PLAN Health Advocacy and Development Foundation (PLAN Foundation) is pleased to announce the publication of its Community Advisory Boards (CAB) Policy (Version 1.0), a comprehensive institutional framework that strengthens the Foundation’s commitment to meaningful community engagement in health, research and development.
The Policy establishes the principles, governance arrangements and institutional standards that will guide the establishment and operation of Community Advisory Boards across PLAN Foundation’s research, programme implementation, advocacy and policy initiatives. It reflects the Foundation’s conviction that communities are not passive beneficiaries of development programmes but equal partners whose knowledge, lived experiences and perspectives are essential for improving health outcomes and shaping effective policies.
For more than two decades, PLAN Foundation has worked with governments, academic institutions, development partners, civil society organisations and communities to implement programmes in tuberculosis, HIV, maternal and child health, disability inclusion, sexual and reproductive health and rights, community systems strengthening and other public health priorities. Throughout this journey, meaningful community engagement has remained central to the Foundation’s work.
The publication of the CAB policy represents an important step in institutionalising this approach. The policy provides a standardised governance framework for establishing Community Advisory Boards that promote ethical practice, accountability, inclusion, research literacy, treatment literacy, Community-Led Monitoring, knowledge translation and evidence-informed decision-making across the programme and research lifecycle.
Importantly, the policy recognises that effective community engagement extends beyond consultation. It promotes partnership, co-creation and shared decision-making, ensuring that communities are actively involved in identifying priorities, designing interventions, implementing programmes, interpreting research findings and translating evidence into policy and practice.
The Policy is informed by internationally recognised guidance and best practices, including those of the World Health Organization (WHO), the Council for International Organisations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Good Participatory Practice (GPP) Guidelines, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), and relevant Nigerian ethical and policy frameworks.
According to Obatunde Olubunmi Oladapo, Executive Director of PLAN Foundation:
“Communities possess invaluable knowledge, lived experiences and insights that are essential for improving programmes and generating evidence that leads to better policies. Through this policy, PLAN Foundation is reaffirming its commitment to ensuring that communities remain active partners—not just participants—in research, programme implementation and advocacy. We believe that meaningful community engagement is fundamental to ethical research, responsive programmes and sustainable development.”
The policy is expected to support PLAN Foundation’s growing portfolio of clinical research, implementation science and operational research, while strengthening partnerships with universities, research institutions, governments and development partners in Nigeria, Africa and beyond. It will also serve as an institutional reference for research protocols, funding proposals, ethics submissions and collaborative agreements involving community engagement.
Beyond guiding the Foundation’s own work, PLAN Foundation hopes the policy will contribute to broader discussions on strengthening community participation, accountability and social inclusion within health and development programmes. The Foundation welcomes collaboration with research institutions, implementing partners, governments and civil society organisations interested in advancing meaningful community engagement and establishing effective Community Advisory Boards.
We welcome comments and feedback as we continue to strengthen our institutional systems and promote community-centred approaches to health, research and development.
Download the policy.
We welcome comments and feedback as we continue to strengthen our institutional systems and promote community-centred approaches to health, research and development.
PLAN Foundation is a member of the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC), the World Patients Alliance (WPA), the International AIDS Society (IAS), the Global Network of People Living with HIV (GNP+), the Stop TB Partnership, the International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO), the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases (IUATLD), the Global Health Council (GHC), as well as various other relevant regional and global networks, movements, and professional associations aligned with its vision of a Nigeria where the individual, family, and community are adequately empowered to protect themselves against poverty, underdevelopment, and the spread of diseases.
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batunde Oladapo,
Executive Director,
PLAN Health Advocacy and Development Foundation (PLAN Foundation)
obatunde@planfoundation.org.ng
