What is being proposed is very close to a recipe for disaster. You may be training a team for an Antarctic research station, or a shift for the International Space Station, or a team of developers - the details matter very little. What matters is you're proposing to have no real manager on-site and expect the team to perform diligently and seamlessly. Please be aware that such miracles happen very rarely.

There has to be one person on the team with more authority than others. Such a person can be either selected by internal dynamics of the team or appointed by you. Ideally, s/he would combine both sources of authority, and work for the benefit of the company and the team. But the requirement for finding a team leader is glaringly absent from your description. You have to work to fill that vacancy from the start.

Now, the whole process of setting up your team is naturally subdivided into two parts - first, individual selection, second, group dynamics test.

During the first section you cull out candidates who are not able to work in a team, and rank those who pass the sieve according to their suitability for leadership.

In the second part, you can organize a group exercise where natural leaders can emerge, opportunistic behavior can be detected, and interpersonal compatibility is determined. However, you have to put a bit of ingenuity into this exercise and be prepared that it won't be the real thing (TM) and that the time to complete selection process will be longer than usual.

The expected outcome: one person will become a team leader; all team members will meet the necessary proficiency, interpersonal compatibility, and diligence criteria.

Whatever the process please don't leave the team without effective monitoring and feedback, with site inspections if possible.

What is being proposed is very close to a recipe for disaster. You may be training a team for an Antarctic research station, or a shift for the International Space Station, or a team of developers - the details matter very little. What matters is you're proposing to have no real manager on-site and expect the team to perform diligently and seamlessly. Please be aware that such miracles happen very rarely.

There has to be one person on the team with more authority than others. Such a person can be either selected by internal dynamics of the team or appointed by you. Ideally, s/he would combine both sources of authority, and work for the benefit of the company and the team. But the requirement for finding a team leader is glaringly absent from your description. You have to work to fill that vacancy from the start.

Now, the whole process of setting up your team is naturally subdivided into two parts - first, individual selection, second, group dynamics test.

During the first section you cull out candidates who are not able to work in a team, and rank those who pass the sieve according to their suitability for leadership.

In the second part, you can organize a group exercise where natural leaders can emerge, opportunistic behavior can be detected, and interpersonal compatibility is determined. However, you have to put a bit of ingenuity into this exercise and be prepared that it won't be the real thing (TM) and that the time to complete selection process will be longer than usual.

The expected outcome: one person will become a team leader; all team members will meet the necessary proficiency, interpersonal compatibility, and diligence criteria.

Whatever the process please don't leave the team without effective monitoring and feedback, with site inspections if possible.