Introduction

Team development is an art rather than science; however, there are a number of essential ingredients in team selection if they are to successfully address a water resources problem. In this step we will explore some of these essential ingredients and design our ideal team under a number of funding scenarios. 

Problem Approach

Consider the goals of the Fairweather planning participants. They wish to develop a twenty-five year plan that can be accepted by a divergent set of management and resource agencies, and a plan that can be promoted and adopted in a political setting.

Without knowing all of the planning objectives and constraints you might face, define the types of individuals you would like to have on your team. Think of a team comprised of engineers, biologists, social scientists, and economists. Are these classifications sufficient? Are there other types of individuals you might need?

Discuss where you would find these people? Would these be individuals that Fairweather would have on their staff?  Could Fairweather turn to expertise in other branches of city, county, state, or the federal government for support? What would be the role of consultants in supplying expertise to Fairweather?

What would be an ideal breakdown of responsibility between Fairweather and others contributing to the plan?

Which group or groups would be most essential to your success?

To develop these answers, consider three funding levels, $250,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000. How would these changing budgets influence your identification of key players and participants? (Which participants would require reimbursement and which would not?)

In addition, discuss your experiences in team building. From these experiences, identify the best team selection process observed by any member of your team (or the worst, if it is really good). What made the process a success? How could it have been better? What are the limitations to good team development in projects with which you are typically involved.

.