Producers Organizations (POs) Indicators and Descriptions
Global Theme
Core Element
PO basic profiles
General
Information
Location and community
characteristics
Membership
Membership and
Organizational Structure
Indicator
Description
Respondents' information
Information on respondent(s) name, sex, age, education level, position in the PO; Basic contact info (phone number, email)
Basic PO information
Official name of the PO (as specified in the registration certificate if registered), common name of PO (if different); Physical address, phone
number, website
Establishment history
Information on year of establishment, who initiated the PO (e.g., producers themselves, NGO, government, private firms) and type of support if it
was initiated by external partners (e.g., start-up capital, working space, physical equipment, technical)
Type of PO by purpose
Identify main functions of PO: Processing, storage, marketing, inputs, credit, other farmer services, etc. Changes that have occurred in the PO main
focus over last 5 years (i.e. functions no longer covered, new functions)
Affiliation
Major affiliations the PO has to other organizations (NGO, businesses, projects, other PO) and whether each is partner, supporter, buyer, or
umbrella group; Purpose of each affiliation
Country, region, district, and village name
Name of the country, region, district and villages where the PO where currently operates
Distance to market
Distance from PO office/HQ to nearest town measured as average time to get there via usual means of transportation
Distance to infrastructure
Distance from PO office/HQ to nearest all-season road (gravel, tarmac, etc.); PO distance to main storage or processing facilities
Land tenure
Structure of land tenure in the community and among PO members
Landholding/farm size (hectares) and common
community crops
Range and median average of land area cultivated by local farmers (e.g., 2 to 20 ha. with 5 ha. median); Major crops grown by local farmers
Location
GIS latitude-longitude coordinates of the main operations office or facilities
Membership size
Total number of registered members at the time of establishment and at time of survey
Number and proportion of female members
Number and percentage of female members during establishment and at time of survey
Number of members by age category
Number of members by age categories
Entrance and membership fee
Amount of entrance and membership fee: monetary fee, contribution of produce (i.e. sack of coffee)
Level of member participation
Level of participation measured by percentage of members who regularly: attend meetings, pay membership fees, make use of the services
provided by the PO (e.g., percentage who regularly sell their output through PO, attend trainings)
Member turnover
Number of members who leave and who enter the PO during the year(s) under consideration
Land size cultivated by members and crops
Range and median average of land area cultivated by PO members (e.g., 2 to 20 ha. with 5 ha. median); Major crops grown by members
Board or management appointment
Process of management/board appointment (e.g., by members, external bodies), including appointment criteria and duration of appointment
Employment
Number of full-time and part-time employees in the PO; Number of female staff and age of staff
Voting rules and decision process
What is the decision making process (e.g. based on ‘one person one vote’, on shares, tenure, volume sold to PO, etc.)
Bylaws
Producer members' participation in internal regulations that govern the PO; PO policies to promote gender and youth inclusivity through
membership, election of BOD and management; PO policies that advocate for environmental protection
Business plan
Participation of members, BOD and management in Business Plan development -- Does the business plan detail mission of PO, roles and
responsibilities of the organizational structure, description of services, and projections of revenues?; Does the BP contain language that explicitly
describes the PO as a “sustainable” or a “social enterprise” and does the strategy of the PO reflect elements of gender inclusivity, environmental
protection, community development and financial sustainability?
Legal status
Official legal registration (i..e cooperative, association, business) and specifc obligations associated with status
Organizational Chart of Roles and Responsibilities
Key personnel in place with coherent job descriptions and clear chain of reporting relationships between management, BOD and members; Any
positions/roles that the PO does not have filled (or outsourced) which are critical (i.e. bookkeeper/accountant, credit manager, other specific
technical roles etc.)
Performance goals for organization
Management has established annual goals (to reduce costs, increase sales, improve membership, etc.). Goals are reflected in operations plans for
departments and annual plan
Professional development
Does the staff have the right skillset to achieve the goals of their roles? Is a workplan to achieve objectives established with all employees and
BOD, with a plan to improve staff and BOD weaknesses?
Human resource management
Recruiting policies, employee benefits, policies for equal opportunity employment; What is the process for hiring? How are staff evaluated? What
is the termination policy?
