In Week 5, I began taking greater ownership of the research and moving towards developing a more concrete policy-oriented output. Having now completed a significant amount of desk-based research and local engagement, my focus was on bringing these different strands together and considering how the findings could contribute to the wider objective of increasing interdependence across Africa and strengthening the role of the African Union.

A major part of this week involved developing and refining potential policy recommendations. I focused on the practical barriers identified through both my research and conversations with local leaders and other stakeholders, particularly issues surrounding coordination, regulation and the implementation of cross-border transport initiatives. I tried to ensure that the recommendations were not simply based on what appeared theoretically desirable, but were grounded in the experiences and priorities that had emerged through the project.

Another important consideration this week was ensuring that local perspectives remained central to the final work. I was conscious that there was a risk of conducting interviews and then treating them simply as evidence to support a predetermined policy position. Instead, I tried to accurately reflect the different perspectives that had been shared with me, including areas of disagreement and uncertainty. This reinforced the non-extractive approach that I wanted the project to take: the purpose of local engagement was not simply to gather information, but to allow those perspectives to genuinely influence the research.

Overall, Week 5 was about moving from research towards contribution. The experience showed me that effective leadership in this context involves taking responsibility for the quality of your work while remaining collaborative and responsive to the people around you. It also reinforced the importance of ensuring that policy research remains connected to the experiences of the people it is ultimately intended to serve.