Telinno — People Infrastructure Implementation Plan

The Starting Point

Where Telinno Is Right Now

The CEO's restructure communication was clear and well-positioned. What follows it cannot be. You have described the current HR state as "relics from a past initiative without the essence." That is a precise diagnosis. The relics exist — the forms, the titles, the HRBP assignments — but the operating system that gives them meaning was never built. This plan builds it.

Current State — What Exists

HR processes that are nominal, not operational

4 HRBPs assigned but without a mandate, tools, or cadence

148 people across 6 countries with no consistent people framework

A restructure just announced with no HR transition infrastructure

12 vacancies with no structured sourcing or selection process

No workforce plan behind the new KAD model

Employment law compliance unclear across 6 jurisdictions

Target State — What Gets Built

Each HRBP operating with a clear mandate, rhythm, and tools

Every KAD with a documented workforce plan

Structured selection process reducing mis-hires

90-day onboarding for every hire above coordinator level

Performance contracts for all 148 people, connected to KAD goals

Compliance baseline secured in all 6 countries

HR analytics that speak in financial terms to KAD leaders

Immediate Priority

The restructure was announced "effective immediately." The personalised HRBP communications were due by April 2nd, 2026. Whether or not those landed, every employee is currently in a state of structural ambiguity. The first 30 days of this plan must stabilise that — before anything else is built. People who don't know where they stand don't produce. And they leave.

Telinno Organisation — April 2026

The People You're Building This For

148 filled roles across 4 KADs and Shared Services. 12 open vacancies. 4 HRBPs embedded in KADs, each covering their assigned countries.

KAD 1

Equipment Vendors
(ZTE, Nokia)

HRBP: Amadou Guindo · Mali

30 people

2 vacancies

KAD 2

Huawei, Regulators & Govt

HRBP: Luvie Mafotsang · Cameroon

21 people

2 vacancies

KAD 3

Tower Infrastructure
(GICL, IHS, ATC)

HRBP: Adeniyi Oluwadimimu · Nigeria

20 people

4 vacancies

KAD 4

Telecom Operators
(MTN, Airtel, Orange)

HRBP: Bassira Abdou Laouali · Niger

58 people

1 vacancy

Multi-Country Reality

Nigeria (55), Mali (26), Niger (26), Côte d'Ivoire (10), Cameroon (9), and Liberia (1). Each country has distinct employment law, different compensation benchmarks, different cultural norms around feedback and hierarchy, and different HR compliance obligations. The four HRBPs are not geographically tidy — Amadou in Mali holds KAD 1 across a West African footprint; Luvie in Cameroon covers KAD 2 across Nigeria and South Africa as well. The HR operating model must account for this span, not assume clean country-by-KAD alignment.

Non-Negotiable Design Principles

How This Gets Built

Six principles govern the entire build. Violating any of them produces the same outcome: relics without essence.

01

Sequence matters. Don't skip foundations.

The People Value Chain is a dependency system. Compliance before culture. Clarity before performance management. Onboarding before retention. Building Phase 2 before Phase 1 is complete produces impressive-looking processes that nobody uses — which is exactly where Telinno currently is.

02

Each HRBP gets a mandate, not just a title.

The four HRBPs exist. What doesn't exist is a clear operating model: what they own, what they decide, what they escalate, what cadence they keep, and how they are held accountable. The first output of this plan is a written HRBP mandate for each of the four.

03

Central sets the standard. HRBPs adapt to context.

One policy framework does not mean one policy document. The HR architecture is consistent across KADs; the application accounts for country law, cultural norms, and market conditions. The HRBP is the translator, not the exception-maker.

04

HR speaks in financial terms, not HR terms.

Every HR metric that reaches a KAD leader must be translated: attrition costs, time-to-fill against project pipeline, capability gaps against contract deliverables. A KAD leader who manages a P&L needs to see HR as a business function — not a compliance overhead.

05

Build only what will be used.

For a 148-person company, the right answer is almost never the enterprise-grade process. It is the process that is proportionate, usable by a part-time HRBP, and actually adopted by busy managers. Complexity is the enemy. Simplicity that works is the goal.

06

Compliance is non-negotiable before strategy.

