The MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center held its 50th Co-op Leaders’ Congress at the SMX Convention Center, Davao City on April 27, 2019. The theme this year was, “Achieving our Vision through Innovation and Shared Services.” MASS-SPECC’s vision of “All Members Enjoy Better Quality of Life” puts individual members at the center of the co-op enterprise. This translates to well-being of not just some, but all members, and showcases how it’s no longer enough to use only financial indicators to measure growth and success.
At the MASS-SPECC Co-op Leaders’ Congress.
The day-long event saw presentations from Mr. Jayson Lo, Motivational Speaker, Consultant and Best-selling Author; Mr. Manuel Arboleda, Senior Consultant and Ms. Marie De Leon, Head, VisMin from Rosehall Consultants Management, Inc.; Ms. Jennifer Tantan, Former CEO and Treasurer, Megalink; Mr. Rene Tolentino, Vice President and Head of Marketing, Paramount Life and General Insurance Corp; Ms. Elma R. Oguis, CDA-DEO Regional Director; and Mr. Balasubramanian Iyer, Regional Director, International Cooperative Alliance Asia and Pacific. The presentations summarized by Mr. Romulo Villamin, Director, Institute of Cooperative Studies, MASS-SPECC Cooperative Development Center is given below:
Innovation is defined as doing things better to add VALUE to members in a way which is unique and compelling and meets the needs and circumstances of members. Adding value could take the form of better products & services (effective use of technology), better processes, and improved management systems. Cooperatives are ready for innovation if they have a clear vision and mission statement, make it part of organizational processes, bring it to members (experience real change), have leadership which is supportive and includes members and staff as part of the effort.
Shared services is defined as cooperatives working together and combining resources for greater effect which result in efficiencies (processes, cost savings), focuses on activities that support business goals, and delivers quality services. The critical success factors were - scope of work, service level agreements, governance structure, pricing, human resource provisions, and value proposition.
MASS-SPECC used the occasion to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Paramount Life and General Insurance Corp and launch the first of its Shared Services the “Yaman sa Kalusugan” Program – affordable health care services for its members, officers, and staff.
The ’Cooperatives Make A Better World’ video was shared at the forum with its core message being that a cooperative can achieve its VISION through innovation and shared services:
“… if cooperatives worked together”
“… if people were as important as the bottom line”
“… if we used US more than ME”
“… If we focused on connections”
“… if we focused on our communities”
“… if we focused on creating a movement”
