Mandela MarketPlace & Foods Cooperative
Inquiry & Learning for Change was honored to work with Mandela MarketPlace and Mandela (Worker- and Community-Owned) Foods Cooperative on clarifying their Mission and Vision, and refining the ways that the two organizations work together to achieve that Mission. Moving from a powerful Mission to “work in partnership with local residents, family farmers, and community-based businesses to improve health, create wealth, and build assets through cooperative food enterprises in low income communities” to systems and structures to make that happen is hard work! In the process, we all discovered ways that their respective organizations could be better structured, with greater clarity of relationships between them, and the systems necessary for effectively delivering on their Mission. Included in that work was helping them take leadership and initiative in defining their roles and responsibilities, their work flows, clarify their decision-making processes, and refine their systems of communication and accountability.