Solution 9: Cooperation

Cooperation could be the solution for a variety of organisational problems, all related to insufficiently qualitative or quantitative achievement of goals.

For instance:

• the own NGO wants to reach people in a specific area but has no distribution facility in that area. A possible partner does have that facility.
• the NGO wants to cover a bigger deal of a population of clients/consumers, but is too small, in terms of (wo)manpower, to succeed. Together with other organisations it might be feasible.
• the NGO can serve its target group in just one part of the problem chain. Cooperation with other organisations active in other parts of the problem chain may lead to full coverage of the problem.
• the NGO has a specific knowledge (f.i. in the domain of social work)  but lacks other knowledge, relevant to its target group (f.i. in the domain of legal advice). Cooperation with other organisation might optimise the offer to clients.

Cooperation can be successful if investment and outcome are proportional. The degree of cooperation, from incidental doing things together till merging with another organisation demands other kinds of investments.

SURPLUS VALUE

Cooperation should lead to surplus value. We discern surplus value in the common product (output) and surplus value in the process of cooperation itself for the cooperating parties (process).

output

• The surplus value in the output of an organisation can be defined only by this organisation. Telling the others how profitable cooperation is for them should be avoided.
• Surplus value in terms of the output is realised when the product is gaining by the cooperation in qualitative or quantitative sense. (For instance: more content, more depth, broader reach, more clients, cheaper etc.)
  Headword: enrichment of the product.

process

• Again: the surplus value in the process can be defined only by each of the  cooperating organisations for themselves.
• Surplus value in terms of the process is realised when the cooperating parties are gaining by the cooperation. (For instance: more mutual respect, strengthening of the own identity, more fun in the work, getting smarter etc.)
  Headword: enrichment of the own organisation.

OBSTACLES: power and disappointment.

• Dissimilarity of the cooperating organisations creates fear of dominance, fear of being eaten by the other party,  being thrown into the shade by the other party.
• A self image in terms of power or powerlessness and perception of the (attributed) power of the other can lead to a struggle for dominance.
• The combination of high expectations and small effects can lead to disappointment.

TYPES of COOPERATION:

• OCCASIONAL COOPERATION: when opportunity offers, when occasion arises
  (agreement on action goal, incidental overlap of both own interests)
• SUSTAINABLE COOPERATION (agreement on action strategy, bigger overlap of both own interests),
• MERGING (agreement on identity and philosophy, interwoven own interests)....

TYPES OF INVESTMENT:

1. For OCCASIONAL COOPERATION invest in agreements. Interests are partly touching: invest in agreements on input (costs) and profit, time table, go-no go decisions, (re)adjustments between times and final evaluation.
2. For SUSTAINABLE COOPERATION invest in attuning. Interests are partly parallel: invest in bringing in line both's working methods and ways of cooperation. Get to know the intentions on both sides.
3. For MERGING invest in sharing. Interests are partly coinciding: invest in partnership by sharing collective goals, mutual trust, partly substitution.