COOPERATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE COMMUNITY SOLUTIONS

There is an apparent need for communities to initiate solution to their problems and issues in ways that fit their circumstances. 

It is increasingly obvious that communities themselves need to be a part of 'the solution' to the problems they themselves identify.

Rather than have solutions imposed upon them by governments, regulators, authorities, organisations, administrations, etc. communities need to be empowered to work together plus interact cooperatively and collaboratively. 

Communities, that is ‘community organisations’, charities, activist groups, social networks, community clubs, etc., need to come together and establish a networks of networks .
These networks, once established, could work towards communities finding solutions to problems they identify and prioritise.

With prospective solutions to hand they will be empowered to hold their elected representatives to account.

Can you identify a community problem in need of a solution? Are you interested in becoming a part of such a solution oriented network?

THE STRATEGIC PLAN

FOREWORD

This paper has been prepared against the background that increasingly communities are being called upon to devise and promote more sustainable lifestyles and community development strategies. All of this is going on against the backdrop of the threat of climate change, diminishing resources and changing social dynamics within communities brought on by these and other factors. Sustainable community development is now an imperative and community cooperative enterprises appear to offer a productive way forward. It is no longer something that can be put off until later. Later is now!

THE COOPERATIVE'S PURPOSE

 The proposed Community Enterprise Sustainable Living Cooperative will be an independent standalone community not-for-profit enterprise/s that fosters and facilitates discrete community initiatives devised to have sustainable outcomes. Likewise it is proposed that via advocating and promoting sustainable community development focused upon sustainable living projects it will be possible to address emerging social issues.

The aim is to inspire, motivate and influence people across the community, the private corporate sector and in government – Federal, State & Local – to not only become involved in creating sustainable communities but also engage with the sustainability concept in a community context.

OBJECTIVES

The proposed Sustainability Cooperative would have the following objectives:

1. To be a centre facilitating education, training and research in sustainable ecological and economic strategies in a 21st Century urban and periurban context;

2. To be a network that is rhizomeic in nature rather than hierarchical around which discrete not-for-profit community projects and sustainablity enterprises may be auspiced, facilitated or supported as the need arises;

3. To generate an income stream/s and win financial support from funding agencies and corporate sponsors to enable the employment of appropriately skilled people to carry forward approved sustainable community based projects and sustainablity enterprises;

4. To be a demonstration enterprise for sustainable design and living at a community level;

5. To demonstrate in practical ways the options individuals, households, businesses and community groups have available to them in regard to sustainable design and innovation relevant to living in an urban cum periurban environment; •

6. To facilitate community social networks that support discrete projects designed to promote sustainable urban and periurban living situations; .

7. To collaborate with community based designers, artists, manufacturers and others plus cultural development groups and organisations towards initiating projects that interface with projects that promote and advance sustainable living and sustainablity enterprises;

8. To provide training opportunities for individuals and groups on an identified needs basis;

9. To win sponsorships and funding for the initiation and demonstration of sustainable design and planning for community development projects and sustainablity enterprises;

10. To be proactive in promoting, facilitating and where appropriate delivering, sustainable community projects and enterprises via community forums, workshops, short courses and training programs;

11. To build a network of interactive community organisations thus building upon, and investing in the development of, the Tamar Valley's social capital.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

BACKGROUND RATIONALE

Sustainability is a much abused and elastic term as is 'community'. At least provisionally ‘community’ should be taken to mean a group of people that see themselves as having some kind of network links or connections. Community sustainability requires a dynamic approach to defining the places, the cultural landscapes, communities belong to and developing people’s understandings of their community and the place they shape and make by living in them.

The 21st Century has visited dynamic change upon most urban and periurban based communities. What seemed acceptable and rational a decade or so ago is often no longer so. Individuals and their community networks need opportunities to gain information, acquire new skills and test new ideas. These things are needed not only to better cope with the current pace of change but also to be better prepared for those that are to come. Typically the efficient and effective way to do that is collaboratively and cooperatively.

In order to engage with disparate community networks it will be necessary to have 'a centre', a focal point:

·       From which a community sustainability cooperative enterprise can be organised, made visible and be accessible; and

·       Around which discreet community sustainability projects and enterprises may be initiated auspiced, facilitated and supported.

Without this kind of centre it is ever likely that both individuals and groups may flounder and confront stress while attempting to meet the challenges of dealing with many of the sustainability issues they currently facing and are likely to face at some level into the future.

An early project initiatives might well be in the area of energy generation and resource recovery. Given the growing numbers of underemployed and unemployed people such initives that provide income opportunities for these people is likely to be a high priority for any sustainability coopertive evolving in the Tamar region in a time approaching the end of the century's second decade.

FUNDING

Government at all levels, and corporations large and small, are increasingly being made aware of the need to sustainably manage resources and engage communities in strategies that promote and facilitate sustainable community development. Given this they are offering financial and in-kind support for initiatives that are directed towards that end in general, research and development plus specific outcomes in particular. In order to win this funding community groups need to present a professional approach to accountability, service delivery and program facilitation.

Furthermore, 'the enterprise' will need to not only have, but also actively seek, income generating opportunities. While much of its seed funding may well come from public agencies and private philanthropic sector funding and sponsorship, the enterprise's future will depend upon it generating an income stream in order to sustain its own development and deliver the social and cultural dividends it will be designed to do.

An appropriately structured 'umbrella' communitycooperative enterprise will have a better chance of winning government, corporate and philanthropic support, as well as generating an income stream, than either individuals and small groups with limited resources, and working in isolation, are likely to.

