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SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

TRANSITION & ORIENTATION

Building a stronger research team. Creating evidence that matters.

SSHAI

Research & Data Unit

Leadership Transition

5 September 2026

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

01

Good evening, everyone, and thank you for being here. I know it's been a long day for many of you, so I genuinely appreciate you making time for this session tonight. Tonight is a little bit special. It's a transition and orientation meeting for our Research and Data Unit, but I want you to think of it less as a formal handover ceremony and more as a family conversation about where we've been and where we're going together. By the end of the next twenty-something minutes, I want you to leave this room - or this call - feeling three things: welcomed, valued, and genuinely excited about what's ahead. We're going to talk about leadership, about how the unit will run, about the register we'll be using, about our ongoing IDP study, and about the next phase of work. But before any of that, I just want to say thank you - for your time, your talent, and your trust. Let's get into it.

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LEADERSHIP TRANSITION

A New Chapter, Same Mission

“The success of this unit will never be the achievement of one person.”

An opportunity to build forward

A transition is a moment to reflect honestly, improve deliberately, and build a stronger foundation - not just carry on as before.

A trust I do not take lightly

I am genuinely grateful for the confidence placed in me to lead this unit, and I feel the weight of that responsibility.

A team I am excited to work with

I am looking forward to working with every single one of you, whatever stage of your research journey you are at.

Coordination, not command

My goal is not to lead from above. It is to coordinate, support, and help this team do its best work.

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

02

I want to start by naming the obvious thing: leadership is changing hands in this unit. But I want to reframe what that means. This is not about one person taking over from another. It's about all of us using this moment to get better at what we do. Transitions are a gift, honestly - they force you to ask, what's working, what isn't, and how do we want to operate going forward. I want to be honest with you: I am genuinely grateful for the trust that's been placed in me to lead the Research and Data Unit. I don't take that lightly. And I'm excited - not nervous, excited - to work with each of you, regardless of how much research experience you're walking in with. One thing I want to be really clear about from day one: my role is not to sit above this team and hand down instructions. My job is to coordinate us, support you when you're stuck, and help bring out the best in everyone. If this unit succeeds, it will never be because of one person. It will be because of all of us.

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LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY

My Commitment to the Team

CLARITY

Everyone should know what they are responsible for, and why it matters.

FAIRNESS

Responsibilities and opportunities will be distributed transparently.

SUPPORT

No member should feel abandoned when they hit a difficulty.

ACCOUNTABILITY

We will take our deadlines and commitments to each other seriously.

GROWTH

This unit should be a place where you develop real research skills.

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

03

So what can you actually expect from me as your Lead? I want to give you five concrete commitments, not vague promises. First, Clarity - I promise that as much as possible, you will know exactly what you're responsible for and why that task matters to the bigger picture. Nobody should be guessing. Second, Fairness - opportunities and responsibilities will be shared transparently, based on real criteria, not favoritism. Third, Support - if you hit a wall, you will not be left to struggle alone. Come to me, come to your teammates. Fourth, Accountability - and I'll spend more time on this later - we are going to take our commitments to each other seriously, in both directions. And fifth, Growth - I don't just want you to complete tasks, I want you to leave this unit with real, transferable research skills. These five things are what I'm holding myself to.

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EVERY CONTRIBUTION COUNTS

You Are Not Just a Member

Every member brings something the team needs.

Methodology

Literature Review

Scientific Writing

Data Management

Data Analysis & Statistics

Referencing

Editing

Data Visualization

Field Research

Documentation

Project Coordination

Communication & Presentation

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

04

I want to spend a moment here because this matters a lot to me. Research units sometimes fall into a trap of thinking that only the people who can run a regression or write in perfect academic English are 'valuable.' That is not how I see this team. Look at this list - methodology, literature review, scientific writing, data management, analysis and statistics, referencing, editing, visualization, field research, documentation, coordination, communication. That is at least twelve different ways to add real value to this unit, and I'm sure there are more we haven't even named yet. If you don't consider yourself a 'stats person,' that is completely fine. Maybe you're brilliant at organizing information, or you write clearly, or you're great at keeping people on track. All of that is research work. The whole point of the skills assessment we'll talk about later is to find out what you're good at and what you're interested in, so we can match people to the right responsibilities - not force everyone into the same box.

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OUR MANDATE

What Does the Research & Data Unit Do?

Research & evidence generation

Research project development

Literature review & evidence synthesis

Data collection & management

Data analysis & interpretation

Scientific documentation & manuscripts

Research reporting

Evidence-informed programming

We do not conduct research simply to produce papers. We generate evidence that helps SSHAI understand problems, make better decisions, and improve health outcomes.

