TRC Final Report

Volume 1

Chapter 12

Subsection 22

Accommodation, resources and equipment

16 The Johannesburg office had a particular advantage over all of the Commission’s other regional offices in that it was on one floor, and the ability of office workers, management and commissioners to communicate easily with each other enhanced productivity.

Methodology and assessment of work

17 The office had a dynamic and cohesive management team, consisting of a regional manager, a support services manager and an information manager. Regular meetings played a pivotal role in defining roles and plotting policy directions.

18 The smooth flow of information was central to the Commission’s success. Weekly ‘Infocom’ meetings evaluated the work of the Information Department and monitored and charted the flow of information.

19 The Commission had extensive national and regional research needs that often pulled the team in conflicting directions. Fundamentally, the regional work of the Research Department fell into four areas:

a compiling geographically-based background reports on areas to be covered by statement takers and hearings; b preparing thematic surveys for use by the Commission as a whole; c evaluating statements to identify trends and ascertain the political content of statements, and d writing sections of the final report.

20 Eight statement takers were employed, one of whom acted as a co-ordinator. Although the team was initially managed by the information manager, it later became more practical for this task to be performed by the support services manager as part of the Commission’s outreach programme.

21 The Support Services Unit dealt with office administration and outreach work.

22 The office bookkeeper was the backbone of the office’s efficient administration and finance and was also responsible for all office supplies, maintenance and catering.