WDO currently employs over 25 staff, who are primarily Community Development Fieldworkers (CDF) and are responsible for building community relations with and work in partnership with Core Group (CG), church pastors and leaders. They assist the groups in facilitating a range of community development processes including needs assessment and analysis, developing a village vision, development plans and providing support in the implementation of village level activities.

The CDF staff are trained extensively in community development theory and practice, and use a range of participatory tools to help the CGs to mobilize communities and build relationships. Essentially the CDF adopt a ‘people centered’ approach to their work, with the aim of transferring skills and knowledge of community development to the CG, such that this group are confident and have sufficient capacity to replicate similar development processes independently.

The CDF work in collaboration with WDO technical staff (agriculturists, income generation and gender specialists) that provide training, demonstration and advisory support in the sectorial aspects of the program. The CDF, where appropriate, assist in training and help to provide monitoring support to on-going village activities.