It is difficult to estimate the number of staff that would be needed in TISA, because there are so many variables.  For example in India, there is such a stigma about stammering that many people who do stammer will be hiding it, and so may not want to contact TISA.  The number of staff obviously has a relationship to the number of queries and help requested from the staff.  To try to gauge what number of staff might be required in future, when there is much less of a stigma attached to Stammering, may be a little easier. 

It would be worthwhile to look at the staff levels of the British Stammering Association (BSA). The BSA is fairly active, and supports a population in United Kingdom of about 50 million people.  If the figure of 1% of the population stammers is correct, that would mean there are 500,000 adult stammerers in the UK.  TISA will support a population in India of 1,027 million people. Again if the figure of 1% is correct then there will be 10 million adult stammerers in India.  So there are about 20 times the number of adult stammerers in India than there are in the UK.

Looking at these kind of numbers, it would be realistic to expect TISA, sometime in the future, would follow the BSA's example (where a branch office opened in Scotland) and have a number of branch offices throughout India.  They might even think of one branch office per State.  Of course the overheads of so many branch offices would have to be considered very carefully by TISA.   TISA should gain some valid experience of fundraising before considering a significant number of branch offices. This means that the opening of branch offices might begin to take place in two or three years time.

There are some paid jobs within the BSA office.  These are: -
Chief Executive
Office manager (part time)
Administrative and Publications Assistant (part time)
Publications and Development Officer (part time)
Information and Support Service Manager (part time)
Fundraiser (part time)
Education Officer (part time)
Scottish Development Manager (part time)
Pre-School Disfluency Campaign Manager (part time)

N.B. Some of the above paid part time posts are because of specific job directed funding.

There are many voluntary jobs that need doing as well.  These are: -

Webmaster

Treasurer (either a trustee, or co-opted to the board of trustees)
Telephone Helpline (many volunteers)
Periodic Members' Meetings / lunches in London (many volunteers)

Trustees (nine trustees including the chair of the BSA)

Research Committee where people who stammer, clinicians and researchers come together to discuss latest research findings and BSA's work as it relates to research.

There are some points that should be considered to assess the number of volunteers that might be needed to start to make TISA an effective Association : -

Scotland is thought to have some 50,000 adult stammerers.  The branch office in Scotland is setting up an ambitious three-year programme to raise Stammering awareness in Scotland.  The branch office wants to recruit some 15 volunteer PWS to assist in their programme. These 15 volunteers are in addition to branch office staff and a Scottish executive committee.

Hypothetically, if the ambitious three-year programme was to be arranged for a newly formed BSA, then some 100 to 150 volunteer PWS might be required.

A straight transfer of these numbers from the UK to India, from the Scottish branch office to TISA, may not be appropriate.  However it will give fair guidelines on what might be involved. Basically, the volunteers will be available to man help lines; reply to e-mails; initiate and partake in fundraising events; to initiate and take part in out reach events and to carry out and complete research into contact information and professional help available in every Indian State.

Prepare and build up various information packs in several  different languages to be available on request.  CD / DVDs should be prepared for the educational world. 
The different information packs will include
Information for parents of preschool children
Information for SLPs who treat preschool children
Information for parents of schoolchildren
Information for schoolchildren
Information for teachers about stammering and various techniques to change classroom management

Information for SLPs who treat schoolchildren
Information for the general public about stammering
Information for various professional bodies including the government about stammering

Information for self-help groups to be effective
Information about TISA and the support it can give to aid anyone who has a need of support or information

Make all the information packs in all the languages available online in TISA's website and also available to handle telephone queries; e-mail queries; letter queries or even personal callers.

Regularly review the information packs to update if need be. Take over the existing website or create a new website and make sure it is kept up-to-date and has new information on it weekly.

Publicise the fact that TISA accepts and acts on, as required, any feedback from any source about any aspect of TISA's operation. The feedback could consist of complaints, constructive criticism, or suggestions or ideas for change or improvement.

Establish close ties with all parties of the government and begin establishing ties with all parties in the local State governments.  The ties should be non political and cross party with the intention of being a guiding influence in all matters relating to stammering and the people whose lives are affected by it (Stammerers, families, SLPs, teachers, members of the public, people in the service sector and professional organisations who have to speak to Stammerers from time to time for example the police, hospital staff, and others).