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

05

Let's step back and talk about why this unit even exists. On paper, the Research and Data Unit contributes to research and evidence generation, project development, literature review, data collection and management, data analysis, scientific documentation, reporting, and evidence-informed programming for SSHAI. But I want you to hold onto one sentence more than any of those bullet points: we don't do research just to produce papers that sit in a folder. We generate evidence that actually helps SSHAI understand the problems it's working on, make better decisions, and ultimately improve health outcomes for the people we serve, including the sickle cell community and, in our current project, internally displaced persons. Every task you're assigned, no matter how small it feels, is part of that chain - from an idea, all the way to evidence that changes something in the real world.

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OUR PROCESS

How We Will Work

Idea

Project Design

Team & Role Allocation

Literature / Methodology

Data Collection

Data Management

Data Analysis

Results

Discussion

Conclusion & Recommendations

Manuscript / Output

Dissemination & Use

Different members will plug into this workflow at different points, based on their skills and availability.

Research is a team sport.

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

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This is the full lifecycle of a research project, from a raw idea all the way to using the evidence we generate. Idea, project design, team and role allocation, literature and methodology, data collection, data management, data analysis, results, discussion, conclusion and recommendations, manuscript development, and finally dissemination - actually putting that evidence to use. I'm showing you the whole picture deliberately, because I want everyone to understand where their piece fits into the larger puzzle. Not everyone will touch every stage, and that's completely normal. Some of you may be strongest at the early stages - literature and methodology - others further down the line, in analysis or writing up results. The point I want to land here is simple: research is a team sport. No single person walks this entire pipeline alone, and no single person should have to.

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HOW WE OPERATE

Our Operating Principles

Clear Responsibilities

Everyone should know exactly what they own.

Respect for Timelines

Deadlines protect the work of everyone downstream.

Transparent Communication

Silence creates bottlenecks; early communication creates solutions.

Documented Contributions

Contributions should be visible and traceable.

Collective Ownership

We succeed as a unit, not as isolated individuals.

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

07

So, practically, how are we going to operate day to day? Five principles. One - clear responsibilities: everyone should know exactly what they own, so nothing falls through the cracks because 'I thought someone else had it.' Two - respect for timelines: I want you to think of deadlines not as a whip, but as a courtesy to your teammates. If you're late on your piece, you are quietly making someone else's job harder or later. Three - transparent communication: if you're stuck, say so early. Silence is what creates real bottlenecks; a two-line message that says 'I'm struggling with this' creates solutions. Four - documented contributions: what you do should be visible, not invisible. We'll talk about how in a moment. And five - collective ownership: we rise and fall together as a unit, not as a collection of individuals doing their own separate things.

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A TOOL FOR FAIRNESS

The Unit Member Management Register

IT IS NOT

A surveillance or punishment tool

IT IS

An accountability & coordination tool

WHAT IT TRACKS

Member & task

Date assigned

Deadline

Date submitted

Status

Timeliness

Quality

Follow-up needed

Notable contributions

Participation

THIS HELPS US TO

Track progress & spot bottlenecks

Ensure fair workload distribution

Recognize consistent contributors

Identify where members need support

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

08

Now let's talk about something practical, and I want to be very deliberate with my wording here because I know this can sound intimidating if I frame it wrong. We will be maintaining a Member Management Register for the unit. I need you to hear this clearly: this is NOT a surveillance tool, and it is NOT a punishment tool. It is an accountability and coordination tool. There is a real difference. It will simply record things like who was assigned what, when it was assigned, the agreed deadline, when it was actually submitted, the status, and any notable contributions or participation. Why does this matter? Because it lets us track progress and catch bottlenecks early, it makes sure workload is distributed fairly instead of falling on the same two or three people every time, it lets me recognize the people who consistently show up and deliver, and it helps me see who might need a bit more support. This is about making contributions visible, not about policing anyone.

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A TWO-WAY STREET

Accountability Without Micromanagement

WHAT WE EXPECT

Own your assigned tasks
Meet agreed deadlines
Communicate early when challenges arise
Ask for clarification when needed
Submit work in the agreed format
Respect other members' timelines

YOU CAN EXPECT FROM LEADERSHIP

Clear instructions
Reasonable deadlines
Access to necessary information
Feedback on your work
Support when challenges arise
Fair allocation of responsibilities

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

09

This slide is probably the most important one in the whole deck, so I want to slow down here. Accountability only works, and only feels fair, when it runs in both directions. From you, I'm asking for a few things: own your assigned tasks, meet the deadlines we agree on together, communicate early the moment something is getting in your way, ask for clarification rather than guessing, submit work in the format we've agreed on, and respect other people's timelines the way you'd want yours respected. But that only works if I hold up my end too. So here's what you can expect from me: clear instructions, not vague asks; reasonable deadlines, not arbitrary ones; access to whatever information you need to do the work; real feedback, not silence; support when you hit a challenge; and fair allocation of responsibilities across the team. If the register and the deadlines ever start to feel one-sided, please tell me. This is meant to be a partnership, not a one-way demand.

