East African ethics and regulatory staff training linked with higher knowledge scores

A four-month, blended training programme for administrative staff in East African research ethics committees and national research regulatory bodies was associated with higher foundational knowledge scores and participant-reported use of leadership skills. The multinational training evaluation included 129 participants from six East African Community partner states: Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda. It ran from March 2024 to March 2025 and examined pre- and post-training knowledge assessments alongside qualitative feedback.

Researchers developed and revised the curriculum with input from 40 stakeholders representing the six participating states. An eight-member Training Advisory Committee then reviewed and approved the revised curriculum, which was designed to strengthen participants’ personal effectiveness and leadership skills. The study was an open-access research article published in BMC Medical Education on 28 September 2026, with the supplied version described as an early peer-reviewed version subject to further editing.

Among the 129 participants, 50.4% were female. Uganda accounted for the largest share of participants, at 31.8%, while Tanzania had the smallest share, at 10.1%. Training assessment data were downloaded in comma-separated value format, cleaned in Microsoft Excel and analysed in Stata 15. The researchers used descriptive statistics, including percentages and frequencies, and paired t-tests to compare pre-test and post-test knowledge scores, with a threshold of p < 0.05 for statistical significance. Participant feedback collected during and after the training was examined through conventional content analysis.

The mean foundational knowledge score increased from 63.7% at pre-test to 84.4% at post-test, a difference of 20.7 percentage points. Qualitative feedback contained three recurring themes: ethical leadership and conflict management; teamwork and client service; and self-management and initiative. Participants also reported applying skills in leadership, communication, conflict management, customer service and self-management. The findings therefore associate the stakeholder-informed blended programme with improved short-term assessment performance and perceived workplace application. However, the reported evaluation did not establish whether the gains persisted, whether they affected routine research administration, or whether changes would have occurred without the training. Longer-term evaluation was identified as necessary in the article’s conclusion.

Subject of Research: Evaluation of leadership training for research ethics and regulatory administrative staff in six East African Community countries

Article Title: Multi country training to strengthen leadership among administrative staff of research ethics committees and national regulatory bodies in the East African Community

Article References: Byakika-Kibwika, P., Amperiize, M., Twesigye, B., Mutumba, B., Opolot, H., Gardais, S., Wandiga, S., Byomire Ndagije, H., Kidola, J., Mutabazi, V., Nyandwi, R., Mathew, L. S., Twungubumwe, N., Castelnuovo, B., Arinaitwe, J. W., Okoboi, S., Ainembabazi, P., & Sebuyira, L. M. (2026). Multi country training to strengthen leadership among administrative staff of research ethics committees and national regulatory bodies in the East African Community. BMC Medical Education. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-026-10441-1

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12909-026-10441-1

Keywords: East African Community, research ethics committees, research regulation, leadership training, capacity strengthening, knowledge assessment, administrative staff, blended training, Multi, country, training, strengthen