Strathmore University Business School in Nairobi hosted a pivotal strategic planning training program from June 30th to July 4th, 2025, bringing together thirty health researchers and program team members from across the SINDOFO consortium. This comprehensive five-day program, funded by the SINDOFO consortium, represented a strategic investment in building institutional capacity across the organization’s global network of research partners.
SINDOFO is an innovative research consortium focused on developing new non-ACT-based antimalarial drug combinations to reduce morbidity and mortality due to malaria. The consortium operates through four African research sites in Gabon, Mozambique, Kenya, and Burkina Faso—while maintaining partnerships with institutions in Germany, Spain, Switzerland, and India. Currently conducting phase II multi-centre clinical trials, SINDOFO recognized the need to strengthen strategic planning capabilities across its partner institutions to maximize research impact and institutional sustainability.
The 5-day program featured expert facilitators including Professor Gilbert Kokwaro, Dr. Ben Ngoye, Dr. Katindi Sivi, Dr. Njeri Gitau, Dr. Susan Murage, Dr. Erastus Mbithi, Dr. Patriciah Gachambi, Gladys Kamau, and Jacqueline Nyaga, with curriculum designed to address strategic challenges facing health research institutions.
The program progressed from foundational strategic planning concepts to practical implementation tools. Opening sessions established connections between scientific excellence and institutional strategy, while external environment assessment provided frameworks for understanding complex research ecosystems. Mid-program sessions focused on internal assessment, organizational culture, human resource management, and financial health evaluation. The introduction of SMARTER objectives through Results-Based Management proved directly applicable to SINDOFO’s multi-centre clinical trials.
Later sessions provided practical frameworks for decision-making and resource allocation, with hands-on strategy simulations allowing participants to apply learning in realistic scenarios. The program concluded with sessions on strategy execution, change management, and governance, addressing the critical challenge of translating strategic plans into operational realities.
The program’s emphasis on practical application ensured that participants returned to their home institutions with concrete tools for strategic assessment, planning frameworks for resource allocation, and methodologies for monitoring progress toward strategic objectives. Daily “Red Thread Review & Feedback” sessions created a continuous learning loop that reinforced key concepts and addressed emerging questions, ensuring that the intensive content remained digestible and actionable.
The SINDOFO strategic planning training program demonstrates the consortium’s understanding that breakthrough scientific discoveries require robust institutional frameworks and strategic leadership. By investing in leadership development, SINDOFO has created a multiplier effect that extends far beyond the immediate participants, positioning the consortium and its partners for sustained impact in the global fight against malaria.
This initiative serves as a model for how research organizations can build the institutional capacity needed to tackle humanity’s greatest health challenges. The successful integration of scientific rigor with strategic planning principles equipped participants with the knowledge and confidence to drive strategic change within their research organizations, ultimately supporting better health outcomes for the millions of people worldwide who depend on continued progress in malaria research and treatment.
Article by: Judith Adhiambo Amolo
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