Cooperative Governance Programme

Governance is the heart and motor of cooperatives. That is why Agriterra has developed a training program on Cooperative Governance. During the four day training, through a very interactive process, the participants will gain more knowledge on good governance within their own cooperative. Each cooperative will complete the Governance Health Check, an instrument developed by Agriterra to indicate the status of governance in a cooperative. During the last day, a plan of approach will be drafted and presented. Six months after the program, the participating cooperatives will come back for a follow up day. They will bring their complete Board and give a presentation to the other participants of the progress made in the field of governance. The objective of this training is for participants to acquire knowledge and understanding of Cooperative Governance. Output will be a first draft of a Handbook Cooperative Governance per participating cooperative. Per training three cooperatives can participate. Every cooperative will send 5 participants: 3 board members, 1 supervisory board member, and 1 (general) manager. The training will be conducted by a moderator (guide for the group), Dutch Agripool expert (experienced board member, expert on the content) and the Agriterra business advisor. The participating cooperatives can be very distinct. Every cooperative has its own history/origin/culture and all are in their own stage of development. During the training, the focus will be on exchange of experiences, best practices and mutual learning. Openness and willingness to share are crucial. Because the group is made up from various functions: board members, supervisory board members and managers, it is important that participants are aware of this diversity in advance. And that they are willing to put themselves in the position of others, both in their personal function and their role in the organization. During this process, the moderator acts as guide and facilitator.