A complex educational programme conducted under the pressurised conditions of an election or within the constraints imposed by a national civic education programme is best conducted by a multidisciplinary team of educators. A good understanding must develop between team members. This section covers team diversity, liaison with other stakeholders, and team-building exercises.
Importance of Establishing and Developing a Team
Establishing such a team needs to be done very early. It may even be the first task undertaken by an organisation or by the election management body.
Once such a team is in place, attention has to be given to team development. The educator team is going to operate in a milieu where the roles and responsibilities are negotiated on a regular basis, and where the interaction between any one member of the core team and those engaged in the networks and organisation implementing the programme is crucial.
With time so important, it is not possible for the education team to wait for the one person who can provide an answer, or to have a meeting at which a policy can be derived, before making a decision. It is essential for team members to understand the programme strategy and objectives.
Educator teams are likely to be composed of members who have not previously worked together. They may have collaborated before but are likely to come from different organisation or backgrounds. Early intensive work is therefore required to get everybody on board.
Those establishing the team may feel they can shortcut this process by selecting a homogenous team, but this is short-sighted Diversity
An intentionally diverse team brings with it a range of programme advantages.
First, diversity brings with it different skills and experiences, essential components of a multifaceted programme. This type of diversity also ensures that, if controversy is managed constructively, team members play off one another and increase the creativity of the programme.
Second, diversity brings access to different communities, whether because of language, background, or work experience. Such access, whether just in understanding of a particular learning community or in actual entry into the community, is essential in a programme where trust, credibility, and legitimacy are so important.
And finally, diversity brings public acceptance and recognition. There are few countries that are homogenous. Their heterogeneity can and should be reflected in an educator team. Even in apparently homogenous countries there are questions of class, gender, and geography that should be considered.
An educator team that is consciously diverse provides an image of the society which the education programme is promoting.
Liaison
There is one area where there has to be some agreed specialisation and where the team will want to develop considerable trust in one another. This is the area of liaison with other organisation or levels within the organisation that has been created for the purpose of the programme. In such roles, continuity is essential.
As a result of this continuity, it can be that a single person ends up as spokesperson for the team, or makes decisions on behalf of the team. Where there are low levels of trust or bad communication within the team, this can become a hindrance to a full, effective programme and may result in the team spending too much time in dealing with interpersonal dynamics.
Team-Building Exercises
There is a range of team building exercises which are appropriate for the development of educator teams. Exercises should concentrate on the following:
- ensuring that all team members have a common understanding of the mandate and educational objectives of the programme
- a good understanding of the styles of other team members and of their strengths and weaknesses
- a commitment to assisting one another in attending to these weaknesses and to personal development during the duration of the programme
- clarity about general administration and organisational procedures