Given governments' imperative to reduce debt any cooperative evolving out the initiative is likely to initiate Crowdfunding Projects to win the seed funding required.

COMMUNITY CONTEXT

To be successful in persuading communities that some of the options being promoted are indeed viable, options for dealing with resource and energy management will need to be demonstrated in practical ways – and in a community context. Access to tangible real world exemplars that relate to people's 'real life' household situations will always be more convincing than their 'abstract' esoteric alternatives. Also, at a local level these exemplars will most likely need adjustment to meet the local urban cum periurban situation – local constraints and local opportunities. Having access to such exemplars will bring with it many advantages and likewise possibly open up some unexpected opportunities.

Given that in the initial phases the cooperative will not have had the opportunity to amass funding reserves it will need to be proactive in winning sponsorship support from the region's corporate sector and local government – plus State and Federal Govt. where appropriate. This support will need to be for defined projects designed to deliver specific outcomes that clearly benefit the sponsor/s in some way – in both tangible and intangible ways.

As a community oriented sustainability enterprise, the cooperative is likely to be dependent upon this kind of sponsorship in order to build a foundation upon which it may begin to develop alternative self  sustaining income generating projects. Once established the enterprise will need to be developing an income steam from its own enterprise in addition to realising public and privately funded projects – research and other – while delivering appropriate dividends – financial, social and cultural.

A key income opportunity for the cooperative enterprise is likely to be via service delivery of some kind. An obvious service will be the delivery of education and training programs via workshops and project specific short courses. While this will not be a lucrative income source it will need to be able to recover costs either via fees and charges or subsidies and sponsorships.

COMMUNITY SOCIAL ACTION AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Community based cultural development groups and organisations offer ways for the cooperative enterprise to engage with the wider community. There will be mutual beneficial opportunities for the cooperative to initiate and work collaboratively with community cultural development groups on projects that interface with projects that promote and advance sustainable living.
Ultimately, in meeting community needs that are largely unmet by either government or business the cooperative enterprise will occupy a niche that needs to be filled. If it operates in such a way as to:

·          Meet unmet demand;

·          Prove the sustainability and viability of a project, product or service;

·          Deliver the product or provide the service at least in an interim way;

·          Facilitate the provision of the product or service in the longer term;

the cooperative will be delivering a substantial community benefit. However, possibly the most important community benefit that the cooperative is likely to deliver is an investment in the region's social capital while building upon its social networks towards achieving more sustainable community outcomes.

TACTICS AND STRATEGIES

BASE STRATEGY

Like any enterprise that involves something more than a very small group of self interested people the enterprise being flagged here needs to be formalised to have any chance at all of realising its aspirations . Given that the projection is for a not-for-profit enterprise, it would seem that there are two options via which it might be formalised – both having inherent restrictions and advantages. Becoming an incorporated body – association, society, club – has its advantages and it is possible that it could meet many of the objectives set out. 

Nonetheless, incorporated bodies are often inhibited in becoming active enterprises in the way cooperative societies typically are.

Given that this is an ambitious project the enterprise needs to be able to raise funds from a wide variety of sources. It would seem that a cooperative society would be best placed to raise the funds needed albeit that the ultimate outcome may well be an incorporated body delivering one part of desired outcomes and a cooperative society another set of outcomes.

In any event the 'central body' will need to be networked with a range of community groups in order to have the best chance of success. Furthermore, the group needs to be formed and there will need to be wide ranging community consultation and participation. This aspect of the proposal needs a facilitator prepared to be proactive in promoting the proposal – Coummunity Working Group, community organisation, project group, Steering Committee.

As a first step an informal Working Group or Steering Committee needs to be established under the Chairmanship of a proactive supporter with up to six self nominating supporters who will:

• invite potential supporters to community meetings and information forums;
• establish focus groups and working parties;
• generally market the proposal via the press, community networks, newsletters, websites, etc.

FUNDING STRATEGIES

Either itself or via a subgroup, it is proposed that the Steering Committee research government and corporate funding options via grants, loans and in-kind sponsorships. In addition this group may also explore the options available for community members to contribute to, or invest in, the enterprise. In the short term this group may need to be auspiced by either an incorporated community group able to hold funds on the enterprise's behalf and be accountable. Nonetheless, the first step will be for 'the community' to reach some kind of consensus in regard to which the incorporation model for the proposal will be advanced.

STRATEGIES IN A COMMUNITY CONTEXT

It is proposed that:

• At the same time as a Steering Committee being formed project groups can also start to build the networks the umbrella cooperative will either service or facilitate. It is anticipated that these groups will generally be project focused – community energy generation network, community garden group/s, community orchards, networked food gardens, recycling and resource recovery networks, opportunity shops, training groups, men's sheds, etc.

• Given that there is a significant number of people in the community required to be engaged in volunteer activities it is proposed that linked to the umbrella cooperative there will be project groups that will facilitate their volunteering obligations and provide training and skills development when and where appropriate.

• Social networking groups such as food cooperatives, landcare groups, etc. become affiliates.

COMMUNITY SOCIAL ACTION AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES 

Typically community cultural development groups operate in isolation from each other and often lack access to many of the facilities the aspire to have access to. It is proposed that the umbrella cooperative proactively engage the region's cultural networks towards providing mutual benefits the wider cooperative network as well as individuals and groups within cultural networks. .

Such an opportunity may well be a sustainability forum or conference where the cooperative network/s might come together for the mutual benefit of the wider community by the delivery of social and cultural dividends – and possibly provide income opportunities for makers and others in the Tamar region.