Staffing Strategy & Skills Strength

A Regionally Networked Skills Alliance

A curated network of government institutions, academic centers, and individual experts across 10 West African countries, extending AYA's capacity to design and deliver programs at regional scale.

Staffing Strategy & Skills Strength

A Regionally Networked Skills Alliance

Beyond its core team, AYA Collective has built a formal strategic partnership network across West Africa — a curated alliance of institutions and individual experts whose complementary capabilities multiply AYA's capacity to design and deliver programs at regional scale.

AYA Collective is locally led, culturally grounded, and designed for scale. To implement complex, multi-country health programs, AYA has developed formal alliance partnerships with leading government ministries, academic institutions, research centers, and individual health experts across ten countries. These partners operate under MOU-governed teaming arrangements, with AYA serving as prime contractor and lead communicator with donors — ensuring accountability, coordination, and consistent quality across all engagements.

The network enables AYA to present credible, fully-staffed proposals to donors across any combination of technical domains and geographies in West Africa, with partners assuming clearly defined scopes of work, deliverables, and budgets.

10Countries Covered
25Partner Institutions
40Individual Experts
9Technical Domains
Implementation Strategy

How AYA Delivers at Scale

Eight core implementation strategies guide how AYA and its partner network design and deliver programs.

Outreach & Coalition Building

Proactive engagement with governments, civil society, communities, and key stakeholders to create enabling environments for health program success.

Program Implementation

Proven track record across complex, multi-country health programs — from design and mobilization through to delivery and scale-up.

Leadership & Advocacy

Driving policy change and ownership at national and subnational levels, aligning stakeholder interests around equitable health outcomes.

Technology & Innovation

Digital health architecture, health information systems, mobile applications, and data platforms that strengthen service delivery and accountability.

Evidence-Based Scale-Up

Rigorous research, monitoring, and evaluation underpinning every program — with findings used to refine, replicate, and expand successful approaches.

Cross-Country Learning

Structured exchange of innovations and lessons between countries, accelerating progress and avoiding duplication across the West Africa region.

Resource Mobilization

Active pursuit of domestic and international funding streams, complemented by AYA's enterprise wing to reduce donor dependency over time.

Capacity Strengthening

Building the skills, systems, and leadership of local organizations — particularly youth-led NGOs and CBOs — to sustain impact beyond any single program.

Strategic Partners' Skills Matrix

Partner Coverage by Country & Technical Domain

The matrix below maps AYA's institutional and individual partners across ten West African countries against nine technical skill domains — demonstrating the breadth and depth of expertise available to any program AYA leads.

Skill Domains:
Gov. Engagement
Advocacy
Research & M&E
SRH
Maternal & Child Health
Technology
Infectious Diseases
Water & Sanitation
Climate Change
Ghana
PartnerGov.AdvocacyResearch & M&ESRHMCHTechInfect. Dis.Water & SanClimate
Institutional Partners
Ghana Health Service
Dr. Patrick Aboagye, Dr. Kofi Issah, Dr. Alberta Biritwum-Nyarko
AYA Collective
Regional Institute of Population Studies (RIPS), Univ. of Ghana
Prof. Ayaga Bawah
Individual Experts
Dr. Placide Tapsoba
Prof. Ayaga Bawah
Prof. Easmon Otupiri
Dr. Henry Nagai
Burkina Faso
PartnerGov.AdvocacyResearch & M&ESRHMCHTechInfect. Dis.Water & SanClimate
Institutional Partners
Center for Innovation for Development
Prof. Meda Nicolas
Ministry of Health
Dr. Pierre Yameogo, Dr. Rita Zawora Zizien
IRSS
Prof. Seni Kouanda, Dr. Danielle Belemsaga-Yugbare
ISSP
Dr. Abdramane Soura, Dr. George Gueilla, Dr. Nathalie Sawaodgo
Individual Experts
Zakari Congo
Prof. Seni Kouanda
Dr. Danielle Belemsaga
Benin
PartnerGov.AdvocacyResearch & M&ESRHMCHTechInfect. Dis.Water & SanClimate
Institutional Partners
Ministry of Health
Dr. Thierry Lawale
E4W (Empowerment for Women & Girls)
Individual Experts
Dr. Placide Tapsoba
Dr. Jean Assongba Affo
Dr. Athanase Cossi Hounnankan
Niger
PartnerGov.AdvocacyResearch & M&ESRHMCHTechInfect. Dis.Water & SanClimate
Institutional Partners
Ministry of Health
GRADE
Groupe de Recherche et D'Action pour le Développement
Individual Experts
Dr. Placide Tapsoba
Nouhou Abdoul Moumouni
Aminatou Issaka Assoumane
Souleymane Amadou Garba
Senegal
PartnerGov.AdvocacyResearch & M&ESRHMCHTechInfect. Dis.Water & SanClimate
Institutional Partners
Ministry of Health
Dr. Amadou Doucoure, Dr. Mareme Dia
Baobab Institute for Health Development
Pape Gaye
GRAG (Global Research & Advocacy Group)
Amadou Moreau
Individual Experts
Dr. Placide Tapsoba
Dr. Amadou Doucoure
Dr. Mareme Dia
Côte d'Ivoire
PartnerGov.AdvocacyResearch & M&ESRHMCHTechInfect. Dis.Water & SanClimate
Institutional Partners
Ministry of Health (PNSME)
Dr. Tanoh Gnou, Mr. Yacinthe Andoh, Dr. Sosthene Dougourou
Africaforward
Nene Fofana
Individual Experts
Dr. Placide Tapsoba
Mr. Yacinthe Andoh
Pr. Kande Soumahoro
Mr. Jean Patrick Agbassi
Nene Fofana
Togo
PartnerGov.AdvocacyResearch & M&ESRHMCHTechInfect. Dis.Water & SanClimate
Institutional Partners
FAMME (Force en Action pour le Mieux-être de la Mère et de l'Enfant)
Mrs. Benfath Sodji
Individual Experts
Dr. Placide Tapsoba
Sierra Leone
PartnerGov.AdvocacyResearch & M&ESRHMCHTechInfect. Dis.Water & SanClimate
Individual Experts
Dr. Placide Tapsoba
Prof. Osman Sankoh (Mallam O)
Liberia
PartnerGov.AdvocacyResearch & M&ESRHMCHTechInfect. Dis.Water & SanClimate
Individual Experts
Dr. Placide Tapsoba
Nigeria
PartnerGov.AdvocacyResearch & M&ESRHMCHTechInfect. Dis.Water & SanClimate
Institutional Partners
EHRIN (Equity in Health & Research Initiatives Nigeria)
Salisu Mohammed Ishaku
Individual Experts
Dr. Placide Tapsoba
Salisu Mohammed Ishaku
AYA as Prime Contractor. Across all partnership arrangements, AYA Collective serves as the lead grantee institution — accountable for program results, financial management, coordination, and donor communications. Partners operate under formal teaming agreements with clearly defined roles, deliverables, and budgets. This structure ensures quality and accountability at every level while leveraging the full depth of the regional network.