Role 21Admin & Commerce

Distribution & Lending

Recommended holders

Load rating

Season

Year-round

About this role

This is the collective's resource librarian — the person who knows where everything is, who has it, when it's coming back, and whether it's available. The role is small in formal labor terms; its cultural impact is large. Inequity in resource access (real or perceived) is one of the most corrosive forces in communal life.

Key processes

Tool and equipment library

Complete inventory of all shared tools, equipment, and vehicles. A checkout system for high-demand items: truck, tractor, hydraulic splitter, canning equipment, chainsaw. Members reserve in advance; conflicts resolved by documented priority rules.

Pantry and supply inventory

In coordination with Food Prep & Preservation (Role 06) and Procurement (Role 19), maintain the communal pantry inventory. Set drawdown rates and alert Procurement when any category reaches 6-week reserve.

Equity monitoring

Monitor patterns of resource use across family units. Flag persistent inequity to Governance through a structured, non-accusatory process.

Lending between collective and outside

A clear lending policy for what can be lent to neighbors, for how long, with what accountability.

Critical warnings

Equitable does not always mean equal. A family with six children legitimately uses more food than a couple. Account for household size.

Connects directly to

Needs Assessment & Procurement Finance & Accounting Governance & Planning

Good supplement pairings

Needs Assessment & Procurement (natural pair); Finance & Accounting; Communications & IT

Key insight

This role is often invisible until it breaks down. When it breaks down, the complaints are loud and corrosive.