1. During the Ebola trial planning stage, the team identified the target population, based on this, we identified individual that can link us to the targeted study population. Advocacy visit was paid. Usually during these visit we prioritize the people we met based on their influence. We engaged them separate by educating them about the trial especially when we perceive an opposition. The CAB members were essentially made up of community member and opinion leaders. Religious leader representing the two major religion in Nigeria Islam and Christianity were selected, media experts, representative of the community that was picked out for recruiting volunteers as well as legal expert.
2. For the CAB members, weekly updates are sent to them. They also hold their meeting quarterly which is funded by the research. But from the planning stage, all the stakeholders engaged are mostly people who a member of the team know or the stakeholders engaged recommended. So to some extent they are people who are ready to volunteer their time and resources without expecting anything. Because they are not expecting any incentive they work with an open mind. This encourages sustainability as there is constant updates of what is happening. They usually nominate a member to visit the site.
As a research team, adequate plans has to be made to at least make a difference in the life of the stakeholders, it could be inform of education, information or provision of some facilities. For instance,a community that was engaged during a previous research is so eager to volunteer for this study because the research team was able to sink a borehole where the community can fetch water from. This has made that community research conscious.
