Collaborative partnerships are the driving force behind the Cooperative Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy and Research (CLEAR) program at Global Communities. These partnerships enhance cooperative sector growth and advance economic prosperity by enabling cooperatives to pool resources, share knowledge, access broader markets and achieve economies of scale. Through collaboration, cooperatives can mitigate risks, foster innovation and enhance their competitiveness.

The CLEAR program, which is funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), recently hosted a learning forum that brought together program partners to reflect on milestones and adaptations, validating lessons stemming from their collective endeavors. Participants included the Council of Governors, State Department of Cooperatives and Cooperative Alliance of Kenya, among others.

The event aimed to review program achievements, validate lessons learned, assess data contributing to success, and offer recommendations for the Kenyan cooperatives sector. With CLEAR ending in December 2023, this event was part of planned learning initiatives to share insights and adaptations from the program. The objectives included reflecting on milestones, documenting lessons, identifying successful approaches and generating recommendations for program evaluation and sector support.

The learning forum led to the identification of effective strategies and constructive dialogues aimed at further elevating Kenya’s cooperative sector. During the forum, participants envisioned a strong cooperative sector positively influencing development sectors like health care and education. Critical weaknesses identified were weak governance, inadequate legal and policy frameworks, and insufficient skills in cooperative management. Recommendations included developing an action plan for critical recommendations and streamlining the cooperative registration process. Additionally, participants highlighted the need for a scale-up strategy and sustainability efforts for worker cooperatives.

CLEAR’s collaborations extend notably to learning institutions, exemplified by its partnership with Strathmore University, which culminated in the launch of an executive program on Public Policy Making Process (PPMP). This initiative has benefited county cooperative officials and stakeholders alike by improving their understanding and skills in cooperatives policy. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Cooperative University of Kenya and Democracy at Work Institute, CLEAR launched the Worker Cooperative Business curriculum that has enriched educators’ and students’ understanding of worker cooperative management.

In tandem, partnerships with county and national governments, the State Department of Cooperatives and the Council of Governors has yielded a comprehensive framework for county cooperative policies and regulations. Through this collaborative effort, 21 counties have partnered with Global Communities through legislative drafting workshops and have successfully revised their bills in accordance with the updated constitution.

During the learning forum, CLEAR documented participants’ reflections and the program’s achievements in this short video. To delve deeper into the impact of these partnerships, Acting Chief of Party Ashley Holst shares how CLEAR’s collaborative efforts have magnified the influence of cooperative development work in Kenya.

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Kenya’s devolved system of governance has provided the country with an opportunity to implement grassroots-led development programs but also revealed technical gaps at the county government level, particularly in the area of public policy formulation and implementation. More specifically, the cooperatives policy and legislative reform process to align with the provisions of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 has been slower than other devolved sectors, despite efforts by development partners to support this process. Although cooperatives have found a way to navigate the regulatory barriers and continue their operations, the need for a more harmonized approach to policy reforms is crucial to minimizing disruptions for the businesses.

Following consultations with relevant government institutions, Global Communities’ Cooperative Development Program – Cooperative Leadership Engagement Advocacy and Research (CLEAR), funded by USAID — developed a baseline survey to determine technical gaps that existed and to establish demand for the program’s intervention within its mandate. The survey sought to better understand the status and levels of policy formulation skills as well as the county officer role in creating a business environment where cooperatives can thrive.

A total of 33 counties participated in the survey and findings revealed a significant gap in stakeholder engagement, policy development and drafting skills. Survey results also led to the development of the Executive Public Policy Making Process (PPMP) training, in collaboration with Strathmore University Business School, to enhance the capacity of public policymakers and implementers in Kenya, especially those working in the cooperative sector.

County cooperative officers have shown tremendous enthusiasm in their participation in the virtual PPMP training. Despite internet connectivity challenges and competing priorities, 85% of the participants, on average, have reported increased understanding of the requirements of the devolved cooperative function as outlined in the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010.

