Senior National Training Design and Institutionalisation Expert (Public Health Emergencies)

FED TA: Development of a Surge Capacity Training Package for Public Health Emergencies in Pakistan

Programme Overview 

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 primary objective of this initiative is to develop a modular, context-specific Surge Capacity Building Package for Pakistan’s multisectoral workforce. Specifically, it will:

• Define thematic categories and minimum essential training modules for various sectors engaged in public health emergency response, including competencies needed for pre-, during-, and post-deployment phases
• Identify target cadres and priority audiences across human health, animal health, environmental health, food safety, rescue services, and digital systems
• Propose simulation-based exercises and toolkits aligned with the training modules (Some modules may be proposed for online course adaptation in future)
• Establish institutional pathways for sustained ownership, implementation, and roll-out at federal and provincial levels

The final output will serve as a national reference package for technical assistance and investment in multisectoral surge workforce capacity building in Pakistan.

Scope of Work and Methodology

The development of Pakistan’s multisectoral surge capacity training package must be informed by practical considerations that balance global guidance with local realities. The aim is to adopt a systematic approach that builds on the consultative foundation laid during the PMHWS development while responding to specific training needs for public health emergencies.

The following considerations are proposed to guide the technical approach:

• Targeted Desk Review: Examine key global, regional, and national documents to identify relevant training frameworks and capacity-building tools. This includes references such as the IHR Benchmarks 2023, JEE 2023, PMHWFS, various surge capacity modules/packages like Incident Command & Management System (ICMS), Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP) curricula, Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) and WHO The Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) materials and other best practices.
• Focused Stakeholder Input and Training Needs Confirmation: Engage sectoral institutions to validate and prioritise training needs through rapid consultations or structured interviews. A targeted Training Needs Assessment (TNA) may draw on IHR competencies and sector benchmarks.
• Collaborative Design Across Sectors: Apply a One Health lens in designing modular and adaptable content. Include cross-cutting themes such as gender, equity, psychosocial wellbeing, and digital tools.
• Propose Module Clusters and Content Areas: The training package must be structured around modular, competency-based clusters that reflect global best practices and align with Pakistan’s national strategies. These clusters are intended to equip multisectoral personnel with core knowledge, operational readiness, and sector-specific skills essential for effective surge deployment during public health emergencies. The modules should be adaptable and suitable for integration into institutional curricula and training platforms. 
• Modular and Flexible: Each module should be stand-alone and interoperable, allowing phased delivery and adaptation to institutional settings (e.g., NIH, PHDCs, NDMA, veterinary and digital training centres).
• Competency-Based: Modules should define learning outcomes aligned with WHO/IHR capacities across deployment stages.
• Cross-Sectoral Participation: Training should support multisectoral cohorts, encouraging coordinated readiness across key sectors.
• Validation Through Core Group Engagement: Conduct validation workshops with key institutions to ensure alignment with WHO benchmarks and readiness for roll-out across platforms. Use these sessions to confirm roles and institutional ownership.
• Benchmarking and Relevance Checks: Compare the package with regional and global models to ensure quality and completeness, drawing lessons from WHO, FAO, ASEAN, and other surge training initiatives.

Focal points nominated by the Director General (Health) and Chief Executive Officer of NIH along with other relevant staff of the M/o NHSR&C, DOHs and line ministries & departments will be actively engaged, where possible, in the activity for capacity development regarding training design development. 

Responsibilities

The Training Design and Institutionalisation Expert (Public Health Emergencies) will work to achieve the following:

1. Joint Workplan
2. Modular Training Package
3. Simulation Exercise Toolkit
4. Institutionalisation Strategy

Timeline and Days

The level of effort (LOE) for the role is Maximum 55 days from Sep 2025 – Dec 31, 2025.

Requirement

Technical Expertise

• Postgraduate degree in public health.
• Minimum 15 years' experience in the relevant field.
• Strong understanding and experience in IHR and its capacities.
• Proven ability to design training content adaptable across human, animal, environmental health, food safety, and digital/emergency response sectors.
• Strong report writing and data analytics skills

Competencies

• Planning and delivering work
• Analysis and use of information
• Decision-making
• Working with others
• Demonstrated capacity to integrate multisectoral priorities into curriculum planning and collaborative training delivery across One Health domains.