Following the outcomes of the regional SWOT analyses carried out in June 2007 and the national chapters SWOT analyses carried out in November 2007, the ATPS Secretariat liaised with the national chapter coordinators to establish a national coordinators’ regional steering committee (ATPS-NCRSC). The committee members were nominated by the national chapter coordinators to represent the national chapters in the different regions of the continent: Southern, Eastern, Western, and Francophone. A retired national chapter coordinator, Dr George Essegbey was also nominated to sit on the committee as an Ex Officio member – to provide independent expert advice in cases of disagreement between members of the committee. The Executive Director, the Director of Research, Training & Communications, and the Finance and Administration Manager of the ATPS also sit on the committee to provide Secretariat perspectives to the motions raised in the committee. The ATPS-NCRSC comprises elected representatives of the regions covered by the ATPS in sub-Saharan Africa including the Western, Eastern, Southern, and Francophone regions.

The committee serves as a liaison between the National Chapters and the Secretariat with the primary goal of proactively engaging the Secretariat in developing, monitoring and coordinating the STI capacity building activities of the ATPS chapters in each region. Each committee member represents a constituency of ATPS national chapters in his/her region. Members of the ATPS-NCRSC expect to meet with the ATPS Board and the ATPS Secretariat annually during the ATPS annual conferences and workshops to participate in the review of the activities of the ATPS at the regional and sub-regional levels