Call For CVs for Participants To ILO Cooperatives Training of Trainers In Think.Coop, Start.Coop and My.Coop (2024)

The International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace.

The only tripartite U.N. agency, since 1919 the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 Member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.

Background

The ILO Afghanistan commenced to implement the Road to Sustainable Livelihoods, Employment and Decent work project (R2SLED) in Northern Region of Afghanistan. In this initial phase of the programme, the ILO propose to implement enterprise development interventions in the sesame, grapes and raisins and carpet sectors.

The programme will conduct in-depth market systems analyses for i) sesame and ii) grapes and raisins value chain. Meanwhile the project will pilot interventions recommended in the sesame value chain analysis that was previously conducted by UNDP. Furthermore, the programme will design and implement innovative business models based on recommended interventions from the Carpet sector Market System Analysis that was conducted by ILO in partnership with UNHCR. The project will target and work with cooperatives, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) willing to co-invest and share the risk with ILO in implementing MSD based innovative business models that would increase participation of poor, vulnerable and disadvantaged women, youths, and persons living with disabilities.in the target value sesame, grapes and raisins and carpet value chains. The project will provide financial support to the partner MSME as incentive to work with target group. The MSME will financially invest in the proposed activities to demonstrate business viability and local ownership. In addition, other value chain actors will be supported through the UNDP-FMFB partnership.

In line with the ILO mandate, the project will support capacity building of cooperatives, MSMEs, partner businesses, employer and employee organisation and target groups on the fundamental principles and rights at work and decent work elements. These will include capacitation in occupational safety and health, elimination of child labour and its worst forms and other fundamental rights for safe and health work environments including, gender equality in the workplace, equal pay for equal job and social justice.

ILO Cooperatives training

Starting a cooperative is like setting up any business, but what makes a cooperative different from other business models is that it is shaped through collective effort and group decision-making as well as a set of cooperative principles that help to guide the business. The Think Coop, Start. Coop and My. Coop modules are intended for those considering the idea of setting up of a cooperative society and manage it effectively for the benefits of members. Think. Coop, Start. Coop and My. Coop are ILO cooperative development tools designed to building capacity of individuals who are ready to work towards objective of the ILO regarding building capacity cooperatives and potential associations which has similar functions in the sectors that the project is targeting and also ILO’s constituents which have a strong network in the similar business community.

Objective

The objective of the training of trainers is to build the capacities of local cooperative service providers and potential COOP trainers. The training will use the ILO cooperative tools: Think.COOP (training module for those interested in establishing or joining a cooperative) Start.COOP (a training tool for those interested in starting a cooperative in a participatory manner) and My.COOP (a training package and programme on the management of agricultural cooperatives).

At the end of the training participants will be able to:

• Explain how relationships influence well-being and resilience.

• Define basic concepts of horizontal and vertical relationships and appreciate its importance

• Explain the benefits of collective action

• Describe different business structures and select the appropriate business structure

• Differentiate different types of cooperatives and the services they offer to members

• Describe cooperative principles

• Set up a cooperative society

• Identify the core members of the cooperative

• Define the business idea

• Research the feasibility of the business idea

• Prepare the business plan

• Decide on the organizational set-up of a cooperative or potential cooperative (Members, Board and Management)

• Describe functions of different cooperative governance structures and the challenges of cooperative governance

• Assess, prioritize members needs and matching the needs to the services

• Use best practices in procurement, storage and stock management of farm inputs
• Develop and use effective marketing strategy
• Underscore the importance of collective marketing and market information

Basic requirements of the applicants

• Good education background such as bachelor degree or college dropout (specific for female participants)
• Proven experience conducting adult training, including facilitation skills and engagement of adult learners
• Command of the English language is a requirement because the TOT will be conducted in English using an international master trainer
• Command of one of the national language (Dari or Pashto), understanding of other local languages will be a positive point
• Knowledge of the cooperative model, including understanding of self-help and cooperative principles
• Experience working with cooperatives or providing organizational development support to self- help groups will an advantage.
• Experience working in the sectors (carpet and agriculture) the training is tackling will be a plus point
• Knowledge of the local context
• Knowledge of financial, management and operational processes within cooperatives and/or other enterprises will be advantage.
• Excellent communications skills
• Ability and willingness to train others
• Ability to travel if requires from the ILO projects in rolling out of the same training.