Recognizing that the public policy process is not linear, the overall objective of the training is to build the capacity of county government officials and provide them with requisite skills to develop inclusive and enabling cooperative policies and legislation. Doing so also equips them to serve as trainers of trainers who can educate cooperative members on their right to actively participate in the policy process.

Cooperative members’ participation in the policymaking process supports the cooperative sector as a vehicle of resilience, especially through the COVID-19 pandemic, because members can contribute to the formulation of inclusive and sustainable policies that affect their businesses. This also presents an opportunity for cooperatives to be enlightened on regulations that sometimes unintentionally limit the development and growth of their businesses and, in turn, document their concerns to the local authority in an organized fashion. This is anchored on a robust public-private dialogue structure at national and county government levels.

Olga Oyier is the Kenya Country Team Lead and Policy & Legislative Affairs Specialist for Global Communities’ USAID-funded Cooperative Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy & Research (CLEAR) Program. She has been supporting the Government of Kenya towards the creation of an enabling policy and legislative environment for cooperatives and supporting the growth of the service/worker-owned cooperative model in Kenya. She successfully led the design, testing and implementation of the Executive Public Policy Making Process Training in collaboration with Strathmore Business School. Through her engagements, she supported the development of the Draft Cooperative Bill of 2021 and the Model County Cooperative Bill as championed by the State Department for Cooperatives and the Council of Governors respectively. Her experience in business regulatory reform spans over 10 years.

Maureen Gitau is a Policy & Legislative Affairs Officer for Global Communities’ Cooperative Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy & Research (CLEAR) Program. Among the CLEAR Program’s objectives are to support the devolution of cooperative government functions to the county level by developing county government-related policies and legislation. To encourage the devolution process, CLEAR facilitates policy dialogue between national and regional cooperative stakeholders in public, private, academic and development institutions.

Ms. Gitau received her Postgraduate Diploma in Law from the Kenya School of Law and her Bachelor of Law degree from Kenyatta University. She also holds Executive Certificates in Public Policy from Strathmore Business School and in Public Policy Making Process from the Kenya Institute for Public Policy and Research.

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One of the global victims of rising inequality and climate change is access to decent housing. Housing costs are increasing, while the supply is waning. In many countries, including Kenya, where the USAID Cooperative Development Program – Cooperative Leadership Engagement Advocacy and Research (CLEAR), is being implemented by Global Communities, land affordability and title challenges, extremely high interest rates, mass migration to big cities and poor infrastructure are also major barriers to home ownership.

These challenges drive many people to rent at high rates or to build homes and communities in informal settlements. Unfortunately, in Nairobi, these settlements rarely have access to water and electricity and are in constant danger of being demolished by the government. We also know that housing insecurity is directly linked to negative outcomes such as poor health, unemployment and lack of access to quality education, among others.

There are many possible solutions to addressing housing challenges globally, one of which Global Communities built the foundation of our work on: housing cooperatives. Housing cooperatives provide lower-cost housing, which shares costs and risks across members. In Kenya, housing cooperatives are a solution that also provides opportunities for members to slowly save and collectively purchase a large plot, which is cheaper and easier to procure than small lots and bulk purchase construction materials.

“Housing cooperatives provide more than just a roof over your head. They create community, allow members to have a say in the management of their home and, perhaps most importantly, provide members and their families a more physically and financially secure future.”

As a housing cooperative member myself, I know firsthand that having a democratic say in the management and policies creates a strong community and a shared interest in ensuring it is a safe and healthy place for all members. Residents are less at risk of predatory rental management and high-interest loans. Housing cooperatives, both in Washington, D.C., and Kenya, can also provide income-generating opportunities such as a cooperative store, rental units, or solar panels, which help to offset costs for everyone.

