As part of its new strategy, CHS Alliance is launching CHS Country Cooperatives, aiming to harness organisational capacity across the network to deliver safer and more accountable support to people and communities.
Why Country Cooperatives?
CHS Country Cooperatives will value member to member connection and collaboration, and context-specific learning which brings CHS closer to people and communities.
CHS Alliance’s strength is its global network of over 280 member organisations, committed to making aid more accountable, more effective and safer for people in situations of crisis and vulnerability, uniting around the collective framework of the CHS.
In these challenging times, it is more important than ever that collective efforts help build organisational capacities, and truly harness the knowledge and expertise our members bring, whilst driving a safer and more accountable aid system.
Purpose of Country Cooperatives
The CHS Country Cooperatives aim to bring together organisational capacity across the network to deliver quality, accountable and safe support to people and communities. These cooperatives aim to create inclusive spaces and practical mechanisms on the country level for members to:
1) learn together,
2) drive continuous improvement, and
3) forge stronger, purposeful partnerships
in order to deliver accountable, effective and safe assistance with and for people living in crisis.
How will they operate?
CHS Country Cooperatives will be comprised of representatives of member organisations operating in a given country. While member representatives are encouraged to connect with peers in these country level exchanges on a voluntary basis.
CHS Country Cooperatives will operate with autonomy, to tailor their activities to the specific quality and accountability needs of their context. For example, CHS Country Cooperatives may choose to:
- Establish partnerships around shared services and projects
- Identify a shared learning or training opportunity for a specific part of the CHS
- Share promising practices of member organisations for peer learning
- Conduct peer field visits to better understand the accountability mechanisms adopted by fellow member organisations.
- Partner with the Secretariat to conduct collective assessments with people experiencing crises
- Compare results from verification processes to identify the strengths and weaknesses across the group
- Partner with the Secretariat to initiate national-level efforts and advocacy to advance quality and accountability
Read the full concept note on CHS Country Cooperatives
How can I get involved?
All CHS Alliance members are invited to join the CHS Cooperatives in their countries and we are open to hearing from all organisations supporting people affected by crisis who are willing to work toward closing the accountability gap.
Could you lead the cooperative in your country?
We will need the leadership of members in country to help us move this bold initiative forward.
The Cooperative lead/co-leads will be responsible for key activities such a convening, hosting and chairing cooperative meetings on a frequency determined by the cooperative, identifying learning improvement and partnership opportunities, and liaising with the CHS Alliance Secretariat.
Criteria for lead/co-lead member organisations include:
- Capacity to appoint a focal point with facilitation skills who can dedicate up to 10 days per year for the coordination of the CHS Country Cooperative and connection with relevant stakeholders.
- Capacity to host face-to-face meetings in relevant locations in the country
Leadership support
Regular (e.g. quarterly) online meetings gathering the leads/co-leads will be organised by the CHS Alliance Secretariat to share experiences and learning.
Members of the Cooperatives will be invited to share experiences from their countries at regional and global events and the CHS Alliance Secretariat will provide updates on the actions of Cooperatives on the CHS Alliance website.
The CHS Alliance Secretariat team will provide CHS Country Cooperatives with the necessary coordination and technical support as requested by the Cooperative lead.
If your organisation is willing to lead or co-lead, please email us to express your interest, with responses to these three questions:
- Why are you interested in leading the country cooperative in your country?
- Can you appoint a focal point with facilitation skills, who can dedicate up to 10 days per year, for the coordination of the Country Cooperative and connection with relevant stakeholders?
- Can you confirm your organisation has the capacity to host face-to-face meetings in relevant locations in the country?
Read the full concept note on CHS Country Cooperatives
What are the next steps?
Join us for a launch of this initiative on 20 November 2025, 12:00 – 13:00 CET, online. Please register here.
For any questions or more information, please contact Bonaventure Sokpoh