Loomio
Thu 6 Apr 2017 8:23AM

Barefoot co-operative development

MSC Mark Simmonds (Co-op Culture) Public Seen by 132

Note: this is a public thread shared with others outside of the CD Loomio Group. This intro text has been updated to reflect the current state of play with this work, as at April 2019

This thread is to help develop a programme where members of existing co-ops can actually deliver peer to peer co-operative development in conjunction with CDB's.

Barefoot – adj. Self taught through experience, but lacking formal qualifications, for example barefoot lawyer, barefoot doctor, barefoot accountant.

Context

  1. We have an ageing and dwindling CDB sector, many due to retire in next few years. This will lead to a lack of capacity to support the growth of the co-operative sector, whether that comes from a strategic programme to encourage the co-operative model or, more likely, arises spontaneously as a grass-roots, DIY response to austerity, state underfunding and retreat from public services.

  2. There is some peer to peer co-op development already being done and some CDB's (Including Co-op Culture) are exploring using existing co-ops as associates to provide development support to other co-ops.

  3. There are many members, particularly of worker co-ops, who have significant business development skills, developed through their work in the in own co-op. What they lack however is a knowledge of the process of business development and are unfamiliar with the language used and the funding models around paying for co-op development. They are the “barefoot practitioners”.

Overview

In late 2017, Co-op Culture facilitated an action learning pilot project around building the capacity of members of co-ops, so that they can they can deliver co-operative development as associates, and with the oversight of, of existing CDB's.

We held two workshops (Manchester and London), funded by the Solid Fund, bringing together members of worker co-operatives and some co-operative development advisors, to explore the following:

  • what barefoot co-operative development was already happening;
  • which co-ops were open to further exploring this work
  • what the co-ops would need in order to participate.

We produced a report on the results of these two workshops (attached).

Further to that work we continued to talk within the CD Forum (and wider) to determine:

  • How we might deliver training to barefoot co-op developers to give them the capacity and confidence to deliver co-op development support.

  • What additional partners might we involve in this work?

  • How we might resource this further work?

  • Which existing CDB's would be willing to participate and “apprentice” barefoot practitioners and how that might work.

As part of this work, Co-op Culture have produced a document which outlines how they work with Barefoot developers as a possible model for working with other CDB's (attached). Co-op Culture is actually starting to use Barefoot developers to deliver co-operative support.

Funding

If this project initially focussed on worker co-operatives, then it could be funded wholly or partially from the SolidFund. Training for barefoot CDB practitioners could possibly be delivered/funded by the existing Hive programme as an extension of the Co-op option training. It may be that in order to resource any training we would need to cast the net wider than just worker co-operatives, this being where the current funding is concentrated (for example Power to Change).

##Where we are now:
Co-op Culture and new partner Platform 6 held an on-line meeting recently on 26th Feb 2019 (notes attached). One of the main outputs of this meeting was to invite those who attended the initial action research workshops to join this thread and several have.

Please continue the conversation below with this larger thread membership.

MM

Martin Meteyard Thu 6 Apr 2017 8:57AM

I'm extremely interested in pursuing this, and will put it on the agenda of the next CBC Skype meeting on 26 April. As I think I've mentioned previously, I've already been discussing similar ideas (incubators, mentoring) with current and former members of Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative - several of whom are working on potential co-op ideas. Count me in.

AA

adrian ashton Fri 7 Apr 2017 12:31PM

happy to add my name (for what its' worth) in support of this - wonder if it might be able to build on existing lasped materials (such as CDAnywhere and the old enterprise hub - especially as one of the aspirations of that was to see something like this emerging from within the groups it supported)?

MM

Martin Meteyard Fri 7 Apr 2017 4:52PM

I forwarded the email with Mark's initial post to several of the ESHC students, one of whom has now come back asking if he can join in the discussion. But as this appears to be a forum for CDB members only, I'm wondering if we should start a new discussion group to include potential barefoot co-operative developers?

MSC

Mark Simmonds (Co-op Culture) Mon 10 Apr 2017 10:34AM

Hi Martin. You could propose their membership of this forum (like we did with John Goodman) , which is already wider than the physical CDB Forum. Alternatively there is a discussion around this on the Loomio group for the SolidFund.

MS

Martin Strube Sat 8 Apr 2017 7:00AM

With the collapse of Northants CDA, we are looking at the possibility of setting up a "virtual" CDA based loosely on the old CDA Anywhere (www.cda-anywhere.com) template. Apart from documentation, templates, fact sheets, and FAQs, It will include a register of local co-operators (and any CD professionals still standing) able and willing to offer guidance and assistance. Happy to share the model and evolving refinements as we progress.
Best wishes.

BC

bob cannell Tue 11 Apr 2017 8:27AM

Yes please let's do it. This is what DAWN do in the USA. (Democracy At Work Network). Peer to peer accredited and supported cooperative development by worker cooperators. Bob

MSC

Mark Simmonds (Co-op Culture) Mon 17 Apr 2017 2:44PM

I think that there might be some discussion around this proposal at the Worker Co-op Weekend but I don't know if I can get there in time as I'm doing this https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/calderdale-bootstrap-2017-tickets-33408708346?aff=efbevent Can someone feed back who does go?

AC

Austen Cordasco Wed 19 Apr 2017 5:47PM

If any aspiring barefoot co-operative development workers wish to explore the idea of working with CAN they can download a simple form here and use that to put their idea to us. Similarly, if any co-operative is interested in working in partnership with us for co-operative development they only have to drop us an email to start the conversation. We are always open to new ways of working together.

That is our current position, which we can put forward without having to invent any more internal systems.

We are open to ideas about programmes to facilitate barefoot co-operative development and will consider them as they arise but don't have much more to contribute to the process of developing such programmes at this stage.

HS

Hilary Sudbury Mon 24 Apr 2017 11:51AM

Happy to work with members of existing co-ops in Bristol and wider area...

AL

Alex Lawrie Mon 5 Jun 2017 10:42AM

I'll be honest, I'm a little wary; barefoot CDWs will do some things well (direct support, especially within the same sector) but other things not so well (securing local funding, and developing fundable projects; maintaining a consistent public profile for co-ops in an area; developing detailed expertise...) and if scarce resources are diverted away from CDBs that can both both, that's a problem.
However, putting that to on side, peer to peer support is quite obviously a Good Thing, and we'll do what we can to support it here in the west country. Outside community energy, I can't say there is much evidence as yet that there are people willing to get stuck in to mutual aid in this way though.

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