to the regional pump and engine maintenance training unit (PEMS), a health and community development coordinator and the country representative. One of the engineering positions at that time was occupied by a Tanzanian engineer, on secondment from the National Training Institute for Water Technicians in Dar es Salaam. As the programme continued, these advisory positions were scaled back. The role of the advisors effectively melted away as the need for external training and leadership input decreased. It could be questioned whether outside advisors were ever needed. During the first few years, however, when the programme was getting off the ground, the advisers acted as catalysts for change. The advisor’s role was to introduce and trial new appropriate techniques and ways of doing things, as well as helping with design work, providing onthe-job training and overseeing progress. Because of their distance from local pressures they could be risk takers and troubleshooters, thus helping the programme to move forward rapidly in inventive and novel ways. Having done this job, however, it was necessary for them to withdraw, gradually changing the nature of their work as they did so, until they left the programme with government WAMMA staff capable and in control. To quote the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu: When the best leaders work is done the people will say we did it for ourselves. (translated by Mitchell 1988) This was the philosophy that was being followed by WaterAid. Not to have done so could have incurred either resentment or dependency or both, which must be avoided especially by external advisers, who by the nature of their role are transient. With WAMMA, the continuing level of commitment and capacity within the teams speaks volumes of the success of this policy. The timely application of outsiders, the evolving sensitivity of their approach to the requirement to have them there, and their careful withdrawal once their job has been completed, are all important elements of using advisory staff be they expatriate or locally hired. 3.8.6 Champions WAMMA had champions in government at national and regional levels. This was a factor in the success of the programme. The Regional Water Engineer, who has seen WAMMA grow from its first beginnings to what it is today, has, for example, been a constant guardian of the process, ensuring that the WAMMA programme has not only stayed on track, but that it has become accepted and respected as a Tanzanian initiative. This was recognised by Johnston and Jarman (1997) and remains true today. Other senior staff at the regional level from all the government departments represented in WAMMA, have also played their role in guardianship of WAMMA, for which they are rightly proud. 3.8.7 Institutional memory The institutional memory of WAMMA is within the organisation and its staff, and the fact that so many people at regional and district level have remained within WAMMA’s ranks
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