Staff turnover
Number of staff members that have left in the past and current year. Is there a common complaint?
Staff participation
Simple approaches are implemented to involve people throughout the organization to participate in planning activities and identify continual
improvement opportunities(i.e. Monthly meetings)
Member management
A process is in place to ensure the needs and expectations of PO members are clearly defined and addressed. Outreach efforts to attract new
members and deepen relationships with existing members
Resource management
Resources to meet objectives are identified and plans to attain and use resources are developed by managers - Resources may include people,
partners, vehicles, processing equipment and infrastructure
Annual plan
Annual plan developed through a participatory process with management and BOD -- Annual plan is in line with budget
Accounting systems
Standard book keeping processes and accounting manuals in place. Existence of basic books of accounts (i.e. chart of accounts, ledger).
Automated accounting systems that generate financial statements (income statement, balance sheet, statement of change in
members'/shareholders' equity, cash flow statement). Are assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses properly categorized in the financial
statements and do they reflect reality?
Budgeting
Financial resources to meet objectives are identified, with timing and usage of financial resources allocated and reconciled monthly - Involvement
of departmental managers in development of annual budget and monthly reviews
Information management
Are key documents, farmer records and information saved in a secure location and can files be shared/easily accessed by key managers. Does the
PO have a website and is the website up to date? How is information backed up?
Credit management
Credit services provided to farmers is managed and monitored using standard credit portfolio management criteria. Credit from outside lenders to
PO for working capital is in line with monthly cash flows. Long term credit for infrastructure is justified through projected savings in expenses or
premiums generated through quality improvements
Risk management
Internal controls in place to track use of cash throughout the PO and ensure proper authorization for use of financial resources
Record keeping
Transparent record keeping between organization, farmers, lenders, and buyers. How are member records organized? Are farmer records
digitalized and updated? Does the PO have a functional internal control system for certification compliance? Does each member have a unique
identificatoin code? How is member information collected and consolidated (i.e. payments, training, certification, meetings etc)?
Technology
Use of computers, internet, mobile, radio or other technology for communication and access to information - How many computers does the PO
have and what are they used for? Is there internet access at the main office? Does the management regularly use email for correspondence? Is
their mobile network connectivity between PO branches? Does the PO use social media? Can the PO communicate to members via text?
Communication
Communication channels between BOD, Management and Members; Frequency and type of communication (e.g. Monthly regional meetings,
Quarterly BOD meetings, Annual General Body meeting with members etc.)
Audit
Existence of internal and/or external audits (financial, certification, tax, buyer) and availability/communication of audit report for BOD and
members. When was the last financial audit? When was the last certificatoin audit?
Organizational Structure
Management
Management and
Organizational Systems
Organizational systems
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Producers Organizations (POs) Indicators and Descriptions cont.
Quality control
A framework for verification of processes and products is in place and functioning as planned. This includes internal evaluations of the processes
as well as product quality verification at various stages of production/value addition.
Share capital and member equity
Contribution made by members of the PO (i.e. type + amount).
Loans/Credit (made to the PO)
Any loan/credit received in the name of the PO (i.e. type + amount). Number of financial institutions PO is in contact with; Has the PO been
rejected from a loan (and for what reason)? Can the PO fulfill basic loan requirements (e.g. financial statements with projected positive cash flow
(based on sales), assets that can be used as collateral)?; How does the PO identify potential lenders (i.e. private, government, social lenders) and
communicate with them?
Grant/donation/subsidies/project
Other types of outside funding received by the PO including in-kind support (i.e. type + amount).
Bank account
Existence of bank account in the name of the PO (i.e. type + amount).