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OUR ONGOING RESEARCH

Where We Are Now

PATTERN AND PREVALENCE OF COMMON COMMUNICABLE AND NON-COMMUNICABLE HEALTH CONDITIONS AMONG INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN AN IDP CAMP IN BENUE STATE, NIGERIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

STUDY POPULATION

Internally Displaced Persons

SETTING

An IDP camp in Benue State, Nigeria

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study

DATA COLLECTION: COMPLETED

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

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RECOGNIZING OUR PROGRESS

What We Have Accomplished Together

Background / Introduction

Literature Review

Methodology

Other manuscript components

Data Collection - Completed

“This project is not starting from zero. We have already built the foundation. The next phase is about bringing that work together and completing the evidence cycle.”

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

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PROJECT STATUS

The Final Stretch

COMPLETED

Major manuscript sections
Literature-related work
Methodology
Data collection
Other written components

CURRENT PHASE

Finalizing & harmonizing the draft
Quality checking
Preparing the dataset for analysis

REMAINING WORK

Data analysis
Results
Discussion
Conclusion & recommendations
Final manuscript refinement
Dissemination

We are approaching the analytical phase of the study.

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

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This slide gives you the honest, full picture of where we stand. On the left, what's completed or substantially developed - the major manuscript sections, the literature work, methodology, data collection, and other written components. In the middle, what we're doing right now - finalizing and harmonizing the full draft, quality-checking it, and preparing the dataset properly for analysis. On the right, the major work still ahead of us - data analysis, results, discussion, conclusion and recommendations, final manuscript refinement, and eventually getting the research output out into the world. The way I'd summarize it is this: we are approaching the analytical phase of the study. But before we run any analysis, we need the manuscript and the dataset properly organized and finalized - that groundwork is what makes sure our results, when they come, are coherent and defensible.

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DISTRIBUTING THE WORK

The Next Phase: Everyone Has a Role

Responsibilities will be matched to members based on:

Skills

Experience

Interests

Availability

Capacity

Project Needs

Data cleaning / management

Statistical analysis

Results presentation

Tables & figures

Interpretation of findings

Discussion

Conclusion & recommendations

Manuscript editing

Referencing

Quality assurance

Research reporting

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

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YOUR NEXT ACTION

The Skills & Interests Form

Before we assign the remaining responsibilities, we need to understand what each person can do, wants to learn, and is available to contribute.

Existing skills

Previous research experience

Areas of interest

Areas you want to learn

Preferred responsibilities

Relevant technical skills

Availability & capacity

Do not underestimate your contribution. Writing, editing, referencing, communication, and organization are all valuable skills.

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

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Here's the practical next step. We'll be sharing an updated Skills and Interests Form very soon, and I want to ask you, sincerely, to complete it promptly. The form is going to help us understand your existing skills, any previous research experience, what you're interested in, what you want to learn, your preferred responsibilities, relevant technical skills, and your availability and capacity right now. That last part matters - I understand people have different amounts of time to give, and that's fine, we just need to know it honestly so we can plan around it. And I want to underline this message: do not underestimate your own contribution. If you don't see yourself as a 'researcher' in the traditional sense, that's okay. Maybe you're excellent at writing, editing, referencing, communication, or simply keeping things organized. All of that is real, needed skill. Your responses on this form will directly shape how we allocate the remaining work.

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“Strong research teams are not built by having the most talented people in the room. They are built when talented people trust one another, communicate clearly, take responsibility, and consistently show up.”

I am genuinely looking forward to working with every one of you. I want this unit to become a place where your contribution is recognized, your skills are developed, your voice is heard - and together, we produce research that SSHAI can be proud of.

This is a new chapter for the Research & Data Unit. Let’s build it together.

THANK YOU

Questions • Ideas • Contributions

SSHAI · RESEARCH & DATA UNIT

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I want to close with something I genuinely believe. Strong research teams are not built by having the most talented people in the room. They are built when talented people trust one another, communicate clearly, take responsibility, and consistently show up for each other. That's it. That's the whole secret. I am genuinely looking forward to working with every single one of you. I want this unit to become a place where your contribution is recognized, your skills grow, your voice is actually heard, and together we produce research that SSHAI - and all of us - can be proud of. This is a new chapter for the Research and Data Unit, and I don't want to write it alone. Let's build it together. Thank you so much for your time tonight, and for everything you've already given to this project. The floor is now open - questions, ideas, contributions, anything at all.