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This document has been made available in electronic format
by the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)
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February, 1997
(Source: ICA in Asia and the Pacific -Annual Report 1996)

			Human Resource Development
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Focus of the Project
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The development objective of the Project - i.e. to contribute to 
realise member driven and community responsive co-operative 
movements of the Region in order to make them more efficient 
and sustainable - remained unchanged during the year. 
However, with the addition of the subject of research by the 
HRD Committee in June 1996, which has been ratified by the 
Regional Assembly, the focus of the Project widened to cover 
wide range of research activities. 

The Manpower
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With the increasing pressure on the manpower in the 
Regional Office, the Regional Advisor-HRD, has been 
transferred to the Consumer Co-operative Development 
Project in January, 1996 and was given additional charge 
of the HRD Project. Meanwhile, the Project Secretary 
attached to the HRD has been assigned to work for the 
Communication Department of the Head Office as well. 
The Regional Advisor, Consumer Co-operative Development, 
continued to work with the HRD activities, fulfilling the work 
plan to the schedule.

An attempt has been made to look into the future position 
of the HRD activity vis a vis the revised ICA structure. 
The Advisor prepared a working document on the 
subject for the discussion at the management level.

Enhancement of Member Participation in Co-operatives
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With the reduced resource allocations, this activity has been 
conducted in collaboration with the SCC/NCC Co-operative 
Development Project in Sri Lanka, where 60 facilitators were
trained  in two seminars. The facilitators have had follow 
up village seminars with the change agents projects, 
environmental groups and youth groups. Some 25 village 
level self help project are in operation at present. The 
training was based on the revised manual on Co-operative
Member Participation Methodology prepared by the 
HRD Advisor.

Another attempt has been made to obtain resources
for a Project on Leadership Development, but the 
Project has been shifted to Africa, based on the 
proposal made earlier by the HRD Advisor and a 
SCC consultant. The HRD Advisor, served as a 
facilitator for a project formulation workshop held in 
Kenya. Another request came from the NATCCO 
Philippines on which a design for a board manager 
relationship building programme has been prepared. 
However, the activity never materialised as there was 
a management change.

The Improvement of Co-operative Education and 
Training Systems
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The activity has been conducted in collaboration with 
the SCC/NCC Co-operative Development Project in 
Sri Lanka. An Education and Training Policy has been 
evolved which has now been forwarded to the government.


A new foundation training course for operational level 
co-operative employees has been designed with a group 
of curriculum designers trained by the Advisor. The 
course consists of 7 core training manuals and 11 optional 
competency training manuals. The course has been validated. 

The Project organized a Facilitators' Training Seminar with 
financial collaboration with the ILO/COOPNET Project. 
26 senior level co-operative trainers were trained in 
curriculum designing. The Seminar was held in December, 
1996 at Colombo. This activity was the first after 1983 
on the subject. The participants would undertake follow 
up designing work in their own institutions to improve 
the curriculum design technology for better co-operative 
business training. The HRD Project will publish the 
validated manual later. 

HRD Policy and Planning
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Not much has been achieved on the subject, but the Project 
has responded to various requests came from 5 countries 
for the validated manual on Personnel Policy for adaptation. 

As the Project cycle came to an end during the current 
year, a new attempt has been made to prepare a four 
year plan up to year 2000. The member organizations 
were consulted through a questionnaire for their needs, 
and the document has been finalised and submitted to 
the development partners.

Net Working
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The faculty exchange programme was in the agenda during 
the year. The operational details have been worked out and 
the first exchange programme between India and Sri Lanka 
was to implement. As the involved national training institution 
had a management change in India, the activity has been 
suspended. However, fresh attempts will be made during 
the next year.  The Project continued to send dispatches 
in the form of net work information on various 
developments in the HRD field. 7 such dispatches have been 
made to members.


Promotion of Co-operatives among Disadvantaged Groups
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There have been two target groups mentioned: youth 
and indigenous people. The contribution to youth has been 
basically through facilitation.  The HRD Advisor facilitated 
a Regional Youth Seminar in Philippines which has been 
organised by the NATCCO. In addition, the HRD Advisor 
provided consultancy services for the Project on Dis-
advantaged Youth in Sri Lanka, through training, designing 
programmes and monitoring of activities involving 3000 youth.

A survey format has been finalised to undertake a comprehensive 
regional study on youth participation in co-operatives, which 
will be undertaken during next year.

Research and Publications
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The HRD Project initiated a research study on the impact of 
open economic policies on the co-operative movement in 
Sri Lanka, which has been published. The Project continued 
to publish Asia Pacific Co-operative News during the year, 
which had 3 issues. The COOP Dialogue, the journal which 
had three issues has become popular among the readers 
and the demand has been increasing.

The annual Report for 1995 has been published with an 
improved lay out.

Collaboration with other Projects and Consultancy Work
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The HRD Advisor facilitated two strategy workshops for 
the Development Planning Project in Vietnam. 

The HRD Project continued to work with other projects 
in the field of training. The HRD Advisor facilitated one 
Sub- Regional Gender Sensitivity and Planning Workshop
and a Regional Gender Consultation.

The Project had collaboration with the ILO/COOPNET 
Project for one Regional activity during the year and 
provided communication services on Personnel Policy. 
The Project contributed to the ILO/COOPNET Evaluation 
at a workshop and discussion with the team.

The HRD Advisor continued to provide consultancy
services to the Swedish Co-operative Centre on their 
co-operative development projects. 

The Future
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With the decreasing external funding for the Project, the 
member organizations may have to provide more 
contributions and support funding, which, at the moment 
is increasing. Looking into the possibility of paid consultancy 
services too may generate income as well as development 
impact. The net working, facilitated by the Project too 
would bring more benefits for member organizations.