Before I go off on a working holiday to Portugal for a couple of weeks, I want to bring you all up-to-date on developments with the Open Co-op. I've had several very useful discussions recently.

1. This morning I met with Nick Saltmarsh, who works for East Anglia Food Link and Eostre Organics and is in close touch with other local food initiatives such as Eat Anglia and Big Barn.

Our discussion had a lot of similarities to my earlier discussions with Jon Walker and Angela Espinosa, (who I told him about) about the practicalities of starting local food co-ops. There are clearly many initiatives around now promoting local food and organic food. What we would add is the community dimension: bring the consumers into the organisation so that they are more than just customers. Another important dimension that both Nick and Jon highlight is the need for an effective local distribution system. Diss, or perhaps more widely, East Anglia (including Cambridge) is looking very promising as a starting point for this because of all the organisations already here.

We talked about, as a starting point, getting an online discussion going with all the relevant people and organisations (which includes many of you) so that the organisational structure(?) we go for emerges from the people concerned. (See Food Co-op Proposal as a kick-off point for this discussion.) Initially we will build on what already exists rather than set up new systems.

We will put together a funding proposal for people to act as organisers/co-ordinators and to pay developers. One good prospect is the Esmee Fairburn foundation.

2. Software development: As the basis for the initial group development there are several good prospects. I have asked Jamie to help set up GroupServer on the Baldrick server at the OU, and we should soon have our new improved Tikiwiki set up on Damian's server. I am really hoping that both of these will be ready when I return from Portugal! Longer term there is the possibility of collaboration with Tav on Kollab and Plex.

As to the specific support for the local food trading and distribution, Richard Page is nearing completion of his software. I have had several good discussions with him about this. I am hoping that once we have our local food discussion group up and running we can examine his software and see how it could fit in.

3. Organisational development: I had a good meeting with James Moore and Rahul Handy last week in London. They have agreed to help me set up a financial control system and a temporary LLP agreement, while we wait for Chris Cook to develop a more innovative version that suits our needs better.

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Last Thursday, Oli, Josef and I went to see Stewart Wallis, who is the new Executive Director of NEF (and ex-Oxfam director). It was a very friendly, relaxed visit with lots of productive possibilities. Josef had useful chats with several of his old colleagues at NEF.

There are several NEF projects that we might collaborate on: Time Banks, BizzFizz, Local Alchemy for starters. It now looks like we need a set of existing groups that have a need for better communications tools, of the sort we could provide. These projects might provide them.

I'll be going back to NEF for one of their internal seminars on 24th Feb. to talk to David Boyle, and others to see if we can take this further.

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Last Friday, Oli, Josef and I went to Manchester to see Co-operatives UK and the Phone Co-op, and a very successful day it was too.

Our first visit was to Co-ops UK. We were scheduled to see Graham Mitchell, their marketing and communications man, but he was illl at the last minute and couldn't see us. Instead we saw John Butler, the Deputy Secretary: much higher up, but not so relevant. Still, we seemed to make a good impression, telling him about Open Source software. We must still see Graham Mitchell sometime, but it was a good opening.

Next we went to the Phone Co-op, to see Shaun Femsom, who heads their Internet division. It was very informal. We spent a couple of hours with him at a local pub. He is very bright and sharp, asked lots of difficult, penetrating questions, but listened carefully and sympathetically. He is an old hand, having started Poptel and was very much in tune with us.

He suggested that he would listen sympathetically to a proposal from us for jointly hosting the Open Groups on their server. I don't think we could have asked for more!

We had quite a good discussion on the train on the way back too. Someone (not me) suggested that the Open Groups concentrate more on offering blogs and wikis than on email and maillists. The more I think about that, the more I like it. Firstly, it sets us apart from the crowd of social networking software providers. Secondly, there is a lot of 'low hanging fruit' (to use Mamading's expression) there for the picking.

We can offer groups a blog for the whole group, and also for members or sub-groups. They can set up RSS links between them, and also for other similar groups, as well as the whole of the RSS world. Thus we have the start to a decentralised community.

