On February 12-14, 2025, the Cooperative Development Authority (CDA) held a writeshop facilitated by the Legal Division at the Head Office to finalize the Revised Conciliation and Mediation Training Module, the CDA’s customized training curriculum that aims to equip cooperative officers and members with mediation and conciliation skills to strengthen cooperative conflict resolution mechanisms.
Cooperatives rely on collaboration, but conflicts are inevitable. Without proper resolution mechanisms, disputes can cause inefficiencies and financial losses. By training cooperative officers and members in mediation and conciliation, this program enhances self-governance and fosters a more harmonious cooperative environment.
The writeshop brought together the Department of Justice – Office for Alternative Dispute Resolution (DOJ-OADR) trained personnel and ADR advocates from the CDA Head Office and Regional Offices, a few of which also received specialized mediation training from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Together, these experts comprised the CDA Technical Working Group (TWG) responsible for the refinement of the 24-hour training curriculum which will cover conflict identification, mediation principles, communication techniques, ethical standards, and structured mediation processes.
This initiative supports the case prevention efforts of the CDA Legal Affairs Service under the Cooperative Quasi-Judicial Program. It also advances the long-term goal of establishing the CDA – Appropriate Dispute Resolution Center (CDA ADR Center), which will accredit facilitators, mediator-conciliators, and arbitrators to promote fair dispute resolution and capacity-building activities.
Once the CDA Board approves the revised training module, the CDA will roll out nationwide training sessions through its Regional Offices, ensuring that cooperatives can integrate these skills into their internal systems.
