The USAID Cooperative Development Program CLEAR Learning Agenda Summary

Global Communities’ USAID-funded Cooperative Development Program (CDP) CLEAR Learning Agenda was designed to generate substantial evidence on effective strategies to foster a conducive environment for cooperative development in Kenya. The Learning Agenda’s primary objective was to offer insights to guide decision-making in program implementation and pave the way for the strengthening of cooperative businesses. A valuable lesson learned from the development of the CLEAR Learning Agenda was the significance of collaborative and intentional efforts and involving the right teams, which proved instrumental in achieving transformative outcomes. This collaborative approach — coupled with buy-in and support from program leadership — promoted positive learning mindsets among the team, initiated a culture of learning through pause-and-reflect, and fostered collective ownership and accountability for continuous improvement across program activities.

The CLEAR Learning Agenda had three key questions focusing on enabling conditions for cooperative enterprise development, effective capacity-building interventions for supported cooperatives (particularly worker cooperatives), and methods to integrate gender mainstreaming and enhance women’s participation in cooperative business activities. Findings have been elaborated on in the attached summary document that is available for download.