Evidence for Health (E4H) is a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)-funded programme aimed at strengthening Pakistan's healthcare system, thereby decreasing the burden of illness and saving lives. E4H provides technical assistance (TA) to the Federal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and Punjab governments, and is being implemented by Palladium along with Oxford Policy Management (OPM).

Through its flexible, embedded, and demand-driven model, E4H supports the government to achieve a resilient health system that is prepared for health emergencies, responsive to the latest evidence, and delivers equitable, quality, and efficient healthcare services. Specifically, E4H delivers TA across three outputs:

Output 1: Strengthened integrated health security, with a focus on preparing and responding to health emergencies, including pandemics.

Output 2: Strengthened evidence-based decision-making to drive health sector performance and accountability.

Output 3: Improved implementation of Universal Health Coverage, with a focus on ending preventable deaths.

Position Summary

The overall objective is to organise HR management by utilising available evidence to enhance access to and coverage of health services. The specific objectives of this TA project are:

• Conduct a thorough review and analysis of the existing draft HRH Strategy previously developed by Who to identify strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement.
• Formulate a comprehensive enhancement plan for the HRH Strategy that effectively addresses both current and anticipated health workforce needs, including surge capacity for emergencies.
• Encourage inter-sectoral collaboration and partnerships to optimise the utilisation and impact of the health workforce.
• Ensure equitable access to healthcare services through strategic HRH planning and management, facilitating better health outcomes for all populations.
• To assess the availability, quantity, and distribution of human resources in both the public and private healthcare sectors
• Foster continuous professional development and training for health professionals to keep pace with evolving healthcare demands and maintain a skilled workforce.
• The team will undertake a comprehensive review of the existing HRH Strategy by analysing workforce distribution, demographics, skill gaps, and current HRH policies. Following this analysis, they will assess the available training and development programmes for health professionals.
• To gather diverse perspectives, the team will organise consultations with key stakeholders, including health service providers, DOH units, professional associations, and community representatives. Additionally, they will facilitate workshops and focus group discussions to collect valuable insights and recommendations.
• Based on their findings, the team will propose actionable strategies to enhance HRH, focusing on recruitment, retention, training, performance management systems, and professional development. They will also integrate mechanisms for surge capacity into the HRH Strategy to ensure preparedness for public health emergencies.
• They will also review HR functions from the district to provincial levels and suggest reorganisation for improved efficiency and effectiveness in HR management
• Furthermore, the team will recommend policies that address workforce regulation, governance, and accountability within HRH management. They will explore innovative financing mechanisms to support HRH initiatives and assess the capacity and production levels of both public and private medical colleges, nursing colleges, and paramedical institutes.
• Finally, the team will develop a roadmap outlining prioritised strategic actions for the next five years, including cost estimates, timelines, responsibilities, and monitoring mechanisms.

Responsibilities

The Health System Expert will work to achieve the following:

1. A detailed workplan in Excel Format outlining the scope and activities.
2. A four-page summary reviewing the HRH Strategy, highlighting strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for enhancement.
3. A two-pager brief on analysing current HR functions at district and provincial levels, identifying inefficiencies, and providing recommendations for reorganisation, including a proposed organisational structure and workflow improvements.
4. A brief outlining innovative financing mechanisms for HRH initiatives and evaluating the capacity and production levels of public and private medical colleges, nursing colleges, and paramedical institutes.
5. Revised HRH strategy.
6. An implementation roadmap and costing, incorporating recommendations for workforce development, retention, training, and surge capacity.
7. Dissemination of HRH strategy and implementation roadmap.

Timeline and Days

The level of effort for the role is 20 working days, from October – December 2024.

Requirement

Technical Expertise

• Strong understanding of health system components (service delivery, health workforce, information systems, access to essential medicines, financing, and leadership/governance) and how to strengthen them.
• Experience designing and implementing strategies to build government and institutional capacities at national and sub-national levels.
• Proven track record in supporting and implementing health sector reforms, particularly in developing or transitioning health systems.
• Skills in fostering partnerships between the health sector and other government or private entities to address social determinants of health.
• Ability to assess health expenditures and advocate for efficient resource allocation to support health system sustainability.

Competencies

• In-depth knowledge of health system frameworks and approaches for health system strengthening.
• Ability to engage with government, development partners, NGOs, and the private sector for health system strengthening.
• Proficiency in implementing monitoring and evaluation frameworks for health programs.
• Strong analytical skills to assess program performance and impact, using data for evidence-based decision-making.