Staff members may also work in conjunction with cooperative development specialists in some of USDA Rural Development s State Offices around the Nation. Recent examples of rural cooperatives CS has helped form include a cooperative for rural women who produce handcrafted gift items, a vegetable growers cooperative which provides increased market access for its members, and a sea divers cooperative which harvests and processes sea urchins for export to Asia. Technical Assistance CS provides technical assistance to existing cooperatives facing specific problems or challenges. These matters are often crucial issues not only for a cooperative, but also for the rural communities in which they operate. CS can help improve a cooperative s business structure and operating efficiency by analyzing operations, assessing the economic feasibility of adding new facilities, new products or services.
Studies cover the full range of decisions facing cooperative businesses.
Technical assistance is largely designed to benefit a specific cooperative business or group. However, the results often provide business strategy for all cooperatives. Research CS conducts research to provide a knowledge base to help cooperatives deal with changing markets and business trends. Studies include financial, structural, managerial, policy, member governance, legal, and social issues, as well as various other economic activities of cooperatives. Research is designed to have direct application to current and emerging requirements of cooperatives.