This tool helps self-development through creation of democratic economic organisations. It is through a self-organising approach that the poor obtain significant power to control their asset-base, promote economic democracy and retain economic surpluses. The tool details a range of different forms - association, trust, partnership, company and cooperative - which can be used to achieve these objectives. Two charts provide details of key features such as legal incorporation, governing instruments, ownership, regulation, asset and financial controls, meetings, management structures and winding-up. Guidance is provided as to which legal forms, if any, would be most appropriate to ensure self-organised enterprises remain controlled by the poor and therefore best serves their interests.

A summary card of this tool is available to download in four languages in PDF format:

English (40K) | French (40K) | Spanish (41K) | Portuguese (42K)

The complete tool is also available (PDF format):

English (265K, 36pp) | French (272K, 42pp) | Spanish (294K, 42pp) | Portuguese (272K )

Please cite this tool as:

Boyd, G. 2005. Mechanisms for organisation: that best serve the poor. Power tools series. Caledonia Centre for Social Development, Inverness, UK and International Institute for Environment and Development, London, UK.

For further information:

• For further information on organisational mechanisms that serve the poor look at www.caledonia.org.uk
• Contact: Graham Boyd, boyd@caledonia.org
• Doing it Differently - Networks of Community Agents http://www.caledonia.org.uk/networks/
• Participatory Strategic Planning for Community Enterprise http://www.caledonia.org.uk/a-albee-1994.htm
• Poverty Reduction and Decent Work Reference Manual http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/integration/ departme/national/prsp/download/prsrefmanual.pdf