module+1

Dear participants,

Welcome to the first module on facilitating module :"**Basics of agricultural cooperatives**".


 * Learning objectives:**

By the end of this module participants will be able to - to review and test their knowledge about the basic concepts of the basics of agricultural cooperatives - to prepare a cooperative knowledge café - to identify potential MyCOOP stories that you can use in MyCOOP training - to prepare a network analysis of the cooperative environment - to present the value chain concept - to explore different brainstorming techniques

Self-guided e-learning module. This module reviews the content of the module on the basics of agricultural cooperatives. The modules are enriched with questions, reflections and quizzes in order to test your subject matter knowledge on the basic cooperative concepts. Duration: 60 minutes.
 * Session 1: Basic concepts. Content review of module 1**

You are going to set up a cooperative knowledge café on cooperative membership.To prepare this knowledge café we ask you to: - Read the instructional sheet on "how to set up world café's" ( - Go the following website: http://www.theworldcafe.com/ and look for materials that can support you in the preparation for the cooperative knowledge café (Do you find any useful checklists in the tool section? Is there a graphical way to present the world café principles? Is there visual material from the image bank that I can use for my cooperative knowledge cafe. - One of the most important elements of a cooperative knowledge café is the selection of the questions. As you have seen in the instructional sheet the cooperative café focuses on the following questions:
 * Session 2: "Being a member of a cooperative"**

What are the members’ motives to set up or join a cooperative? What are the possible actions for a cooperative to enhance active members’ participation? Why is important to enhance diversity of membership? What are the reasons for members to leave a cooperative?

You will have to brief your table hosts about the questions. It's good to prepare this well and brief the table hosts that they can have additional related questions ready (for when the discussion. Asking the right questions and the right time is a crucial skill for a mycoop trainer. To prepare yourself we ask you to select one of the three background articles on asking effective questions: http://itcilo.wordpress.com/2011/10/09/the-art-of-asking-questions/

Additional recommended literature:

Storytelling is a powerful technique that can carry information in an interesting and engaging way. To prepare the storytelling exercise for your participants we recommend you to review the instructional sheet on storytelling.
 * Session 3: Cooperative storytelling**

Discussion forum Tell a story about a cooperative that you know that you will use later in the MyCOOP training to kickstart the session on storytelling. When writing the story you follow exactly the same instructions you give to your participants: - Why did you set up your cooperative? - What is the ambition/vision of the cooperative? - What is unique about your cooperative? - What are the social orientations of your cooperative? - How did your cooperative evolve? How did your cooperative adapt to changes?

Once you have added a story to the discussion forum we ask you to reply on stories of other participants. When you discuss try to reflect on the following: - Which tensions between member's interests, business activities and social considerations do you discover in the stories of the other participants - What are the most important lessons you can draw from other participant's stories?

To reconstruct the value chain of the cooperative the participants will be asked to do a network analysis. Doing this exercise will allow you to present the complete environment of the cooperative in a visual way. To prepare yourself for this exercise it is recommended to do the network analysis yourself before you facilitate the exercise with the participants. You can review the section in the training manual and consult an additional instruction sheet: To do the network analysis it is important to work very visual. For this you might want to prepare a network toolbox that can be used in your session. We recommend you to check out the network toolbox of Eva Shiffer which material can be re-used for your session. []
 * Session 4: A network analysis about the cooperative environment**

Review the presentation of the self-guided e-learning exercise and go to the section of supporting farmers in the Value Chain. You will see that you a visual slide that represents an example of a rice value chain. Try to explain the concept of a value chain in less than 5 minutes.
 * Session 5: Value chain exercise**

Brainstorming is an important facilitation skill for MyCOOP trainers and can be used throughout the entire MyCOOP training package. The brainstorming exercise in this module is based on the different government challenges cooperatives face. Review the instructional fiche on Brainstorming. As a facilitiator you will use the brainwriting technique which is explained in the training manual. Could you come up with additional brainstorming techniques? Let's brainstorm on that.
 * Session 6: Brainstorming about governance**

Additional reading: http://www.kstoolkit.org/Brainstorming http://litemind.com/brainwriting/