Gross revenue/income
Total revenue and total target-crop revenue received during the year under consideration before any costs or deductions
Gross expense
Total expenses incurred during the year under consideration
Assets of the PO
The current estimated monetary value of main depreciable assets owned by the PO (e.g., buildings, equipment, vehicles)
Liability (debt and equity) of the PO
Amount of borrowings payable and duties or responsibilities that entail settlement by future use of the PO’s revenues
Net profit or loss of the PO
Profit status of the PO and amount of profit or loss
Dividend
Percentage of profit distributed as a dividend, amount of dividend distributed during the year(s) under consideration, minimum, average and
maximum amount received by member producers, and the criteria used for allocation of dividend (i.e., share capital, patronage, both share capital
and patronage)
Savings/Reserve fund
Funds kept aside from annual profit to capitalize funds or make-up for future potential losses
Taxes
Understanding local and national tax liabilities
PO focus crop(s)
Crop(s) mainly produced by the members of the PO (e.g. cotton, coffee, cacao, banana, honey)
Productivity
Average yield during the year under consideration by focus crops mainly handled by the PO, yield change over time and reasons for positive or
negative changes in yield (e.g., climate condition, farm management, technology);
Product quality
Quality of products by crop type; can be also measured in terms of rejected orders due to quality or premiums paid relating to quality grades;
measures/control mechanisms in place by the PO to ensure quality requirements of buyers
Input types
Type of agricultural inputs supplied by the PO, including divisible inputs (e.g., fertilizer, improved varieties, pesticides) and indivisible resources
(e.g., tractor, farm equipment, input application equipment, access to irrigation, water pipes or pumps)
Volume / amount of input
Volume supplied by input type for divisible inputs during the year(s) under consideration and number of beneficiaries for indivisible inputs
Mode of payment/selling
Information on whether the PO supplies agricultural inputs in cash or in credit; Partnership or affiliation with input supplier
Prices of inputs
Information on whether the PO sell inputs at subsidized price, at cost, or at a profit; also below, equal or above market prices, if at a profit
Training received by the PO
Current training or training program that has been recently completed. Training topics (e.g., business administration, strategic planning,
organizational development, good agricultural practices, quality control, organoleptic/testing, certification and standard implementation, risk
management, commercialization, adult literacy, etc.); hours of training; number of participants (and number of women);who provides the training
(e.g., buyers, Government, NGOs)
Training provided by the PO
Current training provided or training program that has been recently completed. Training provided by the PO (promoters or technicians) to
producers (e.g., good farming practices, application of agricultural inputs, post-harvest handling, certification), hours of training, number of
participants (and number of women); who covers the training costs (e.g., the PO itself or buyers, Government, NGOs)
Information services
Type of information channeled by the PO to its members (e.g., market, technology, weather, customer/user quality requirements); means of
communications (e.g., broadcasting, pamphlets, text)
Storage service (Type/quality and capacity of the
warehouse)
Information on whether the PO provide storage services; Type of storage (e.g., traditional or open storage, closed storage, climate controlled
warehouse) and the storage capacity in metric tons; information on whether the storage facility is sufficient to meet producers demand
Volume of product(s) stored, by product/crop type
Volume of products stored by product or crop type; A ITEMS: very tight control and accurate records; B ITEMS: less tightly controlled and good
records; C ITEMS: simplest controls possible and minimal records
Terms of use and fee
Terms and conditions for the use of storage by the PO’s members (e.g., own, lease) and terms and conditions for the use of the services by the
producers
Inventory management
Management of the inventories, with the primary objective of determining/controlling stock levels for processing or distribution; Balancing timing
of contract with buyers and capacity to source, store, process and deliver produce
Receipt /loan security system
Information whether the PO provides warehouse receipt system or loan security system for members/producers
Value addition services
If the PO is involved in processing, type of processing or value addition services provided by the PO (e.g., drying, cleaning, weighing, bagging,
shelling, roasting). If not, plans to start processing members' produce or reason why there are no plans
Income from processing
Profit retained out of processing and value addition activities
Total amount of credit
Total amount of credit provided for members during the year(s) under consideration (both in cash and value of inputs)
Requirements for receiving loans and credit
Requirements for receiving loans and credit
Number of borrowers
Numbers of producers who borrowed from the organization during the year(s) under consideration
Number of women borrowers
Numbers of female producers who borrowed from the organization during the year(s) under consideration
Loan size
Minimum, average, maximum loan size provided by the PO during the year(s) under consideration
Loan purpose
Main purposes of loans provided by the PO
Interest rate and fees
Average interest rate per annum on loans by loan types/terms; Formula for calculating interest rate and fees (does it cover the cost of loan
administration); What are the specific fees charged to borrowers?