Telinno operates in Nigeria, Mali, Niger, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, and Liberia. Each jurisdiction has employment law obligations. Until those are secured, no strategic HR initiative is safe. Compliance is not boring — it is the floor on which everything else stands.

Phase 1 · Months 1–3

Foundation — Stop the Bleeding, Build the Floor

The restructure announcement created structural ambiguity for 148 people. Phase 1 resolves that ambiguity, secures compliance in all 6 countries, gives each HRBP an operating mandate, and installs the minimum people processes without which no KAD can function as an autonomous profit centre.

MONTH 1

Stabilise the Restructure

Weeks 1–4 · Immediate people risk mitigation

Every person in the organisation just received a significant structural change. Until they have clarity on their place in it, performance degrades and departure risk rises. This month is entirely about resolving that ambiguity.

HRBP Activation

Give HRBPs their mandate

Draft and sign off HRBP Operating Charter (what they own, decide, escalate)
Assign each HRBP a defined people list — who they are responsible for
Establish a weekly HRBP sync with CEO/CHRO
Give each HRBP a 30-day priority: complete individual transition conversations with every person in their KAD

Transition Communications

Personalised clarity for all 148

Complete the personalised HRBP emails committed to in CEO communication (if not done)
Hold 1:1 transitions conversations — HRBP with every person in their KAD
Document any concerns, ambiguities, or resistance surfaced
Flag flight-risk employees to CEO within week 2

Compliance Baseline

Know your legal exposure

Commission employment law review for all 6 countries (engage local counsel)
Map current contracts against legal minimum requirements per jurisdiction
Identify any employees without current, signed employment contracts
Identify right-to-work gaps — especially cross-border assignments

People Data Audit

Build the source of truth

Verify the KAD mapping against actual contracts and payroll records
Identify any people on the staff map not in the payroll system
Document actual reporting lines (vs. announced reporting lines)
Create a single, verified headcount register as the master record

HRBP Operating Charter Verified headcount register Flight-risk register Country compliance gap report Transition conversation tracker

Lead:CEO + All 4 HRBPs

Support:Local employment counsel per country

MONTH 2

Fix the Legal Floor & Define Roles

Weeks 5–8 · Compliance remediation + role clarity

With the restructure communicated and people stabilised, the priority shifts to fixing the legal and structural gaps identified in Month 1 — and ensuring that every person in the organisation has a current, signed job description and understands what their role requires.

Contract Remediation

Close compliance gaps

Issue updated employment contracts reflecting new KAD structure and reporting lines
Ensure all contracts meet minimum legal requirements per jurisdiction
Resolve any right-to-work gaps identified in Month 1
Review contractor vs employee classification for any ambiguous arrangements

Job Architecture

What each role actually requires

Use the KAD role taxonomy (from the Notes sheet) as the starting point
Produce 1-page job descriptions for each distinct role type per KAD
Define the success profile for each role: competencies, not just tasks
HRBPs quality-assure job descriptions for their KAD before sign-off

Vacancy Plan

Fill the 12 open roles intelligently

Prioritise the 12 vacancies by business urgency and KAD impact
Define sourcing strategy per vacancy — not all roles recruit the same way
Introduce structured interview framework before any role is filled
KAD 3 (TowerCo) has 4 vacancies — highest risk, prioritise first

HR Policy Framework

The minimum viable policy set

Draft core policies: grievance, disciplinary, code of conduct, QHSE
Ensure policies are jurisdiction-reviewed before distribution
Translate or adapt for French-speaking countries (Mali, Niger, CIV, Cameroon)
Distribute with a brief manager briefing note on each policy

Updated employment contracts (all 148) Job description library by role type Vacancy priority register Core HR policy set (bilingual) Structured interview framework

Lead:HRBPs per KAD

Legal:Country employment counsel

MONTH 3

Performance Contracts & Workforce Planning

Weeks 9–12 · People connected to business goals

The KAD model only delivers autonomous profit centres if each person in each KAD knows exactly what they are expected to deliver and how their performance will be measured. Month 3 connects people to goals — and connects HR to the business plan for the rest of 2026.

