Phase 2 of 5 - Organize

Let's bring people together

You don't need to convince the entire community at once. You need 5 to 10 committed people who become the engine of the initiative. Everything starts there.

The engine

The Steering Committee, step by step

Tap each step to see what to do.

  1. Look for people with these characteristics. They don't all need to have every trait, but among the 5 to 10 they should cover most:

    • The community leader: someone people respect and listen to. It could be the president of the JAC (Junta de Accion Comunal, community action board), a community leader, or a well-known teacher.
    • The organized one: someone who takes notes, keeps lists, remembers dates. This person will serve as secretary.
    • The person everyone trusts with numbers: someone who handles accounts without trouble. This person will serve as treasurer.
    • The communicator: someone active in the WhatsApp groups, who talks to everyone.
    • Someone with institutional connections: who knows people at the municipal government, the JAC, or SENA (the national vocational training service).

  2. At the first meeting of the group, assign four clear roles:

    • Coordinator: calls meetings, sets the pace.
    • Secretary: takes notes, sends summaries via WhatsApp.
    • Treasurer: will handle the first collections if any.
    • Communicator: spreads information in the community.

    Create a WhatsApp group exclusively for the Steering Committee, separate from the general community group.

  3. The first Steering Committee meeting lasts about 2 hours: welcome and purpose (15 min), basic explanation (30 min), open discussion (30 min), decision (15 min), role assignment (15 min), and next steps (15 min).

    The decision that matters is simple: "Do we agree to keep exploring this?" If there are doubts, agree to research more and meet again. Don't force a yes.

    Meet every 2 weeks. If more than 3 weeks pass without a meeting, the momentum is lost.

  4. Use every available channel; don't depend on just one:

    1. WhatsApp: the most effective channel in rural and urban Colombia.
    2. Word of mouth: the most powerful communication. Have each group member talk personally with their neighbors.
    3. Community notice board: a poster at the store, the church, the community hall.
    4. Loudspeaker: if available in the village, use it.
    5. Community radio: if there's a local station, ask for airtime.

    See the ready-to-copy messages below

  5. This is where the community hears the idea for the first time and decides whether to move forward. Prepare it well: confirm an accessible time and location (Sunday mornings or Saturday afternoons tend to work), print the registration sheet, and invite someone from CleantechHUB if possible.

    Prepare refreshments. Coffee, agua de panela (brown sugar water), some crackers. Food builds trust and closeness.

    See the meeting agenda below

Ready to copy

Three outreach messages

Tap "Copy," paste it into WhatsApp, and replace what's in brackets.

1 - WhatsApp invitation

For the JAC group, the school parents' group, neighborhood groups.

Neighbors: we're inviting you to an informational meeting about COMMUNITY SOLAR ENERGY. We're going to explain how our community can produce its own electricity, reduce the power bill by up to COP 150,000 per month, and become owners of a solar project.

Date: [DATE]
Time: [TIME]
Place: [LOCATION]

You don't need to know anything about solar panels. Just come, listen, and decide if you're interested.

Organized by: [STEERING COMMITTEE NAME]
More information: [NAME AND PHONE NUMBER OF COORDINATOR]

2 - Poster or flyer text

To print and post at the store, the church, or the community hall.

COMMUNITY MEETING
SOLAR ENERGY FOR OUR COMMUNITY

Did you know we can produce our own electricity?

With community solar panels you can:
- Save up to COP 150,000/month on your bill
- Own 30% of the project
- Create jobs in the community
- Use clean energy

Come find out how it works.
No technical knowledge needed.

DATE: _______________
TIME: _______________
PLACE: _______________

Bring your family. Energy belongs to everyone.

3 - Radio spot (30 seconds)

For the community radio station or the village loudspeaker.

Attention community of [NAME]: Tired of electricity bills that keep going up? Did you know your community can produce its own electricity with solar panels? We invite you to an informational meeting this [DAY] at [TIME] at [LOCATION]. Find out how it works, how much you can save, and how to become a co-owner of a clean energy project. Free entry. Organized by [STEERING COMMITTEE]. More information: call [NUMBER].

Key talking points for door-to-door visits

  1. "We're exploring the possibility of installing community solar panels."
  2. "Each family could save between COP 80,000 and COP 150,000 per month on the electricity bill."
  3. "You don't have to put up the money for the panels: financing is available."
  4. "All we ask is that you come to the informational meeting to learn the details."
  5. "It's on [DATE], at [TIME], at [LOCATION]."
The engine behind it all

Everything starts with a handful of neighbors

You don't need to convince the entire community at once. Five to ten committed people are enough to form the Steering Committee: they are the engine that gets the initiative moving.

The informational meeting

Build your agenda

Two hours, seven points. Check off what you have ready and copy the agenda to send to the group.

Suggested agenda (2 hours)

INFORMATIONAL MEETING -- COMMUNITY SOLAR ENERGY
Community of [NAME]
Date: [DATE]   Time: [TIME]   Place: [LOCATION]

1. Welcome (10 min)
   The Steering Committee coordinator welcomes everyone.
   "Thank you for coming. Today we're going to tell you about
   an opportunity that can change our community."

2. What is an energy cooperative? (20 min)
   Use the explanation from Phase 1 of the Playbook.
   Concrete example: "It's like the community store, but for energy."

3. Why does it make sense for us? (15 min)
   The numbers: monthly savings, 30% ownership, jobs.

4. How does it work? -- Step by step (15 min)
   Phase 1: We get organized
   Phase 2: We secure financing
   Phase 3: We install the panels
   Phase 4: We produce energy and receive benefits

5. Questions and answers (30 min)
   The most important moment. Let people ask everything.
   If you don't know something, say "I don't know, but I'll find out."

6. Who is interested? (15 min)
   Pass the registration sheet: name, phone, address.
   Clarify: "Signing is not a commitment. It's to keep you informed."

7. Next steps (15 min)
   "If there are at least 20 interested families, we'll organize
   a second meeting to start working in earnest."
   Set a tentative date. Thank everyone for attending.

Before the meeting

Community assessment

The 29 questions

An X-ray of your community. You don't need to hire anyone: the Steering Committee completes it with information it already has.

First, write down these three pieces of information

Questions 1 to 3 of the Playbook ask for data you write in, not choose from a list: 1. name of the community, village or neighborhood - 2. municipality - 3. department. Note them in the meeting minutes. The 26 remaining questions are answered here below.

The decision

Are we ready?

Ten criteria. You don't need to meet all of them, but those marked with * are essential.

How to interpret

  • 7 or more criteria met (including all * criteria): the community is ready. Move to the next step with confidence.
  • 5 or 6 criteria met (including all * criteria): you're on the right track. Work on strengthening the weak points before formalizing.
  • Fewer than 5, or missing any * criterion: it's not the right moment yet. That doesn't mean it never will be: it means more groundwork is needed.

If the answer is "not yet"

Don't get discouraged. Many successful communities needed several months of groundwork before they were ready. You can keep holding informational meetings to reach more families, strengthen the JAC or create a new association, visit a community that already has panels for inspiration, request support from CleantechHUB for a more detailed evaluation, or enroll in the training courses while you get organized.

If the answer is "yes, we're ready": it's time to make things official.

Got the people?

The next step is to give the organization a legal form, so you can sign contracts and receive financing.

Next: Formalize See all templates