We can offer wikis set up with a set of template pages they may use if they wish. These can include vision pages, working group pages, meeting support pages, etc. So with a trivial amount of development work, we can offer a basic organisational support system.

All of this needs to be supplemented with very good user guides, which will build into induction courses. We can also set up cross-group support discussions, to help link groups with each other and give them backup.

So, all looking very promising. Next stop, the New Economics Foundation on Thursday.

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Hello friends!
I wish you all a happy New Year! I hope it will be a productive and joyful year for us all individually, and one in which the Open Co-op really takes-off and become a significant initiative.

I have been going through a difficult few weeks. A close friend has died, with the funeral in a few days, and I've had a flu that I'm barely coming out of. But I'm hoping to re-connect with you all as soon as possible. I hope to see some of you at the Open Co-op meeting Josef called for Saturday in London.

I've been doing some hard thinking about the Open Co-op and how we should progress, as I know various of you are too. One conclusion I'm coming to is that we don't have to wait until we have developed 'our software' to get going. We can do a lot with existing social software already out there in use. This means that our emphasis can be as much on social development as on software development. (A special thanks to Josef for setting up Open Co-op groups on various systems.)

I would like to see a big push immediately to get the Open Co-op onto a solid organisational basis. We have let this slip for too long (as Oli, especially, has been telling us). I think the key to this is to get small working groups who commit to making progress on various areas, with one area being our constitution/partner agreement, others being the website, the Open Groups, Open Consumer Guides, funding, etc.

It would help me, personally, to know who has a serious commitment to the Open Co-op, that is, who expects to put regular amounts of their time and attention into it. I would like to see a page on the wiki where we list our commitments to the project. (A beginning to a personal partnership agreement from each of us?) If people could email me with this, I'll make a start to the page.

Looking forward to a good year and renewed contact.

Yours,
Gary

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This has been a dramatic week for me, not least because yesterday I went under the surgeon's knife for the third time this year. It was very minor, removal of a lipoma (fatty lump) on my arm, but it kept me off the computer all day!

Monday evening I went to a meeting of the Cambridge Open Co-op called by Gareth. It was a largely different group from the last meeting, mostly from his baby sitting circle. They seemed very impressed by my presentation of the Open Co-op, but weren't interested in setting up a food co-op, transport co-op, etc. What they wanted was communication facilities for their babysitting group.

Wednesday, I met Geoff Mulgan of the Institute for Community Studies, who I had hoped would be our patron, give us accomodation, etc. Didn't work. I ended up feeling like a postgraduate student who hadn't done his homework! I didn't have a clear sense of direction for the Open Co-op, partly because of the Cambridge meeting.

My strategy has been to lead by trying to set up the CSPs, hence my efforts in Cambridge and elsewhere. This hasn't been that popular with the rest of you, and is getting much less so with me too. But,....

Anyway, my upset with Geoff Mulgan was more than made up for by the meeting later that afternoon with Oli, Mamading, Josef and James. Two clear working projects came out of that. Oli will manage a group doing development on our website, and Mamading will manage the development of Open Groups: the open source answer to Yahoo groups.

I spent a largely sleepless night thinking about that, and now see it as the key to our strategic approach. I'll outline the strategy here, and then, separately, will write up the details of my view of the Open Groups.

First step is to create Open Groups as a communication system for groups who want to work co-operatively. It includes:

• Mailing lists (i.e. asynchronous discussion) viewable on browser or through client with a slick, friendly user interface.
  • With tools to promote collaboration and avoid information overload (using positive & negative ratings)
  • and a simple offers/wants system (as in Freecycle) just using the subject line.
• Chat (synchronous discussion). Perhaps IRC with a good user interface, and with log files on which ratings can be added, just as on the mailing list. (i.e. You can view only the important points, hiding the chatter if you want.)
• Other Yahoo group features such as calendar, file storage, photo storage
• A short online learning pack on how to use it effectively, including Netiquette skills, and a second pack for moderators (My personal project. I've done similar for OU students.)
• Advanced levels including project and organisational management tools.
  • decision making
  • task management
  • meeting support
• A version for groups who want to become Open Co-op partners including a Community Page with RSS newsfeeds.