Repayment/default rate
Repayment rates and default rates over the year(s) under consideration (as a percentage of total loans)
Source of credit fund and cost of credit
Information on the source of credit funds and interest rate per annum paid by the PO
Product type
The product type the organization mainly sold - if the focus crop was raw or in a form with value added
Quantity sold
The quantity sold during the year(s) by product type in metric ton and by crop (e.g., for coffee) and information on the reason for large/small
quantity sold.
PO’s buyers
Who are the main buyers of the PO (e.g., wholesalers, supermarkets, processers, exporters, local markets); How does the PO identify and
communicate with potential buyers? Does the PO have sales material and samples packaged professionally? Are there specific buyer
requirements that the PO is aware of? Has the PO had quality or order fulfillment problems in the past?
Value of marketed product(s)
Value of products marketed by the PO during the year under consideration in local currency
Means of collection/aggregation
PO provides collection of the products or members deliver their product(s) to the PO/buying station, or deliver through intermediaries
Average time taken from PO, to market
Average time of transit between the PO and market at which the PO sell its products (e.g., district market, regional market or export market)
Contract with buyers
Information on whether the PO has had contractual agreement with its buyers and type(s) of contract (e.g., spot contract, fixed price contract,
multi-year contract)
Determinants of price offered to producers by the
PO
The price offered by the PO at the time of collecting the members product(s) (i.e., lower, equal to, and higher than the market price -rationale if
lower and higher) and sources of information to determine price
Source(s) of finance
Financial
Sustainability
Financial Situation
Product(s)
Focus crop(s) productivity, product
quality
Agricultural inputs supply
Training and information
Storage/Warehousing
Services and Facilities
Value-addition/Processing
Credit provided to members
Marketing/Outputs commercialization
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Producers Organizations (POs) Indicators and Descriptions cont.
Certificates or Standards held
Type of certificate currently held by the PO (e.g., Fair Trade, Organic, UTZ Certified, Rainforest Alliance), number of producers certified, date of
certification and information on cost of certification. If not certified, reasons and future plans for certification
% of crop sold as certified
Proportion of crop(s) sold by the PO as certified.
Certificates or standards that were lost or lapsed in
Certificates or standard achieved that stopped over the last five years, reason for letting it lapse or having it cancelled
the last 5 years
Initiatives: Certification,
Standards, or Project
Impacts on trade, production, labor
conditions and business development
due to initiatives
Social
Community
Services
Type of certificate currently held
Economic
Impact on trade
Change on trade, like on traceability, sourcing, product flow, and use of trademarks
Impact on production
Change in production practices (e.g., environmentally friendly farming, integrated pest management, proper handling use of chemicals, waste
management, conservative farming practices)
Impact on labor conditions
Change in labor conditions (e.g., uniform treatment of labors, better employment, occupational safety and health, child protection)
Impact on business development and
infrastructure
New business and infrastructure funded out of the premium income
Supplying basic consumer goods
PO supplies basic consumer goods and transaction costs reduced from collective procurement
Infrastructure projects
Involvement of the PO in the construction of schools, health centers, water infrastructure, roads/other transportation, market, or electric facilities
Gender and human rights education
Involvement of the PO in women empowerment and human right educations
Policy advocacy and political affiliation
Involvement of the PO local politics; affiliation with a political organization
Market development
Actions by the PO that improve market access of producers in the community at large
Price stabilization
The role of PO in providing competitive prices for the focus crop
Technology adaptation
New technologies introduced through the PO since establishment
Awareness of conservation practices
Environmental conservation efforts or investments the PO realizes at the community level (e.g., water, soil conservation)
Awareness of waste management/recycling
PO provides training and awareness on waste management, recycling and preserving biodiversity
List of organizational challenges (open ended)
Major challenges faced by the PO at organizational level
Services requested by the PO
Assistance in market networking, access to financial services, specfic training, marketing support, legal, etc.
Environmental
PO Priorities
(Previously SWOT)
PO Priorities in the next 2 years
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