. Cooperatives should be encouraged to gradually increase
support to each other, rather than mentors, and to further develop through
collaboration. This will enhance business competitiveness in the long run, as
discussed in section 5.2.4.
o
Conditional training provision: Linked to the graduated development approach, it is
recommended that training be provided in line with a step-up approach, whereby
cooperatives can graduate to higher levels of assistance upon completion of a lower
level of training and only when cooperatives have shown that they are making use of
the skills learnt during prior training sessions. For example, if training on business
plans is provided, a cooperative may only receive additional training if they show
that they can then manage their own documents and continue to follow the best
practices learned. From the service provider/support agency’s perspective, this
allows for the productive application of limited resources towards training. It also
creates a greater culture of accountability among cooperatives, reducing repeated
requests for assistance already provided.
Conditional provision of training is further enhanced if greater choice is given to
cooperatives in the training they receive (within a framework of best-practice
training requirements and in line with their individual training and development
paths). This allows them to retain agency, while ensuring that cooperatives are
appropriately equipped to manage their businesses.
Establish technical partnerships and mentorship:
o
Technical training partnership: The provision of training programmes involves a
number of different elements; training takes on different forms and serves many
different purposes. Cooperatives may receive academic style training in business
documentation while they may also require practical training concerning the
technical aspects of their business. Certain of these training elements require expert
knowledge of the industry and day-to-day challenges in an industry. A critical feature
of the training provided should be the involvement of a long-term technical training
partner who is able to work with cooperatives and provide sound ‘best practice’ and
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