The basic level is free, but we ask for donations. The other levels are not, but the charge is variable depending upon size and nature of group. At the partner level, the group has a partnership agreement with us, giving some contribution by them to the overall or local Open Co-op (ex. do ratings on local businesses in the Open Guides (once they appear), set up part or all of a local CSP, help with some development, or whatever is appropriate to their group).

So, the Open Groups have a business model. We should partner with the Phone Co-op and get funding from Co-ops Action. I'll get onto that immediately.

The Open Groups give us a membership, a constituency, and income, and the beginnings of groups who are learning about how to get a collaborative relationship to work effectively.

Second stage is to do the Open Guides. If we have a growing constituency, these become attractive to businesses, and can attract some payment for changing their entries. (So there is a business model, with income here too.) We have our own database, but accept entries from various sources: James Moore's, and organisations who can certify quality or environmental standards (Soil Association, Ethical Consumer, etc.) But this should not just be a guide to ethical businesses. Much too limiting, and condescending of us to the many ordinary businesses who act with integrity and honesty.

Third stage (but maybe in parallel with the second) is the Open Exchange, transactions and accounts. Here we collect a small transaction charge, so again there is a financial model.

So the CSPs emerge from these 3 stages, rather than have us start with them.

That's enough for now. :D

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I had lots of productive meetings last week.

In Bristol:
Met Ben Lane, who organises the Bristol Car Share scheme. It looks like a good model around which we could organise similar schemes elsewhere. It consists of a 3 way partnership between a community group, the local council and an ethical company that organises car sharing (smartmoves.com ). He will be part of an Open Co-op transport group, helping us to set up transport schemes as desired. He also suggested lots of useful other contacts.

Then went to see the Soil Association with Jon and Angela. We first had a tour of their offices, and met loads of their staff, doing projects relevant to us. Then we met Patrick Holden, the Director. He is totally on our wavelength and will support us with any collaborative projects we agree with his staff . The 'regional organic network' project Jon and Angela have been hatching seems to fill a hole in the Soil Association campaigns for local food, so is very promising.

Next, met Paul Pivcevic, a sustainability activist from Bradford upon Avon. He may help us to set up a CSP in Bradford, may help to organise a conference on sustainable, co-operative economy at the OU next year, and will help with materials on collaboration skills.

In London:
A useful, but rather shambolic meeting at Francesca's, featuring most of the usual suspects. James M. and Rahul were there, and we talked about progressing our Open Guides using their system. Mikael will be putting his efforts into the decision making side, mostly through his Nornia website. A new person, Amias Channer, who is a programmer, will help with development., together with Jamie McGuigan, Oli and Mamading. Chris Cook continues to pursue the transaction engine which we may end up using.

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I had some very useful meetings at the Open University yesterday. One was with Steven Potter, a long time transport researcher, who has agreed to advise us. He put me onto Ben Lane, in Bristol, who I will be seeing tomorrow.

Also, I spoke to Roger Spear, the head of the OU's Co-operatives Research Group.
We talked about the issues of effective organisation and democracy, and he recommends we go for a very decentralised approach, rather than an 'everyone decides everything' system. That way decision making is largely in the hands of the people responsible for it. But perhaps we can do some experiments on this, with different parts of the Open Co-op working differently. For example, perhaps the London CSP could be where we try a full, 'everyone decides everything through a delegated voting system'.

Roger is very busy, but will be available for general advice.

I'm off to Bristol today, where I will have a very full day:

• First I see Ben Lane, who is a transport expert, ex. Open University, to talk about car sharing and other similar schemes.
• Then I'll meet up with Jon and Angela Walker, in advance of a meeting with Patrick Holden of the Soil Association. We want to engage the Soil Association as a partner in developing the local organic food networks. (Or perhaps, join in with what they are doing.)
• Later I'll see Paul Pevcivic from Bradford upon Avon, who is involved in sustainability initiatives, LLPs and group facilitation.

So, I hope to have a lot to report when I meet many of you on Friday.

