For empowering technical field teams in humanitarian organisations

Field Team Impact Kit

As donor funding reduces,
we need to support technical field teams to do more with less

The Field Team Impact Kit (FieldTiK) is a low-cost, adaptable tool designed to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and wellbeing of technical field teams (such as water, sanitation, hygiene teams) within humanitarian organisations. It offers practical tools and guidance, with links to existing resources, to help teams strengthen and retain site-specific practice. It has been described as “a shortcut to 20 years’ team management experience” and ideal for local NGOs.

Stronger teams = Better outcomes

Challenges facing field teams

  • Tough environment

    More devolved decision-making
    (less ‘command-and-control’) than in other emergency services. Field teams operate semi-autonomously.

    Dual accountability
    to people affected by disaster and donors, generally under the leadership of government.

  • Insufficent support for team leaders

    No practical tools

    Team leaders learn from personal experience, not global knowledge sharing.

    Training focuses on individual soft skills, rather than practical guidance and tools for effective team functioning.

  • Lack of resources

    Finding practical relevant resources (on technical and/or cross-cutting issues, such as accountability and inclusion)
    can be difficult.

    Inadequate training, connected only loosely to change in practice.

  • Lack of useful systems at team level

    Teams lack the systems needed to
    adapt and continually improve,
    within and between emergencies,
    as part of a system-wide response.

  • Poor retention of knowledge

    within and between emergencies, due to

    • High turnover of team members

    • Poor team-based
      knowledge management

  • Insufficient support for team well-being

    Low energy and commitment.

    Poor staff retention.

FieldTiK: A practical,
step-by-step, bottom-up process

Actions:

A - Find your gaps | Use the team diagnostic to select the top 1–3 areas to work on

B - Fill your gaps | Follow the examples and resources to develop new team-specific practices

C - Review and improve | Use the reminders and templates to review every 1–3 months

What people are saying…

  • FieldTiK is "a shortcut to 20 years' experience of team management"

    -Humanitarian expert

  • "Local NGOs are probably one of the biggest customers"

    -Senior manager from Global South

  • "This is very, very useful" "Very practical"

    -Field team leaders from Global South

  • FieldTiK "is the missing element. Ensuring we have a dynamic team of people really working together, that's when we can really make great changes"

    -Global technical specialist

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Interested in the guide or pilot program?
Expressions of interest welcome