Table 6. Examples of Governance Committee Answers to Questions Asked by External Stakeholders at AGMs, by Level of Responsiveness .
| Question | Answer | Observation |
|---|---|---|
| Fully Responsive | ||
| You mentioned that you have registered as a cooperative. Who are the members to that cooperative? (Site D) | When registering, we register the GC as the executive for the Cooperative; however, the membership for the cooperative is the community. | Directly and clearly answered the question, providing detail about the role of GC as executive. |
| Are there responsibilities for the waiting mothers and their companion that we need to know? There are complaints that the mother is being given a lot of work. (Site H) | The MU’s role is to supervise the mothers while they are staying here. It is the responsibility of the waiting mothers and their companions to keep the place clean and ensure that they wash the beddings when they are discharged. | Clearly explained the responsibilities of the mothers and gave information about the role of MU staff. Could have promised to watch for trends/other complaints. |
| What made other headmen fail to honor their pledges [to support the MWH]? Were they reminded? How many failed to honor their pledges? (Site I) | 20 out of 34 headmen honored their pledges. Reminders were sent to those who have not honored their pledges, but to no avail. The Health Centre Committee was mandated to follow-up with the other headmen. | Answered the question, although GC did not know the motivations of the headmen. A follow-up action was identified involving the Health Centre Committee. |
| Mostly Responsive | ||
| What was the cost of building the agro-shop and tuck shop? [Answer: K2300]. Follow-up question: Is that the total amount? (Site G) | No, that only covers blocks and labour cost. The treasurer’ report has more details. Almost all building materials were donated by [the Project]. | The question was eventually answered, but the participant needed to ask a follow-up question to understand that the cost was only partial. |
| Is your job as a GC member voluntary? (Site C) | Yes, it is. | The answer might have explained others who are paid, eg, MU and/or IGA staff, or benefits GC members receive in-kind (training). |
| Are you making profit or loss at the hammer mill? (Site I) | Yes we are making profit, though we had. breakdown which led us to having more expenditures. | It is not entirely clear if the breakdown explains the size of profit, or if GC thinks hammer mill may not have a profit in the future. |
| Somewhat Responsive | ||
| It appears you recorded a decline in utilization [of the MWH] between December and January 2018. What could be the reason? (Site J) | Farming period could be the cause. | Answer gives a possible reason; however, explanation of the logical connection between farming and use of MWH would be helpful. GC could also mention normal variability in data. |
| How much money have you incurred in the losses? What is the rationale of proposing to increase the salaries of the workers when you are incurring losses? (Site H) | The workers have been working for a year and so we are proposing, like in any other organization, that there is a yearly increase. The increment is a way of motivating the workers – it is still a plan and it can be shot down. | Did not answer first part of question regarding losses. Did not show an understanding that funds must be available in order to raise salaries. |
| Your report said that the dip tank is leaking, what is the way forward? (Site C) | At the moment goats are being sprayed. | Answer explains the short-term solution to the problem, but does not explain how the problem will be resolved in future. |
| Not Responsive | ||
| How will the GC as a cooperative be reporting to PACRA? (Site C) | It is important to register with PACRA because we shall be selling goats in bulk. | Did not answer question about the type of reporting required. |
| Your report is confusing because it is mixing income and expenditure at the same time (Site B) | Yes, I have misplaced the original report. So this was hurriedly done for this meeting. | Did not explain steps that would be taken to find out the answer to the question. |
| The figures for the workers are not adding up. According to your figures, the workers are getting paid less than what you have reported (Site H) | This could have be a result of miscalculation. Kindly allow us more time to work on a new financial report. | Did not explain how the GC will share the new financial report with the community. |
Abbreviations: GC, Governance Committee; IGA, income generating activity; MU, management unit; MWH, maternity waiting home; PACRA, Patents and Companies Registration Agency; AGMs, annual general meetings.