General
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Introduction to the unit
This unit focuses on why co-operatives are thought to be resilient organisations. It provides a framework for examining co-operative resilience and its challenges, and also enables you to use the framework in the context in which you live and work.
The unit is based on research carried out in Malawi in Southern Africa in 2013 by Alexander Borda-Rodriguez (The Open University, UK) and Sara Vicari (The Co-operative College, UK), and on related literature. This research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
Although there are aspects that are specific to Malawi in the unit, it has lessons that can be used in any national context as a point of reflection and comparison. The activities in the unit encourage you to use the material in that way.
The unit is therefore for anyone wanting to find out more about how co-operatives can be resilient organisations, for example:
- anyone who currently works in a co-operative, a co-operative union or a federation
- anyone who works with (or who is planning to work with) co-operatives, for example non-governmental organisations (NGOs), government ministries, banks, micro-finance institutions (MFIs) or aid agencies.
The unit is intended to enable you to achieve the following learning outcomes:
- Knowledge and understanding of the issues and challenges for resilience in co-operatives.
- Appreciation of a five-point framework for analysing co-operative resilience.
- The ability to use the framework in your own context to evaluate co-operative resilience and to identify areas that may require action.
The unit is organised so it can be studied over 10 hours. Although you will organise your study according to your own circumstances, one suggestion is to use the five-day schema in the learning materials.