Semi-annual Report: Cooperative Research, Education, and Dissemination (CRED) Activity

The purpose of CRED is to provide evidence to strengthen program design, conduct original research, and disseminate the results and tools developed based on these results. Dissemination to practitioners, governments, and donors is intended to contribute to sustainability, local ownership, and self-reliance through increased use of cooperative development. CRED will achieve its goals and objectives through three mutually reinforcing program components: CRED Research, CRED Education/Learning, and CRED Dissemination. The CRED Research component will contribute to CRED program outcome "More effective programming, improved quality and program design through CG learning and CRED research." This component will address major cross-sectoral knowledge gaps as well as implementation and operational challenges in cooperative development programming through interactive processes with Cooperative Development Organizations (CDOs) to jointly determine research priorities. The CRED Education/Learning component contributes to CRED Outcome "Increased collaboration and shared learning among CDOs, between CDOs and RG" and is at the heart of CRED. The objective of this program component is to create a vibrant cooperative development learning community that is linked to implementation reflecting realities and elevating to program and policy levels and enhancing impact. CRED will continue to advance the CG as a place for professional development as well as research; develop tools and training as products of research, dialogue, and needs assessments; organize monthly informational meetings, quarterly in-person, in-depth meetings, and organize annual learning and dissemination workshops. The CRED Dissemination component contributes to the "Increased awareness and understanding of cooperative difference" outcome, which aims to create greater support for cooperative development by sharing results, strengthening and illuminating the work of our member CDOs, and building professional credibility of OCDC. Under this program component, CRED will maintain and enhance OCDC's website and resource library to provide greater access to CRED and other Cooperative Development research findings and knowledge, present and educate on CRED research. During the reporting period, the RG began the research design process through a series of interactive dialogues with the collaborative group. The RG took the topics back for further pre-investigation and presented three research topics and three learning topics that the RG would undertake during the program year. The research topics included Cooperative Dependency, Apex Organizations, and Technology in Cooperative Management. The RG also opened an opportunity for CDOs to collaborate individually or collectively with the RG on longitudinal studies on impacts of their cooperative development program. The RG selected indicators that would minimize data collection and maximize the number of CDOs reporting similar outcomes. The following five impact and three monitoring indicators will be collected each year: Collective Impact, Standard PIRS Result, Dollar ($) value of income and/or services delivered to members by cooperatives and credit unions, Number of private sector firms that have improved management practices or technologies as a result of USG assistance, and Number (#) of cooperatives and credit unions with improved governance. The first annual learning event held in December 2018 was a huge success, and the CDOs took great interest in the lessons learned. The RG also completed the first round of review for a roster of qualified research and training consultants. This activity will be ongoing through the life of CRED as we continue to expand, improve, and optimize our list of candidates.