Performance Contracting

Goals for every person in every KAD

Each KAD leader sets 3–5 KAD-level goals for Q2–Q4 2026
Each HRBP facilitates goal cascade from KAD to individual
Goal template: SMART deliverables + 2–3 behavioural competencies
All goals documented and signed off by end of Month 3

Workforce Planning

What each KAD needs to win in 2026

HRBP facilitates 2-hour workforce planning session per KAD
Map current capability vs. what's needed for 2026 contract pipeline
Identify capability gaps: build (train), buy (hire), borrow (contract)
Output: a 12-month resourcing roadmap per KAD

Onboarding Framework

For the 12 vacancies being filled

Design a 90-day integration plan template usable by all KADs
Define pre-boarding checklist (day-one readiness requirements)
HRBP 30-day and 60-day check-in protocol for all new hires
Apply to any hire made during Phase 1 as the new standard

HRBP Operating Rhythm

The cadence that makes it all work

Weekly: HRBP team sync (30 mins, all 4 HRBPs + HR lead)
Bi-weekly: HRBP 1:1 with their KAD leader
Monthly: People dashboard shared with CEO and KAD leaders
Quarterly: Cross-KAD talent review and calibration

Performance contracts (all 148) Workforce plan per KAD (12-month) 90-day onboarding template HRBP operating calendar Monthly people dashboard v1

Lead:HRBPs per KAD

Input:KAD Leaders (Kingsley, Dayo, Chikezie, Issaka)

Phase 2 · Months 4–9

Operating — Run the People System

With the foundation secure, Phase 2 builds the operating layer: the performance management cycle, engagement infrastructure, development programmes, and compensation framework. This is where HR stops being reactive and starts being strategic.

MONTHS 4–6

Performance Management Cycle Live

Building the manager capability and feedback infrastructure

Goals are set. Now the organisation needs the capability and cadence to manage performance continuously — not wait for a December review to discover what went wrong in March.

Manager Capability

Build the management layer

Manager training: structured 1:1s, SBI feedback, performance conversations
1:1 cadence non-negotiable: weekly for all direct reports
HRBP audits 1:1 frequency through engagement data — flags non-compliance
ER training for all managers: what they can and cannot do per jurisdiction

Mid-Year Review

Q3 performance checkpoint

Mid-year performance conversation for all 148 people
Review and update goals where business priorities have shifted
Identify any emerging PIP situations before they become ER cases
Cross-KAD calibration: HRBP forum reviews rating consistency

First Engagement Survey

Measure what the restructure produced

Run first engagement pulse — 10–12 questions, anonymous, third-party platform
Minimum drivers: role clarity, manager quality, development, recognition, inclusion
Report at KAD level — organisation average masks everything that matters
Each HRBP facilitates action-planning session with their KAD leader within 2 weeks of results

Compensation Framework

Consistent, market-anchored pay decisions

Build pay bands by level and country — using external market data, not internal history
Run pay equity analysis across KADs — identify any demographic pay gaps
Establish offer approval framework: HRBP approves within band, escalates above
Document total reward by country: what the employment package actually includes

Manager training programme Mid-year review completed Engagement pulse results + actions Pay band architecture by country Pay equity analysis

Lead:HRBPs

Finance input:Djenebou SOW (KAD1), Haastrup Adeniyi (KAD2), Ali Iddrissa (KAD4)

MONTHS 7–9

Development, Retention & End-of-Year Review

L&D, career pathing, annual review cycle

The engagement survey results will surface development gaps. This period turns those gaps into action — and builds the retention infrastructure before the annual review and the year-end attrition window it typically triggers.

Learning Needs Analysis

Targeted development, not training activity

HRBP runs LNA per KAD — performance data + manager input + workforce plan gaps
Distinguish will gaps (motivation) from skill gaps (capability) from clarity gaps (direction)
Map priority gaps to learning solutions: not all gaps require training courses
Prioritise technical skills (RAN, RNO, Fiber, Infrastructure) alongside commercial capability

Career Architecture

Growth paths inside Telinno

Build career pathways using the KAD role taxonomy as the framework
Make cross-KAD mobility visible and actively facilitated
Identify high-potential employees in each KAD for succession planning
Internal vacancy policy: every role above coordinator considered internally first

