Anga Center Administrative Core

PROJECT SUMMARY The Administrative Core will expertly manage the overall functioning and resources of the Anga Center to ensure sustainability, equitability, well-being, and value within the Center and in the contributions we make to climate change and health research in East Africa. The administrative core will use a non-hierarchical, equity- focused approach to foster in-person and virtual spaces for engagement and collaboration of transdisciplinary researchers and diverse stakeholders; plan and implement meetings and activities and multinational and multicultural events; co-produce strategic plans for the future of the Center; and oversee finances, resources, and monitoring and evaluation. The Core will provide a centralized system of support, accountability, transparency, organization, evaluation, and communication designed to ensure both efficiency and longevity of the Anga Center and to establish sustainable, equitable, and ethical partnerships between the Center and diverse stakeholders and communities. We prioritize shared power and recognize historical and present power dynamics between Global North and South leaders. The Administrative Core is committed to establishing equitable and respectful partnerships with Global South partners, communities, and diverse stakeholders, prioritizing dignity and collaborative dialogue, and maintaining communal decision-making while remaining mindful of power dynamics. The Administrative Core follows the principles of Critical Consciousness Theory (CCT), emphasizing group discussions to unite in the shared desire for change. By embracing principles of community-engagement and Ubuntu, the Administrative Core will strive for a community-centric approach that values each stakeholder's voice, experiences, and knowledge and cultivates an equitable and culturally sensitive organizational structure that prioritizes collaboration. We will work to cultivate a flexible hybrid work model that aligns with the goals of all Cores. This approach promotes integration, coordination, mutual respect, and a sense of support within our organizational culture, ensuring that both in-person and remote team members are equally integrated into our non-hierarchical structure, all built on a foundation of belonging and trust. Recognizing both the benefits and limitations of hybrid work and virtual spaces, we will work to cultivate models for the Administrative Core and the Administrative Core's support of the Anga Center that prioritize equity and inclusion. The Administrative Core will be guided by a set of four specific aims: (Aim 1) to provide oversight of all funding and resource allocation and ensure ethical conduct of research for the overall center and across all cores and projects; (Aim 2) to ensure integration and multidirectional collaboration between Center members and external stakeholders through biannual conferences focused on climate justice, health equity, and community wellbeing in East Africa and regular internal meetings and knowledge-sharing sessions; (Aim 3) to plan, coordinate, and organize activities and resources, including external and internal communications, scheduling, logistics, and human resources, (Aim 4) to Provide an equitable, rigorous, impactful evaluation structure for the overall Center and its cores.