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With the submission of the Futurebuilders funding bid, I think we have really entered our next phase. Here is the strategy I propose:

1. More networking and partner building: This I see as principally me, Francesca and Josef from the core team, but Gareth will be organising another meeting in Cambridge, and looking for possible local funding. Norman Chipakupaku will be looking for Commonwealth partners. I am seeing Patrick Holden of the Soil Association with Jon & Angela in a few weeks time, and am working on appointments with various others (Malcolm Corbett, Colin Ball, Graham Mitchell, Geoff Mulgan, etc.).

2. Development of our tikiwiki to serve new partner groups: We need to become experts on our tikiwiki, Read the documentation, learn what it can do already, so we can offer facilities to relevant groups. Oli is our leader in this at present. We should draw upon Mose, Damian and the tikiwiki community.

Mikael: Perhaps as a little task for you, could you have a browse around lots of existing tikiwiki sites to see how they are set up and what facilities they use and feed this back to us?

I would like us to draw up a quick specification for further development of our site: a little more work on decision-making, support for group meetings, what is the best we can offer for group communication, news and discussion? Once we have this we may be able to do some of it ourselves, get a little more funding from the OU to pay Mose/Damian/other coders.

3. I understood our use of tikiwiki to be that it would be a way of getting groups in early, offering them facilities that serve their existing needs, and then enlist them in discussions of our later PlaNet designs.

4. Further development of the public/static pages of the website.

5 And of course, more funding bids. I am working on one with Jon and Angela, will chase the possiblity of one with 3-C co-op, am talking to Gareth about one in Cambridge. Maybe a medium sized one from Co-ops Action very soon. Josef, how about something to support a London CSP?

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I've been thinking hard about this. Here is what I think about some current possiibilities:

• Regional Organic Networks - looks like a good possibility of some small initial funding and some later moderate funding to progress this. See previous post.
• 3-C co-op. Anne Handley has been talking with me about a joint bid to Co-op Action, but more recently she hasn't been too encouraging. I'll chase her on this.
• I would like to explore a medium sized, short term bid to Co-op Action to explore ways in which the Open Co-op could support co-ops and other groups in the Cambridge area, as a spur to the Cambridge people, and a way of getting a CSP started.
• Big bids such as Future Builders - I really don't think we are ready for this yet, although we might be quite soon. Would you give £1.5M to a small group of people with an brand new LLP and bank account and no track record? I think a weak application might hurt our later chances and the word might get round. I would rather find a way of getting in touch with Future Builders to say we are developing a proposal, but don't yet think we are in a strong enough position and would like their advice.
• However, we could find ourselves in a very strong position with a combination of the following:
  • Official backing from the Open University. An offer to contribute portions of my time and perhaps Stephen Peake's. Maybe they handle the money (but I don't really like that idea!)
  • Backing from one or more of the people and groups we are currently about to meet with but haven't yet: Colin Ball, head of the Commonwealth Foundation, various staff from NEF, Patrick Holden from the Soil Association, Graham Mitchell from Co-ops UK, Malcolm Corbett from Community Broadband Network, people from the Phone Co-op.
  • Also the person Tom met from some prestigious community think tank who offered us premises.

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• I went up to Scarborough on Wednesday and met Jon and Angela for a meeting of the Research Committee of the Hull University Business School, which Angela chairs. Jon presented his ideas for a Regional Organic Network and I presented the Open Co-op and how the two would be linked.
• Jon and Angela have prepared a project proposal which they have presented to a meeting of Cybernetics North and have got feedback on it.
• Angela has had a meeting with Yorkshire Forward, a government local development agency, and discussed funding a first phase of the project. They were very encouraging. The first phase would be investigative. We would find and talk to a range of farmers, shops, distributors in the Yorkshire area to see what practical steps they would be interested in towards our vision of a co-ordinated system for local organic food. We talked about including a few thousand pounds in this proposal for us (Oli probably). We would provide some screen designs to help them to present the concept. We should think about what else we could contribute at this early stage. Perhaps some Tiki facilities, as per my last post.
• I've been in touch with Patrick Holden, director of the Soil Association, who I met at the World Future Council launch. He has invited me to come to Bristol to talk to him. Jon and Angela will come too. (Jon knows him.) We hope to get Soil Association support for the Regional Organic project and for the Open Co-op overall.

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