Bogor Regency launches 'Inspiring Cooperatives' program

The Bogor Regency Government in West Java has officially launched the "Inspiring Cooperatives" program, an initiative designed to foster growth and learning within the local cooperative sector. This program aims to identify and designate successful cooperatives as mentors for others, creating a collaborative environment for development.

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What we want to encourage is how cooperatives can demonstrate good practices, carry out innovation, provide tangible benefits to members, and become an example that can be learned and developed by other cooperatives.

Iman Wahyu Budiana, Head of the Bogor Regency Cooperative and SME Service, explained that the program moves beyond traditional awards. The primary focus is on identifying cooperatives that demonstrate good practices, innovation, and provide tangible benefits to their members. The size of assets, turnover, or membership numbers are not the sole criteria for selection. Instead, the emphasis is on how cooperatives have shown resilience, transformed, solved problems, and delivered positive impacts.

"Cooperatives with limitations do not mean they cannot be an inspiration. Precisely how these cooperatives are able to rise, transform, solve problems, and provide benefits, that is what becomes an important part of the spirit of Inspiring Cooperatives," Budiana stated. This approach acknowledges that the journey and challenges faced by each cooperative are unique, and their ability to overcome these obstacles is a key measure of their success and potential to inspire.

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Cooperatives with limitations do not mean they cannot be an inspiration. Precisely how these cooperatives are able to rise, transform, solve problems, and provide benefits, that is what becomes an important part of the spirit of Inspiring Cooperatives.

Cooperatives recognized as "inspiring" will be tasked with sharing their experiences and best practices. They will serve as learning sites, provide guidance, and act as reference points for cooperatives that are growing or facing similar challenges. This knowledge-sharing mechanism is expected to strengthen the entire cooperative ecosystem in Bogor Regency, ensuring that successes are not isolated achievements but shared knowledge that benefits the wider community. The program involves a thorough selection process, including socialization, nomination, administrative review, substance assessment, field verification, and final presentations.

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The success of a cooperative should not only be seen from how big the cooperative is, but also how big the changes and benefits it is able to create. Therefore, inspiring cooperatives must be able to set an example and provide learning for others.