Annual Performance Review

The year's first proper review cycle

Design the review form: goal assessment + competency assessment + development planning
Separate development conversation from pay conversation
Run cross-KAD calibration before any ratings are shared
Use aggregate data to inform 2027 L&D investment and succession planning

Retention Intelligence

Understand the real attrition risk

Calculate cost of attrition by role type — makes the case for retention investment
Build a leading indicator dashboard: engagement trends, flight risk signals
Implement structured exit interview process for all voluntary leavers
HRBP quarterly retention report to CEO: controllable vs uncontrollable attrition

L&D plan by KAD Career pathway framework Annual performance review completed Cross-KAD calibration completed Cost of attrition model Exit interview framework

Lead:HRBPs + KAD Leaders

CEO input:Cross-KAD calibration session

Phase 3 · Months 10–18

Optimising — HR as a Strategic Lever

Phase 3 is not a new initiative. It is what the system naturally produces when Phases 1 and 2 are stable — predictive analytics, succession depth, employer brand, and HR as a function that KAD leaders actively want to use.

MONTHS 10–18

Strategic People Infrastructure

Predictive, proactive, commercial

People Analytics

HR that speaks CFO

Predictive attrition model: identify flight-risk employees before they resign
Cost-of-workforce analysis by KAD — HR's contribution to P&L
Time-to-productivity tracking: onboarding ROI
Quarterly people analytics report to board in financial terms

Succession Planning

No single points of failure

Map critical role dependencies across all 4 KADs
Identify at least one internal successor for every KAD leader role
Accelerated development programmes for high-potential employees
Cross-KAD succession: internal candidates for vacancies before external search

Employer Brand

Telinno as a destination employer in West Africa

Develop Telinno's EVP: what working here actually offers across 6 markets
KAD-specific EVP narratives for differentiated talent markets
Glassdoor and LinkedIn presence that reflects the real culture
Alumni network: former employees as referral sources and brand advocates

DEI & Culture

Culture that's intentional, not accidental

Representation audit: career progression rates by gender and origin
Psychological safety measurement embedded in annual engagement census
Culture values defined and embedded in performance reviews
Leadership behaviour as the primary culture signal — 360s for all KAD leaders

Predictive attrition model Succession plan (all critical roles) EVP + employer brand assets Annual DEI progress report Board people analytics dashboard

Lead:CHRO / HR Director

Board sponsor:CEO (Kehinde Adewoye)

HRBP Operating Mandates

What Each HRBP Owns

The four HRBPs are not HR administrators assigned to KADs. They are the people operating officers of their business units. The following is the minimum mandate each requires to function effectively. This should be formalised in the HRBP Operating Charter (Month 1 deliverable).

Amadou Guindo

Mali · KAD 1: Equipment Vendors (ZTE, Nokia) · 30 people

Own all people processes for KAD 1 across Mali and related geographies
Primary interface between KAD leader (Kingsley Okougha) and central HR
Manage the Nokia Mali team (9 Back Office Analysts + Project Managers) as highest-volume sub-group
Fill 2 vacancies (both ZTE Project Managers — Nigeria and Liberia) using structured selection
French-language HR policy adaptation for Mali-based employees
Weekly KAD 1 people pulse: who's engaged, who's at risk, what's blocked

Luvie Mafotsang

Cameroon · KAD 2: Huawei, Regulators & Govt · 21 people

Own all people processes for KAD 2 across Nigeria, Cameroon, and South Africa
Primary interface with KAD leader (Dayo Oyeniyi, based in SA)
Manage the NCC Regulatory team (5 Drive Test Engineers + 2 Post Processing Officers) — technically specialised, retention-sensitive
Fill 2 Project Coordinator vacancies in Nigeria
Cross-border HR: SA employment law differs significantly from Nigeria and Cameroon
Highest ER exposure: KAD 2 has senior profiles and complex client relationships

Adeniyi Oluwadimimu

Nigeria · KAD 3: TowerCo & Infrastructure · 20 people + 4 vacancies

Own all people processes for KAD 3 — predominantly Nigeria-based
Primary interface with KAD leader (Chikezie Nwogu, COO)
Highest vacancy load: 4 open positions including 2 Finance/Procurement critical roles
Manage a large GICL Fiber team — field-based, QHSE-intensive, higher operational risk
QHSE integration: people processes must align with QHSE requirements for field teams
Priority: fill Finance Manager and Procurement Manager vacancies as KAD 3 cannot operate as a profit centre without them

