Scolastika Porokwa is a Maasai woman who works within the Maasai community as a Program Officer at a local civil society organization called MWEDO. Being a Masaai herself, Scolastika understands firsthand the challenges of reaching the Maasai population. As a people, they are eager to learn new things and are often quick to adapt to a different way once they have been convinced. So how does one convince them? Having the right change agent is critical for the change process at any level. Sustainable development so often requires so much change, with the adoption of new practices and ways of thinking and the forsaking of old harmful traditions. This is true not just with the Maasai but within all areas of development. Deploying the right change agents is fundamental and critical for sustainable development in Tanzania.
A change agent, also known as an advocate of change, is a person who acts as a catalyst for the change process. They help a group of people, transform how it thinks and operates by inspiring and influencing them. A change agent will promote, champion, enable, and support the change process. Internal and external change agents can both be assets towards the change implementation. However, in most situations, internal or local change agents, when properly equipped, have proven to be significantly more effective than external ones. An internal change agent is usually a person from within the group of people that needs the change. If change is sought among young women who sell green produce in the local market, then an internal change agent will be one of them, who may be a leader of some kind. She will be an influencer of the other women as she understands the women’s needs, stories and the intervention needed.
An external change agent, on the other hand, is an outside individual who has the knowledge and expertise to drive change initiatives. They will not be limited by the biases, perspectives, or simply lack of knowledge that someone from within will have. This allows them to objectively analyze the scenarios and suggest suitable change management strategies that may help make the change a success.
For successful change management or implementation, it is important to recognize that internal change agents are aware of the group’s history of change initiatives, interpersonal dynamics, and social politics, all of which, when combined with a key understanding of the purpose and objective of the change, give the internal change agent an advantage in bringing about lasting change to the group. External change agents will not have the other half of the aspects needed to make the change a success. As they are a part of the group, the internal change agent remains and will work diligently to establish strong relationships to strengthen attitudes and cultural views towards change—even after the implementation process is complete. Scolastika is an example of an internal agent on two fronts. As a Maasai woman herself, she functions as an internal change agent with the trust she has from the Maasai and her knowledge of the history, culture, and subculture of her people. She also has success and credibility with MWEDO which is the organization seeking change.
She believes in the project, is knowledgeable about it, and has the ability to translate the purpose and objective of the change to the people. She is an internal change agent for the Masaai and also for the change sponsoring organization that she works for. As such, she is positioned to make change initiatives more successful by working with key stakeholders on all fronts. In response to the effectiveness of this position, it is critical to educate and train Masaai to return back into their communities, as they are best positioned to bring about sustainable development to their communities. Local change agents in all communities have the power to bring about this very same sustainable development when they are given the capacity through education, tools, and other resources needed for the change process.