To increasingly arrange stammering awareness throughout India by using many different media in many Indian languages (leaflets, posters, newsletters, features in national and local newspapers, features in radio and TV). Wherever possible, well known Indian figures / Indian VIPs / Indian actors and actresses should be enlisted to help further the stammering awareness and, understanding of stammering and the problems adult Stammerers face, in every corner of India.

To recruit as many volunteers as possible to help in the work of TISA.  The recruiting to be done via the website, the media, contacting as many organisations as possible where Indian PWS can be reached.

To vigorously campaign for Indian PWS / Indian SLPs to start self-help groups throughout India, and to give the new groups all the information support and advice they require to be effective.

To set up a network of telephone helplines throughout India. These helplines to provide support, information, reassurance the stammerer is not alone, and generally to help to further the good name of TISA in any way possible.

To increase the membership of TISA, as a way to raise funds, but also as a way to obtain contacts, potential raw material for publication and potential help.

To continue researching web sites and other sources for contact information for people who could help in the work of TISA or places where regular or periodic meetings / conventions / workshops / conferences / briefings could be held.

To begin a vigorous campaign of fund raising to help in the work of TISA. A range of sources should be established and constantly reviewed to increase the number of potential sources of revenue. A good close working relationship should be established with every potential revenue source.

To arrange a series of fundraising external events which concentrate on different aspects of stammering.

To provide all meetings, conferences, briefings arranged by TISA with information about the aims of TISA and the way it can support any one who either Stammers or comes into contact with Stammerers.

To arrange a number of nonprofitmaking conferences and workshops to get Indian Stammerers and Indian SLPs to meet, discuss and debate stammering issues, to the benefit of all. These conferences and workshops will be open to family members and anybody who comes into regular contact with Stammerers.

To constantly provide different sections of the media in different parts of India in different languages feature information which raises awareness and requests contributions.

To have all contributions and fundraising closely monitored.  When there is a temporary surplus of revenue, this should be invested safely, and then used on any stammering or stammering research project.  There should only be a small surplus at any one time to meet any unexpected contingencies in the following few months.  All of this should run in accordance with any charity rules and regulations.

To set up and arrange a series of briefings to significant people in government, in education, in the service industry, in personnel management in any industry in India and for generalist SLPs who need specific information on stammering. These briefings, could be open to anybody, even though they would be aimed at one specific section of Indians.

To investigate ways and means of using different media to provide regular support to complement the work of self-help groups around India.

To arrange periodic newsletters / magazines for the members of TISA, SLPs, interested officials in central and local government and for general distribution at a significant outreaching events.

To set up training seminars for anybody who works for or helps TISA.  The seminars will include details about TISA and the way it can help and support Indians, details about how to respond in different situations, ways to evaluate the work of TISA to assist in the development and improvement of TISA, ways to self evaluate one's own work within TISA and ways to enlist the help of Indian PWS and Indian SLPs.

Building up close relationships with other National Stuttering / Stammering Association's and arranging reciprocal links to other National websites.

Building up close relationships with any other organisation that could benefit from TISA or that could help TISA.  Again, reciprocal links for websites would be very good.

There should be a board of trustees, this is discussed in a separate article. 

There should be a Chief Executive Officer, a part time paid post.

There should be a chairperson of TISA, a voluntary post.

There should be 1 to 5 office staff, all of them part time paid posts.

There should be a buildup of voluntary staff.  To obtain impetus, retired Indian professional volunteers should be considered as well as Indian PWS.  Over time, the balance of PWS to speech-language professional should change so that there are more than 50% of PWS in voluntary staff. Provided their work can be coordinated by office staff, any number of volunteers up to a 100 or 150 could be considered.

These initial staffing levels should be under constant review.  Consideration should be given to income; costs; outstanding work and the level of inquiries about stammering from the various sections of the Indian public.  (All inquiries should be categorised for regular analysis).

N.B. Volunteers can only be effective if they have time, and are given the proper guidance and management. Therefore the number that can be used at any one time is proportional to the supervision and management time available by trustees, office staff, or by delegated voluntary staff.

Thanks are due to the BSA (www.stammering.org) for providing the basic information that has been used to produce part of this draft article.