Bassira Abdou Laouali

Niger · KAD 4: Telecom Operators · 58 people (largest KAD)

Own all people processes for KAD 4 — the largest and most geographically dispersed KAD
Primary interface with KAD leader (Issaka Djibo Abdoul Aziz)
Manage people across Niger, Cameroon, Mali, Nigeria, and Liberia
Largest Orange Mali team (field engineers, drivers, project managers) — high-volume operational staff requiring structured performance management
Smile Nigeria team (5 field engineers) — different client, different operating environment
Highest complexity: 5 countries, multiple clients, field + office staff split

The HRBP Forum

All 4 HRBPs must meet weekly — even for 30 minutes. This is the connective tissue of the HR operating model. Without it, each HRBP operates in isolation, cross-KAD talent opportunities are missed, ER decisions are made inconsistently, and the CEO has no integrated view of the people system. The HRBP forum is the most important meeting in the HR calendar.

Risks & Mitigations

What Could Break This Plan

These are the most likely failure modes, in order of probability. Each has a defined mitigation. None of them are theoretical — they are the standard failure patterns for an organisation at exactly this stage.

Risk	Probability	Impact	Mitigation
HRBPs are too overloaded to build while operating. Running the current system and building the new one simultaneously is a significant bandwidth demand on 4 people who may also have non-HR responsibilities.	High	Plan stalls in Phase 1	Phase 1 is explicitly sequenced to reduce load before adding it. Each HRBP's Month 1 priority is one thing: transition conversations. Nothing new is built until the fire is out.
KAD leaders don't engage with the people process. KAD leaders focused on revenue and client delivery may treat HR requirements as overhead rather than infrastructure.	High	Processes exist on paper, not in practice	CEO must sponsor explicitly — not just the restructure, but the people operating model. Every HRBP interaction with a KAD leader should be framed in commercial terms: time-to-fill against project deadlines, attrition costs against P&L.
Multi-country compliance breach. Operating across 6 jurisdictions without country-specific legal review creates exposure — particularly for cross-border assignments and non-standard contracts.	High	Employment tribunal, regulatory fine, reputational damage	Month 1 compliance audit is non-negotiable. Engage local employment counsel in Nigeria, Mali, Niger, CIV, Cameroon within Week 1. Do not issue updated contracts without legal sign-off per jurisdiction.
Key person attrition in the transition window. Restructures are the highest-risk moment for voluntary departure — particularly among people who were not consulted and who have options.	High	Loss of institutional knowledge, client continuity risk	Flight-risk register built in Week 2. Personal retention conversations for any person identified as high risk. Retention decisions (counter-offers, role enhancements) made proactively — not reactively after a resignation.
No HRIS = no data integrity. Without a master people data system, the headcount register will drift from reality, analytics will be unreliable, and compliance reporting will require manual reconciliation.	Med	HR analytics not credible, compliance gaps missed	Even a well-managed spreadsheet, locked and owned by HR, is better than multiple disconnected lists. The Month 1 data audit establishes the single source of truth. Phase 2 scopes an HRIS implementation if the manual system is showing strain.
French-language HR processes not localised. 62 of 148 employees are in French-speaking countries (Mali, Niger, CIV, Cameroon). HR policies, contracts, and performance tools in English only are not usable by a third of the workforce.	Med	Policy non-adoption, legal exposure in Francophone jurisdictions	All core HR documents must be available in French. Amadou (Mali) and Luvie (Cameroon) are the quality assurance leads for French-language localisation. This is a Month 2 deliverable, not an afterthought.
Performance management becomes performative. The most common failure mode for the performance system described in this plan: managers complete the forms, goals are documented, and nothing changes in how people are actually managed day-to-day.	Med	Process exists, behaviour doesn't change	Manager training (Month 4–6) is the primary mitigation. HRBP audit of 1:1 frequency via engagement data is the detection mechanism. If a manager's team scores consistently low on 'I receive regular, useful feedback' — the HRBP names this directly.

Building the PeopleOperating Systemat Telinno

Building the People
Operating System
at Telinno