Tree Topic Teams - changes and challenges

In late 2005 MS Tanzania introduced a new work structure based on a Topic Team Model (TTM). It was developed further during a workshop in July 2006, and the concept of grouping partners, programme officers (POs) and development workers (DWs) in three topic teams has now run for just over a year. The three people heading the topic teams were asked to look into the changes this has produced and the challenges they see for the future.

'This kind of work makes you think! It goes further than just regular office work,’ says Florida Henjewele, Head of Topic Team 3.

According to Maselle Maziku, Programme Officer and Head of Topic Team 1, the TTM was introduced to optimise the sharing of competences and experience, to involve more people, and to enhance transparency of decision-making and communication. He likes the new way of working which has broken with MS’ traditional work structure. But then again, some things have also proven to be challenges:

‘The balance between the different actors is sensitive: for instance we have not yet managed to adjust the TTM to the partnership approach. The two may be seen to run parallel. Also, we haven’t yet devised conflict mediation mechanisms in case a conflict arises within a team, and we still need to identify roles and responsibilities more clearly, or we will not achieve what we aimed at initially.’

Sharing improves our knowledge
Maselle's colleague, Andrew Mhina, Programme Officer and Head of Topic Team 2, agrees and adds: ‘I think the most important thing about the TTM is that it has given us a platform to share our experiences and competences. In this set-up, DWs are not confined to just one partner organisation, which means that more partners can benefit from their competences.’

Regarding the more challenging aspects of working in this way, Andrew explains that when you gather more people, more dynamics arise and you will have more opinions to deal with. He adds: ‘This way of working is somehow more time-consuming, especially as we are still in the process of learning. The fact that we have maintained the same approach to partners while changing the set-up for DWs and POs indicates a need for adjustment.’

We are not there yet
Florida Henjewele, Programme Officer and Head of Topic Team 3, has absolutely no doubt that she prefers this way of working: ‘This kind of work makes you think! It goes further than just regular office work, where I would sit at my desk and plan, monitor and evaluate on a regular basis. Here I am much more challenged and confronted.'

But, like her two colleagues, Florida also doesn’t hesitate to emphasise that the TTM has its shortcomings: ‘Everyone is still doing the work tasks they used to do, but at the same time we are implementing the TTM. Because it is still a learning process, we also spend a lot of time on the structure itself. New things take time, and although we are not there yet it would be good to test it properly before something new comes up.’

Huge potential
All three agree that the TTM has huge potential, but that it needs to be harmonised and that guidelines and terms of reference must be clearer and formalised, regarding, for example, the Country Programme Strategy (CPS) and the DWs’ job descriptions.

Finally, the POs point to the fact that the partners and DWs might have different viewpoints regarding the changes and challenges the TTM has brought about. The DWs will, however, have the chance to make their contribution as the TTM will be evaluated as part of the DW-Days on December 4 to 5, 2007.

Florida Henjewele caught in action during a workshop with UVIMTA in Njombe District.