Support community-driven and collective initiatives that were responsive to obstacles faced by refugees and members of the host community

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Activities, stakeholders and guidelines

Support community-driven and collective initiatives that were responsive to obstacles faced by refugees and members of the host community

Practical tips and guidelines on key activities and stakeholders involved

Click on one activity below to see detailed guidelines

Stakeholders involved
ILO technical specialists,
Apex cooperative organizations,
Trainers and master trainers,
Government representatives (national)
Guidelines
When adapting training tools and materials consider laws, policies and strategies that shape the cooperative landscape in the country. Note that in most PROSPECTS countries, there weren’t any specific laws that included or excluded refugees from forming or joining cooperatives.
Translate training tools and methods into local languages, as happened in Jordan, for example, where the relevant COOP tools were translated into Arabic. [link to Jordan case study on cooperative movement]
Work with local partners, such as apex cooperative organizations and cooperatives departments, to ensure training materials and methods are locally relevant. Pilots are recommended before finalizing adaptation.
Tools and methods can be adapted to:
the local and national context;
a specific sector of the economy;
a specific target group; and/or
a specific type of cooperative.

Stakeholders involved
Cooperatives and SSEs,
Refugees and host community members,
Apex cooperative organizations,
Trainers and master trainers,
ILO technical specialists,
Community-based organizations (refugee- and youth -ed).
Guidelines
Conduct a rapid needs assessment to identify relevant pathways for successful engagement by cooperatives and SSE entities in forced displacement contexts. A global mapping exercise carried out under PROSPECTS in 2020 identified seven possible pathways for cooperatives to engage with host and refugee/displaced populations:
Host community cooperatives provide goods and services to refugees and displaced people.
Host community cooperatives recruit refugees and displaced people as workers.
Host community cooperatives include refugees and displaced people as members.
Host communities provide capacity-building and training for refugees and displaced people to set up their own cooperatives.
Refugees and displaced people form cooperatives to provide goods and services for themselves or their host community.
Refugees, displaced people and host communities organized into cooperatives by an international organization provide services for themselves and their communities.
Returning refugees and displaced people rebuild their own communities through cooperatives.
Consider the potential of informal groups to formalize and transition to cooperative societies.
Based on the state of existing cooperative groups, consider an awareness-raising period to precede cooperative training, focusing on cooperative principles and value addition.
Conduct awareness-raising and training either through or in partnership with national cooperative organizations.

Stakeholders involved
Cooperatives and SSEs,
Apex cooperative organizations,
Financial service providers
Guidelines
Alongside cooperative capacity-building and training, financial education for cooperatives and support to access financial services can help them maintain their activities and support the livelihoods of cooperatives members.
Facilitate access to finance through forming and/or strengthening Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) or Savings and Credit Cooperatives Organizations (SACCOs).
Partner with commercial banks and microfinance institutions to develop financial products tailored to cooperatives, addressing barriers like lack of collateral and Know Your Customer (KYC) documentation. For example, in Ethiopia, the PROSPECTS team partnered with Shabelle Bank to extend financial products in refugee settlements. To facilitate the opening of bank accounts for refugees, the team helped form cooperatives, for which the commercial bank could then open group bank accounts.

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Education & Training

Employment

Enterprise

Social Protection

Support community-driven and collective initiatives that were responsive to obstacles faced by refugees and members of the host community

Stakeholders involved

Guidelines

Stakeholders involved

Guidelines

Stakeholders involved

Guidelines