“Good governance practices in agricultural cooperatives – GGPAC”

We applied for the 'Good Governance Practices in Agricultural Cooperatives – GGPAC' project because it provided an ideal platform to address pressing needs within the agricultural cooperative sect...

Our collective objectives for implementing the project were to bring tangible improvements within agricultural cooperatives in Romania. Seamless integration of innovative practices and methods into the daily operations of these cooperatives was a primary goal, with a specific focus on enhancing organizational management, leadership, and internal financial management. Facilitating the exchange of good practices related to internal management was a key objective, as was the internationalization of management practices to encourage collaboration and common projects among cooperatives and organizations. Competence enhancement in agricultural cooperative management, along with an emphasis on subject knowledge in areas such as internal financial management and client orientation, was pursued to empower sector managers. Furthermore, the project aimed to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset and critical thinking among agriculture sector managers, promoting adaptability and innovation. Finally, we aimed to encourage the effective use of open and digital resources in strategic planning and internal management, embracing modern technologies for increased efficiency and sustainability. These objectives collectively represented our commitment.

The implementation of the 'Good Governance Practices in Agricultural Cooperatives – GGPAC' project unfolded over 24 months, starting on January 10, 2022, and involved various activities to achieve its objectives: 1. Transnational Meetings: - Four transnational meetings were conducted, one for each country involved in the project. - The initial meeting, held in Greece, facilitated the preparation and agreement of all activities, with Hellenic Agricultural Organization 'DIMITRA' managing logistics and administration. - The second meeting occurred in Estonia and aimed to conduct a midterm evaluation, analyze achievements, and adjust the plan for activities. - France hosted the third meeting, managed by Coop de France Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, focusing on setting up the agenda and learning objectives for the training event. - The final meeting in Romania focused on the final evaluation of the project, planning dissemination of results, and discussing future partnerships and projects. 2. Learning, Teaching, and Training (LTT) Activities: LTT activities were conducted to develop competences for cooperative managers, involving professional trainers and specialists from Greece, Estonia, France, and Romania. - The first LTT activity focused on 'RELATION MANAGEMENT IN AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES MANAGEMENT' and took place in Athens, Greece, involving 35 cooperative managers. - The second LTT activity centered on 'STRATEGIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND BUSINESS MARKETING IN AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES' in Tartu, Estonia, with 35 participants from multiple countries. - The third LTT activity concentrated on 'QUALITY AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE' in Lyon, France, with 40 cooperative managers participating. 3. Multiplier Event/Closing Conference: - A multiplier event was organized in Romania at the Ramada Plaza Hotel in Bucharest, gathering over 130 participants from various countries. - The event aimed to present project results, promote future international cooperation, and exchange experiences and strategies to promote good practices in agricultural cooperatives. Throughout the project, these activities were designed to enhance competences, foster international collaboration, and disseminate knowledge and outcomes related to good governance and management of agricultural cooperatives.

The 'Good governance practices in agricultural cooperatives – GGPAC' project yielded specific and tangible results across various dimensions. Leveraging the collective expertise of the partnering organizations with extensive experience in agricultural education and cooperative management, the outcomes and results included: • Improved organizational management, leadership, and internal management for all participating organizations, particularly agricultural cooperatives and their members. • Enhanced competences for staff members of partner organizations and institutions, providing insights into what is essential for a successful manager of an agricultural cooperative. • Development of a pro-active entrepreneurial mindset for staff members involved in project activities. • Good practices models related to cooperative management from French, Romanian, Greek, and Estonian partners, fostering the internationalization of good agricultural cooperative practices. • Acquisition of new knowledge in internal financial cooperative management, agricultural cooperative business, and client orientation management for all participants. • Improved their strategic thinking and gain new competences in teamwork and healthy relations within agricultural cooperatives. • Training cooperative managers on:  Improving their knowledge, skills, and abilities to achieve optimal results in their positions.  Developing an agricultural cooperative strategy.  Maximizing the use of international cooperative principles.  Understanding the attributions and responsibilities of a good manager of an agricultural cooperative.  How to develop and implement the strategy of an agricultural cooperative.  How investment opportunities are analyzed, approved, and implemented within agricultural cooperatives.  Development of toolkits, including:  Toolkit on Training Staff Members: Focus on Good governance strategy and cooperative efficient management.  Toolkit on Relationship Management: Covering types of relationships between cooperating members and the agricultural cooperative, teamwork, and community relations through the cooperative.  Guide with Type Documents: Offering model documents for the smooth functioning of cooperatives, including application form for membership, regulation of organization and functioning, job description form for managers, and contracts between cooperatives and members or third parties.  Case Studies highlighting agricultural cooperatives in participant countries. • Creation of open educational resources on strategic planning and internal management of agricultural cooperatives. • Development of a feedback booklet from cooperative managers, covering:  Lessons learned from the exchange of experiences.  The most important takeaways.  Personal rules for successful cooperatives in the short, medium, and long term.  Implementation plans based on acquired knowledge in their respective cooperatives. These concrete outputs and results collectively contributed to the overarching goals of the project, fostering positive change and improvement within the agricultural cooperative sector.