SUZA Delegation at KCMUCo Moshi, Kilimanjaro | 17 June 2026
The benchmarking meeting was officially opened by Professor Johnson Matowo, Acting Director of Quality Assurance at KCMUCo, together with Mr. Victor Selengia, Head of the Grant Management Office at KCMUCo. In their welcoming remarks, they underscored the importance of institutional benchmarking and collaboration in strengthening research management systems and enhancing universities’ capacity to attract, manage, and account for externally funded research projects. They also shared KCMUCo’s experience in establishing and operating a successful Grant Management Office, highlighting its contribution to the institution’s growing research portfolio.
The State University of Zanzibar (SUZA), through the Building Stronger Universities Phase 4 (BSU4) project, conducted a benchmarking visit to the Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (KCMUCo) in Moshi, Kilimanjaro, on 17 June 2026. The visit forms part of the BSU4 implementation activities aimed at strengthening SUZA’s institutional capacity to establish and operationalize its own Grant Management Office (GMO).
The benchmarking meeting was officially opened by Professor Johnson Matowo, Acting Director of Quality Assurance at KCMUCo, together with Mr. Victor Selengia, Head of the Grant Management Office at KCMUCo. In their welcoming remarks, they underscored the importance of institutional benchmarking and collaboration in strengthening research management systems and enhancing universities’ capacity to attract, manage, and account for externally funded research projects. They also shared KCMUCo’s experience in establishing and operating a successful Grant Management Office, highlighting its contribution to the institution’s growing research portfolio.
The SUZA delegation was led by Dr. Abdalla Shaame, BSU4 Work Package 4 (WP4) Leader, who is spearheading the establishment of the Grant Management Office at SUZA. He was accompanied by Dr. Idrisa Hamad, Work Package 2 (WP2) Leader, Ms. Aziza Siba, Work Package 3 (WP3) Leader, and other members of the BSU4 project team.
The benchmarking exercise focused on learning best practices in grant administration, research support services, project management, financial compliance, institutional policies, and governance frameworks that facilitate the successful acquisition and management of research grants. During the visit, the SUZA delegation engaged with KCMUCo officials to gain practical insights into the structure, operational procedures, digital systems, and strategies that have enabled the effective functioning of KCMUCo’s Grant Management Office.
Speaking during the visit, Dr. Abdalla Shaame emphasized that the benchmarking exercise represents an important milestone in SUZA’s efforts to establish a sustainable Grant Management Office that will support researchers in identifying funding opportunities, preparing competitive grant proposals, ensuring compliance with donor requirements, and effectively managing externally funded research projects.
Mr. Victor Selengia, Head of the Grant Management Office at KCMUCo, delivered a comprehensive presentation on the University’s Grant Management Office, outlining its organizational structure, roles, and operational framework. He introduced the SUZA delegation to KCMUCo’s grant management processes, explaining how the office supports researchers throughout the entire grant lifecycle from identifying funding opportunities and proposal development to grant submission, implementation, financial management, compliance, monitoring, reporting, and project close-out.
Mr. Victor Selengia emphasized the importance of adhering to well-established procedures and institutional policies to ensure transparency, accountability, and effective management of externally funded projects. He also demonstrated several digital tools and management systems used by KCMUCo to streamline grant applications, monitor project progress, manage budgets, ensure donor compliance, and maintain accurate documentation. The presentation provided valuable practical insights that will inform SUZA’s ongoing efforts to establish a robust and efficient Grant Management Office under the BSU4 project.
Ms. Betrice Temba led a session on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and research ethics. She highlighted the importance of following clear procedures in research work, especially when dealing with human subjects. She also emphasized that ethics review processes are not just formalities, but a key part of protecting participants and ensuring research credibility.
Also Ms. Flavior A. Shayo presented on procurement in grant management. She explained how procurement processes are handled within funded projects and why early involvement of procurement staff is important. She pointed out that proper procurement planning helps avoid delays, ensures compliance with donor rules, and supports smooth implementation of project activities.
The visit also provided an excellent platform for knowledge exchange, institutional networking, and the sharing of experiences between the two institutions. Participants discussed common challenges in research administration, explored practical solutions, and identified opportunities for future collaboration in strengthening research governance and promoting excellence in higher education.
The establishment of the Grant Management Office is one of the strategic priorities under the BSU4 project, which seeks to enhance SUZA’s research capacity, improve institutional governance, and increase the University’s competitiveness in securing national and international research funding. The benchmarking visit to KCMUCo marks another important step toward achieving these objectives and reinforces SUZA’s commitment to building a robust and sustainable research support ecosystem through strategic partnerships and continuous institutional learning.