As implementation of the it@coops project is on its last year, the project stakeholders decided to hold its 5th it@coops Steering Committee Meeting in Nuremberg, Germany from 2-4 July 2007 with InWEnt as the host organization. Attended by 16 representatives from InWEnt (Capacity Building International, Germany), Asian Women in Co-operative Development Forum (AWCF), Credit Union League of Thailand, Ltd. (CULT), Forum for Indonesian Co-operatives Movement (FORMASI-Indonesia), and National Confederation of Cooperatives (NATCCO), the group was able evaluate the 3-year implementation of the it@coops project and come-up with a plan of action for the final activity that will showcase the gains of the IT Specialists and Trainers as well as that of their respective primary co-operatives.

The meeting started with the presentation of the Evaluation Results conducted by Mr. Benjamin Coester, InWEnt Consultant, from 19 April-2 June 2007 as he visited selected it@coops implementing co-operatives based in the Philippines, Thailand, and Indonesia. Some of the major achievements noted by Mr. Coester include:
1. expansion of the IT Training of Trainers (TOT) programme as the 2nd wave of trainers are already being trained (in addition to the existing/first batch of 60 IT Specialists)
2. integration of the IT training in the general training program (as manifested by majority of the implementing co-operatives)
3. noticeable support by the co-op leadership on the activities initiated and implemented by the IT Specialists
4. establishment of e-database
5. increase in the number of business development centers (BDCs) being set-up by AWCF umbrella organizations
6. increase in the demand for conducting IT trainings in co-operatives/non-government organizations (NGOs)

Taking the above-mentioned into consideration, the it@coops Steering Committee re-assessed their planned activities for 2007 and came up with their revised plan of action for the remaining months of the project. Armed with their sustainability plans and with InWEnt’s commitment of building and sustaining AWCF’s network of IT Specialists alumni, the three umbrella organizations pledged to continue implementing the it@coops project even after the end of its project cycle. Moreover, the Steering Committee also discussed future cooperation work as possible take-off points for the continuation of the it@coops project at the regional level.

As the meeting ended, the group was able to maximize their visit to Europe by having a Study Tour facilitated by the InWEnt staff. They were able to visit the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, the START Trade Fair in Nuremberg, and the Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen-Museum in Hamm/Sieg, a study tour that showcased the concept of co-operatives, information technology (IT), and entrepreneurship as it is being done in Germany.