TORs: National Senior-Level STTA – Team Leader

FED TA: Development of National Health and Population Policy (2024)

Programme

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.

Background and Problem Statement

The National Health Vision (NHV) (2016-2025) was developed as a unified health vision for Pakistan. It was endorsed by the federal and all provincial governments in 2016 and monitored regularly using localised health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) endorsed on 4 April 2018.

• Following the 18th Constitutional Amendment in 2010, and the devolution of health largely to the provincial governments from 1 July 2011, the federal government, as the custodian of residual health functions (federal legislative lists I & II) and as the main interface between the provinces and the international community, recognised the need to develop a vision/policy. This vision, aims at setting short- and medium-term goals aligned with SDGs, other international commitments, is critical to effectively fulfilling its constitutional obligations in the health sector.
•  In 2023, a third-party mid-term review (MTR) of the NHV 2016-25 started with the support of the Evidence for Health (E4H) Programme to assess progress against the Vision, including challenges and newly emerging issues and identify future, unified/ common health strategic priorities.
• After the MTR of the NHV (2016-25) the recommendations and findings, need to translate into the next iteration of NHV/ National Health & Population Policy (NHPP). This updated version should establish a set of unified strategic health priorities, while considering new realities and priorities of the ruling governments at national and provincial levels

Objectives

The overall objectives of the technical support will be:

• To share findings, results and recommendations of the MTR of NHV 2016-25 with key stakeholders at national and provincial/ area levels and develop consensus on the NHPP 2024’s vision, mission, principles and objectives.
• To define thematic areas and common strategic priorities/ actions 
• To develop a monitoring framework for the NHPP 2024 – including updating localisation of health-related SDGs

Scope of Work and Methodology

A team of consultants will be tasked with (1) developing the inception report following a quick literature review and preliminary discussions with key stakeholders; (2) using the evidence generated from the MTR of NHV (2016-25) and an inclusive consultative process, develop the NHPP 2024 with an updated monitoring framework.

The team will work closely with the Ministry of NHSR&C, provincial/ federating areas’ DOHs, and other stakeholders, including the public and private health sector, civil society organisations, development partners, academia, and community representatives. Below is a list of the sequence of activities the consultants will be expected to undertake.

• Conduct a quick desk review and preliminary meetings with the Ministry of NHSR&C & Partners to comprehend the progress of the implementation of NHV 2016-25, the 12th five-year plan, Pakistan Vision 2025, other multisectoral, sectoral, sub-sectoral, sub-national health strategies and results, the latest manifestoes of the political/ ruling parties and global commitments, while paying special attention to cross-cutting issues of climate change, equity and gender.  
• Quick review of the governance and coordination mechanisms for building stronger and more resilient health systems at national and provincial/area levels
• Identify key bottlenecks, challenges and barriers to the implementation of resilient health systems at the national and provincial levels.
• Assess health-related humanitarian and multi-sectoral issues and the status of capacities to tackle these challenges.
• Identify best practices and lessons learned up till now from the implementation of NHV 2016-25 reforms, interventions and programmes.
• Conduct a stakeholder mapping at national and provincial/ federating areas’ levels.
• Develop a methodology as a part of the inception report/ presentation for the development of NHV-II / NHPP 2024
• Conduct a round of national and provincial/federating area’ level consultations to disseminate results of the MTR of NHV (2016-25) and capture perspectives on the common strategic priorities for NHPP 2024
• Consult relevant line ministries at the federal level to ensure their buy-in in the NHV, also to capture the intersectoral mandate better.
• Develop a clear vision, mission, principles and objectives for the new policy through an inclusive consultative process.
• Identify new and nuanced health thematic pillars that may be different from the previous NHV (2016-2025) with key challenges, strategic vision/ actions for the remaining period of SDGs.
• Produce an updated monitoring framework (localised health-related SDGs) for the NHPP 2024 

Focal points nominated by the Ministry of NHSR&C and provincial/area DOH will be actively engaged, where possible, in developing a NHPP 2024.  

Timeline and LOE

The level of effort for the role is 50 working days, from May 2024 to July 2024.

Requirement

Technical Expertise

1. Post Graduate degree in public health, health policy.
2. Minimum of fifteen years' experience. International work experience will be preferred.
3. Development and implementation experience with reforms/ polices.
4. Strong convening and report writing and data analytics skills.

Competencies

1. Planning and delivering work.
2. Analysis and use of information
3. Decision making; Influencing.

Deliverables

1. Inception report in consultation with the Ministry of NHSR&C and Partners
2. Provincial/area and National Consultations
3. Final National Health and Population Policy (2024-30) with updated monitoring framework and incorporation of comments and suggestions
4. Launching and dissemination event