Barefoot co-operative development
Mark Simmonds (Co-op Culture)
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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
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.
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.
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.
Mark Simmonds (Co-op Culture) Thu 24 Aug 2017 11:01AM
This is only the beginning of this action research and there will be other opportunities to get involved.
Nathan Brown (Co-op Culture) Fri 1 Sep 2017 9:56AM
The original inception was to introduce barefoot CDW's to the ways of working - which includes a hefty dose of understanding the difference between symptom & cause, the role of a CDW i.e. different approaches to support and understanding the limits of your own experience and skills (as hinted at by @bobcan). The danger of CDB folks filling the room is that they will stray into very technical issues and discuss (or argue about) things pitched at a higher level than the introductory stuff needed by barefoot practitioners. We have to bear in mind the level at which this training is being pitched. This is not CPD for CDB workers. That should be addressed separately. If there is an appetite for that, could we not arrange something based on mutual support/shared contribution? Barefoot CDWs could be encouraged to attend and that would the opportunity to learn from other CDB folk.
John Merritt Mon 4 Sep 2017 8:38AM
I think the idea of workshops at Future Coop's and Congress (and possibly other events) for introductory workshops are a great idea. One concern I have is that the time needed to understand Cooperative Development work fully, is extensive. However, providing the seeds of understanding is especially useful for people who work in worker coops, as they have a commitment to the Cooperative values, principles and ways of working. However there is a problem with business advisors getting a taste of of Cooperative and Social Enterprise development work. That is that within a day they think they know what they are doing and I know many of us have had to spend many often unpaid hours, unpicking the problems bad advice and support creates.
Mark Simmonds (Co-op Culture) Mon 4 Sep 2017 9:36AM
Hi John. Some clarification on what is being proposed at the moment:
1) The mention of piggy-backed meetings was to address the desire of existing CDB's to attend the initial two action learning workshops we have funding for. Adrian stated that he thought that this desire to attend, by CDBs, was due to a lack of CPD opportunities for existing CDB practitioners. My response was to say that possible changes in the CDB forum meetings (on the agenda of this month's meeting) would possibly address that.
It is not proposed at the moment to have introduction to CD workshops piggy-backed onto other events, although I wouldn't discount it.
2) It is also not the intention to deliver a one day workshop and then send people out as CD practitioners. The initial proposal at the top of the thread states that the purpose is to explore how "members of existing co-ops can actually deliver peer to peer co-operative development in conjunction with CDB's." That remains the intention. We will bring co-op members up to speed with what we do as CDBs, how CD is currently funded, explore what CD work they are already delivering (if any) and then explore how any potential delivery by them might work - their aspirations, the barriers and opportunities etc. We'll then feed all that back to the SoldFund and discuss the next steps with all stakeholder groups.
Hilary Sudbury Mon 4 Sep 2017 9:43AM
HI Mark,
Is it possible for the feedback to come to the CDBs as well as the Solid Fund as it does relate to the work we do on the ground and it would seem disjointed for the Solid fund to be discussing how barefoot CD workers can work in conjunction with CDBs without
input from CDBs? Or am I missing the point?
Hilary
Mark Simmonds (Co-op Culture) Mon 4 Sep 2017 9:57AM
Hi Hilary, Yes that's the intention. As they are funding the workshops, we are of course obliged to report back to the SolidFund. Their members response will then feed into the discussion that must also involve CDBs, funders, The Hive, Plunkett, potential new Funds etc. I anticipate that we will only write one report and share it with everybody. We don't know where this is going yet - we're just stirring the pot (with a Kickstart from SolidFund) and seeing what happens. I'm thinking that we'll also need some CDB input prior to the workshops to check the questions that we'll be trying to answer - watch this space.
John Merritt Mon 4 Sep 2017 11:38AM
Hi Mark, thanks for the clarity.
bob cannell Mon 4 Sep 2017 5:25PM
I spent years trying to do coop support from one worker coop Suma to others. Its not easy which is why I also set up another coop CBC as a consortium network so coop activists could support each other and train each other in CDW skills.
I continually tried to get experienced Suma members to use either path to share their knowledge. Very little success. Sometimes if it was directly relevant to a suma coop customer or supplier, people would do it or colleagues would agree to pay me to do it.
Suma and undoubtedly other longer established coops continually provide advice and support to sister coops and to supplier and customer coops. Things like business advice eg shop stock, financial management advice and frequently from me, HR and membership development advice.
But that's different and less scary than walking into an unknown coop with unknown people and high emotions (they called for help usually.) You need handholding onsite, an apprenticeship arrangement, to get the confidence to do that. Ive done that too. There are a few Coop Dev practitioners who I took under my wing and in areas where I was lacking, others did it for me (thank you Kate.)
But the coops need an ongoing relationship with trusted individuals who are mentors. I'm Uncle Bob to a few. Ring Bob. If I dont know what they could do, I will know someone I trust who does.
The big question is how do you remunerate the mentor? If it's expected to be free then we aren't going to get many people doing it. Current coop support is designed for a transactional exchange (you pay me to deliver a unit of advice) but we need relational exchange (ongoing developing relationships not 'sheep dip' in and out).
Its no secret that I have been very critical of what passed for support and advice in the Hub and now via the Hive. Clearly being designed by people who dont know how worker coops and small community coops work in practice. Much of that spend was wasted, water off a duck's back. But we did use the flexibility of the Hub to actually do what was needed in many cases ( ie not what what they told the assessor.)
Im not after CPD, I just want advice and support for worker coops that works. If I'm not able to be involved in the barefoot initiative I'll just carry on. But I would like to be. I think I first introduced the DAWN example of accredited barefoot practitioners to the UK from the US.
cheers
Uncle Bob
Nathan Brown (Co-op Culture) Wed 15 Nov 2017 12:56PM
Hi everyone. The 2 barefoot practitioner workshops (Manchester and London) are looming and we have 15 participants in each. One issue which we want to address during this pilot is the relationship between existing CDBs and new entrants into the field. We're particularly interested in being able to express how many existing CDBs would be willing to take on barefoot practitioners as associates, apprentices or members, collaborative partners (if they are doing the work through their co-op) and what/if any terms and conditions would apply?
Mark Simmonds (Co-op Culture) · Thu 24 Aug 2017 10:59AM
The purpose of the workshop is to introduce worker co-op members to the nuts and bolts of co-op development and the CDB sector - it's scope, business model, sources of support, challenges. We also hope to explore the motivations, reservations and expectations of worker co-ops in getting involved in co-operative development. It will certainly be useful to have other CDB practitioners there to contribute to that, but we will favour non practitioners (or those already dabbling with co-operative development) over existing practitioners, where the workshop is over-subscribed.