Examining knowledge management and strategic communication practices at the trauma, injury, and disability unit, Makerere University School of Public Health

Abstract

This study critically examined the Knowledge Management (KM) and strategic communication practices within the Trauma, Injury, and Disability (TRIAD) Unit at Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH). Guided by Nonaka’s 1995 SECI Model and Freeman’s 1984 Stakeholder Theory, this research adopted a qualitative case study approach to explore how internal and external knowledge flows are structured, experienced, and constrained. Data were collected through qualitative interviews involving 21 participants and qualitative document review using a structured extraction matrix, with thematic analysis applied to identify patterns across 15 institutional, national, and global documents relevant to trauma, injury, and disability research. The findings revealed that while TRIAD has a strong culture of research generation, it may be facing significant institutional and operational challenges in managing and communicating knowledge, including the absence of a formal knowledge management plan, limited digital infrastructure, and insufficient human resource capacity and awareness. Nonetheless, the study also identified emerging opportunities, such as the recent restructuring and recruitment of a professional communications officer and knowledge translation officer in 2025, leadership support, strategic plan revisions, and efforts to benchmark peer institutions like the African Population Health Research Centre (APHRC) based in Nairobi, Kenya. These positive developments suggest a growing institutional readiness to elevate KM and communication as core strategic functions. The study concludes with context-sensitive recommendations to institutionalise knowledge management systems, strengthen integration with MakSPH frameworks, and enhance TRIAD’s visibility, stakeholder engagement, and long-term impact, as well as opportunities for future research. By offering a grounded analysis of KM and strategic communication in a leading African research setting like TRIAD, this study contributes to broader discourses on research utilisation, institutional learning and sustainability, and public engagement within low-resource contexts.