Global Communities was formerly the Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF) International and built much of its early international development notoriety working to strengthen housing cooperatives in Central America and Eastern Europe. In the early 90s, CHF helped to establish nearly 4,000 homes at 32 different sites in Poland – many of which are still thriving today. This program was particularly inspirational as it helped provide lower-cost housing to over 15,000 people as Poland transitioned to a democratic country. Prior to this, there was a lack of homes available and many of the families would not have been able to afford a home through a traditional ownership model. Since then, Global Communities has strengthened housing cooperatives around the world, including in the Philippines, South Africa, and now Kenya, to help more people afford safe homes and build strong cooperative communities. 

Over the last five years, Global Communities has re-engaged in the housing cooperative sector through the Cooperative Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy and Research (CLEAR) program funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development. The CLEAR program supports housing cooperatives by coaching them through the development of business plans, implementation of strong financial practices and training on membership and governance. 

Technical support from Global Communities helps ensure that the cooperatives can provide for their members and have sustainable solutions for long-term operational success.

Today, Global Communities is working with housing cooperatives in Kenya through the USAID Cooperative Development Program – CLEAR, which started in 2018. CLEAR is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Cooperative Development Program. Of CLEAR’s cohort, a few housing cooperatives are more established and provide stable housing for their members as well as steady income through renters and other small income-generating businesses. Two additional housing cooperatives formed in 2016 and 2019 and are in the process of member saving, purchasing plots and building units. Both are made up of members who currently live in informal settlements in Nairobi. These housing cooperatives are truly working to secure strong futures by helping individuals who are living with housing insecurity have a safe and reliable home. Moving to the housing cooperative will undoubtedly improve their household livelihood by providing reliable utilities and secure ownership of title, meaning they will never again be forcibly removed from their homes.

The CLEAR program supports these housing cooperatives by coaching them through the development of business plans, implementation of strong financial practices and training on membership and governance. Technical support from Global Communities helps ensure that the cooperatives can provide for their members and have sustainable solutions for long-term operational success. CLEAR does not provide financial support or direct involvement in procuring land or construction. Instead, the program helps empower members to use the cooperative model to provide for their futures collectively.

Housing cooperatives strengthen household livelihoods by creating more affordable housing, protecting property rights and providing security of tenure. Members, and often the wider community, also benefit from collective access to basic services like water and sanitation, which are important to health and livelihoods. Such utilities are often procured by the cooperative at a cheaper rate than individual owners. In some cases, housing cooperatives are providing members an opportunity to own land where they can live and grow their own food, something that would be impossible in rental units located in urban centers. Our Kenyan Housing Cooperative partners are also collectively purchasing building materials and construction services, leading to a more economical and environmentally-friendly construction process. The housing cooperative may also provide some financial services, including small loan interest loans.

While still a new and developing concept, I believe many of the cooperative benefits have further positive impacts on the climate such as bulk purchase of materials, prioritizing health and sanitation, and creating greenspace. Many housing cooperatives, including my own in Washington, D.C., are also taking action to prioritize the climate by incorporating solar panels or composting into their operations. We hope to see similar expansion in our partner cooperatives around the world.

Housing cooperatives provide more than just a roof over your head. They create community, allow members to have a say in the management of their home and, perhaps most importantly, provide members and their families a more physically and financially secure future. Over the last five years, Global Communities has re-engaged in the housing cooperative sector through the CLEAR program. While a nod to our long history, it is also a recognition of the opportunities for the cooperative model beyond agriculture to improve livelihoods, provide decent work (and homes), and support sustainable, locally-led development. As we move into the final year of CLEAR, we hope to support the Kenyan housing cooperatives to graduate into fully-fledged operations.

Ashley Holst is a Senior Technical Specialist of Cooperatives and Inclusive Businesses at Global Communities and supports the Cooperative Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy and Research (CLEAR) program in Kenya, along with supporting the overall cooperative technical area. She earned a master’s degree in International Development, specializing in Monitoring & Evaluation from American University in Washington, D.C., and an undergraduate degree in Sociology and International Political Science from Drury University in Springfield, Missouri.

This content is part of Future Forward, a thought leadership and storytelling series on how Global Communities is driving change to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures. To learn more, visit globalcommunities.org/futureforward.

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