TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRAINING AND OTHER RELATED BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ENTERPRISE SERVICES

PHIL IPPINE NATIONAL FOs’ EXPERIENCE( G L O W C O R P, N AT C C O , S I D C , A N D PA K I S A M A )

GLOWCORP

• GlowCorp focused on market related capacity building such as training on organic product certification, Internal Control System (ICS) installation, technical assistance for the members to progress and actually be given certification

• Assistance in sourcing and designing packaging materials, product development and labelling

NATCCO

• NATCCO provides various training and consultancy programs to members in savings and credit operations

• It maintains financial database of its more than 100 member-cooperatives using Alerta Temprana, a software that can assess the coops if they are below, within or above standard set for Phil. savings and loans coops. This serves as a TNA tool for NATCCO to determine member-coops that need assistance.

NATCCO• It has Scholar Stabilization Fund Program

where member-cooperatives enrol. Upon enrolment, they are assessed and are assisted to reach the standards for savings and loans coops in the Phil.

• The enrolled cooperatives pay annual fees to NATCCO . Some of the members even pay monthly retainer fees for training and consultancy services. If the member-coop encounter problem like in management, NATCCO provides temporary manager to fix the operation until the coop is able again to hire qualified manager.

• NATCCO continuously train in human resource management and in the installation and implementation of systems, policies & procedures

NATCCO• NATCCO partners with member-coops in

setting up microfinance operations branch using BOAT approach (Build, Operate, Adopt, and Transfer). It plans with member-cooperative where to set up a branch.

• NATCCO spends for everything - office refurbishing, necessary signage, manpower, etc. NATCCO operates the branch within 3 to 6 years, train on-the job the staff, and provide the needed financing. As soon as the branch registers income, NATCCO lets the member-cooperative buy the branch. The branch operates independently with its own management committee.

NATCCO TRAINING CURRICULA• Governance Framework• KoopAralan• Financial Literacy for Coop Members• Professionalization of Credit Union (CU)

Module 1. Organizational & General PoliciesModule 2. Credit Management Module 3. Financial ManagementModule 4. Human Resource & Intro to Marketing

Module 5. Strategic Planning

NATCCO TRAINING o Credit Union Microfinance Innovationso Trainers Trainingo Collectors Trainingo Accounting for Non-Accountantso Audit Committee Trainingo Election Committee Trainingo Teller’s Training

* NATCCO organize customized training to meet Coop needs and Requirements (In House and Public Conduct)

AFLATOUN PROGRAM• NATCCO & primary co-ops tie up with the Department of

Education (DepED)

• to educate children about social and financial topics thru learning methods integrated in the school curriculum

• Children experience child-friendly banking thru local coops

• Empowers kids to become responsible citizens and improve their quality of life

As of 2012 60 coops 140K children reached (51K children with savings) 20M Savings 360 schools (2,574 teacher’s trained)

SIDC• SIDC’s foremost focus in its initial training

orientation among new members is their understanding and commitment to the cooperative’s principles as well as systems, policies and procedures (SPP), SIDC’s direction and core values . All employees of SIDC wear an ID together with a small stamp with the cooperatives’ Vision, Mission, and core values.

• SIDC provides training, on-site technical assistance on livestock production particularly on hog raising including diseases control and infestations to all hog raiser-members

SIDC• SIDC partners with academic

institutions (Central Bicol State University and Batangas State University) to respond to the other training and research needs of their members in different parts of the Luzon and Visayas where the cooperative operates.

• SIDC opens a new service unit called New Business Enterprise Development to assist members in identifying potential ventures that can be viable and profitable.

SIDC• SIDC has continuously encourage members in

each area cluster to engage in agri-enterprises development

• SIDC has continuously design motivational packages to ensure high percentage of attendance and participation during clusters / assembly meetings. The meetings serve as the venue for information sharing, policy promotion and education sessions among members

• SIDC has a radio program every Saturday (5 -7 a.m.) for information dissemination, sharing of agricultural technologies and experiences that can be of help to members. Resource speakers are invited to talk about particular themes that members will learn from.

CHALLENGES IN THE SERVICE PROVISION

• FOs need funds to provide technical / business development assistance and training programs. Well-experienced service providers are expensive. It eats on the earnings generated by the FOs. Whenever fund is low, it is this service that will be sacrificed.

• Some members of the FOs do not take this service seriously. Some learning from the training programs are not implemented. There are also instances that members do not avail of the service when they have to pay.

COMMON LEARNING & INSIGHTS RE: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRAINING & OTHER

BDS

1. The agricultural projects of FOs should be treated as a business endeavour not just a social program. Thus, henceforth the term business enterprise should be used instead of livelihood projects which has somehow been highly associated with grants from the government and NGOs.

2. The service providers have to think and behave as

entrepreneurs and therefore must develop the attitude

and skills of running a profit-oriented business.

Consequently, one of the first considerations for

determining if a business enterprise can be started or

expanded is whether some entrepreneurial capacity exist.

COMMON LEARNING & INSIGHTS RE: TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, TRAINING & OTHER

BDS3. The responsibility of ensuring the success of the

enterprises lies in the hands of the individual members of the FOs. While technical assistance and other support maybe extended, the brunt of ensuring that all are properly utilized still rests on the farmers themselves.

4. As in ordinary business enterprises, the farmers as entrepreneurs must have a stake in the undertaking. Thus the members of FOs must build or form part of the capital out of their own personal investments. With such an investment shelled out of their own pockets, the members will be encouraged to do their best to ensure business success and safeguard their investments.

BASIC FRAMEWORK FOR CAPACITY BUILDING OF FO

Direction - VMG Clarification

-Organizational Diagnosis and Enterprise Assessment including Environmental Scanning

-Planning (Goals, Objectives, Activities, Resources) with Monitoring & Evaluation scheme

Organizational Development

-Structure Formation or Reformation-Systems, Policies and Procedures Installation-Value Formation & Teambuilding of Governance-Training Needs Assessment (TNA) for Future Roles-Resource Identification and Acquisition-Regular Monitoring, Evaluation and Re-planning

Enterprise Development and Management

-Total Business Enterprise Orientation-Staff Selection, Training and Development (Continuous)-Work Ethics Formation-Special Skills Training per Position and per Enterprise Needs (Production, Marketing, Finance, Manpower Management)-Resource Allocation and Mobilization-Regular Enterprise Development Monitoring, Evaluation, & Planning

Network Building

-Linkages, Partnership Identification and Mobilization