Assignment Name: Enabling Environment for Cooperatives Research

Countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, Ethiopia, Swaziland and Malawi

Name of Client: International Cooperative Alliance, Regional Office for Africa

Start Date : September 2006

Completion Date : January 2007

Narrative Description of Project: 

The enabling environment for cooperatives research sought to find out the contribution and relevance of cooperatives to income poverty alleviation, employment and policy in Africa.  Six countries were selected for the study.  The assignment involved visiting and interviewing cooperative stakeholders, discussions with cooperative societies members and leaders, literature review, compilation of findings and validation of findings in a stakeholder workshop.

Description of Actual Services Provided by FIT:

• Preliminary meetings with contractor
• Development of research tools
• Field work in six African countries with different categories of cooperative movement stakeholders interviewed
• Literature review
• Compilation of findings
• Presentation of preliminary research findings and revision
• Revision and presentation of final report
• Presentation of findings in a Validation workshop with stakeholders
• Review of post validation workshop comments
• Final report submission for printing and distribution