PN 03 - Ongoing Recruitment: STTA – Junior Level National – Analyst (Service Capacity) UHC Delivery Unit

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 (2023-2027) provides technical assistance (TA) to Punjab and also to the Federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) governments. The Punjab component is being implemented by Palladium along with Oxford Policy Management (OPM).

Through its flexible, embedded, and demand-driven model, E4H Punjab will support 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 will deliver 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.

E4H-Punjab works in partnership with the Punjab Department of Health (DOH).

Terms of reference

Background and Problem Statement

Accelerating the implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) is one of the core objectives and key thematic areas of the Evidence for Health (E4H) Programme in Punjab. Under SDG 3.8, UHC is considered the best investment in human capital and a foundational driver of sustainable and inclusive economic growth and development.

In Punjab, the SCI was slightly higher than the national average, at 53.8 in 2022. A notable milestone was the finalisation of the UHC Benefit Package/Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) by the provincial government in 2021. This comprehensive package underscores the government’s commitment to UHC by ensuring the provision of essential health services to all residents of Punjab, marking a significant step towards improving population health and achieving UHC.

Despite these efforts, UHC implementation in Punjab faces significant challenges on governance, accountability, and use of data systems for evidence based decision making. There are also socioeconomic and geographic disparities in healthcare access across the province, particularly in the southern regions where SCI scores remain low. The Primary & Secondary Healthcare Department (P&SHD) plans to enhance UHC investments and optimise existing resources while maintaining rigorous service delivery monitoring.

Strategic Approach

The E4H Programme will provide Technical Assistance (TA) to establish a delivery unit to monitor the roadmap for UHC. Creating this unit must align with expanding the existing Family Planning Delivery Unit under the DAFPAK programme.

This TA Package in Punjab will be linked with three other ongoing/or proposed activities including:

• The Government of Punjab has adopted a roadmap approach for six priority areas, including the health sector.
• The Health Sector Reform Plan (HSRP) 2024-2029 for Punjab encompasses reviving the Roadmap approach for comprehensive reforms, revamping Basic Health Units (BHUs) and Rural Healthcare Centres (RHCs) with substantial investments, shifting the focus on family planning to healthcare facilities, outsourcing facility management and community health workers, launching mobile health units under the Chief Minister Clinic on Wheel Initiative, implementing EMR and HMIS for data integration, enhancing preventive care with new vaccine and improved immunisation services, continuing and revising Universal Health Insurance, formulating a Stunting Reduction Programme, and developing a significant initiative to address non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and Hepatitis C.

  Economics

• In the budget—in the first three months—four schemes cost around PKR 40 billion to rehabilitate and revamp BHUs and RHCs. These are part of the provincial Annual Development Plan (ADP).

• The Delivery Unit will be housed within HISDU. It will act as the secretary's operational arm to ensure that the P&SHD’s UHC roadmap is implemented, monitored, and reviewed to ensure any strategic interventions at the Secretary’s level.

• To enhance the Delivery Unit's operational support, E4H plans to execute a parallel TA focusing on developing the UHC roadmap. This strategic TA aims to engage key stakeholders at the level of the Health Minister for P&SHD and the Chief Minister. It is designed to facilitate the UHC Steering Committee's reestablishment, ensuring that UHC SCI's improvements are achieved through combined strategic and operational efforts.

• The successful implementation of the roadmap should improve UHC SCI across all districts in the province.

• The Delivery Unit will take advantage of the improved data flow following the execution of the TA of data governance that E4H is concurrently providing and report quarterly to the Roadmap Oversight Team housed in the Chief Minister’s (CM) office in Punjab.

It is important to note that given Punjab’s current UHC SCI score, the country’s strained economic resources, and the CM’s roadmap approach, the Delivery Unit will prioritise the primary care level as the first phase of the health sector reform strategy. The fact that Punjab has historically focused on tertiary care also factors into this strategic priority for the province now.

Objectives

(The unit will be providing support to the Secretary Health and the CM to hold the department accountable through regular performance stocktakes).

Sub-objectives

Scope of Work

Phase 1: In the first phase, the Delivery Unit is expected to establish a solid foundational strategy aligned with the UHC roadmap and provincial health policies. This may include, among other tasks:

Checkpoint(s)

• Conduct a kick-off workshop to align the Delivery Unit’s strategic objectives with the UHC roadmap

  Social Sciences

• Establish an understanding of clear goals, responsibilities, and timelines for the Delivery Unit

• Approval of TORs and action plan by the Secretary

Phase 2: In the second phase, the Delivery Unit is expected to execute the action plan and ensure coordination among various stakeholders and decision-makers, which is essential for UHC implementation and decision-making.

• Implement a monitoring system to track progress against the UHC roadmap using indicators identified through a rigorous consultative process between the P&SHD and the CM office.

• Report the data to the CM’s health roadmap focal points and present data in quarterly stocktakes.

• Utilise data analytics to provide the Secretary with insightful, actionable feedback for Department’s internal monthly review (CEOs, Medical Superidentent, DC IRMNCH&N Conferences).

• Oversight on UHC implementation trends, challenges, and opportunities such as:

  • Set up an integrated data dashboard connected to data flowing into HISDU that collates real-time data.
  • Monitor the progress in relevant data indicators in the province and develop KPI to highlight equity gaps through disaggregation of data by region (North, Centre & South), districts, poverty and other possible equity indicators.

• Provide the Secretary with policy briefs, talking points, and advocacy briefs presenting the need for financial and non-financial resources. This will enable the Secretary to advocate for sustained investment in UHC implementation.

• Focal points within the Department, specifically from HISDU, will be identified for capacity building to carry out the Unit's functions, especially the capacity to analyse data to facilitate evidence-based decision-making.
• The analytics, policy briefs, reports etc developed by the Unit will be disseminated on regular basis on the Government forums such as CEOs, Medical Superidentent, DCs IRMNCH&N Conferences and any other learning events organised by Departments.
• The Unit will identify any possible areas where they can help cross validate data collected by the MERL component of this Programme such as Health Facility Assessment findings. Conversely, the Unit’s deliverables such as policy briefs and analytics can be reviewed by the Programme’s MERL team. This collaborative effort will further help identify areas for implementation research.

Expected Deliverables, Outputs, Outcomes

All team members of the Delivery Unit will be engaged through results/deliverables-based contracts. Each consultant will have a monthly deliverable in the form of a progress report detailing the exact nature and expected outputs of their TA over the previous month. The TA delivered in the progress report will be assessed for quality by the P&SHD and E4H. Achievement against quality will be used as criteria for final sign-off and payment by the Consortium Partners.

Deliverables / KPIs

• Kick-off workshop slide deck.
• Quarterly snapshot
• Quarterly Progress Presentation & Report (template, equity disaggregated data, stockouts (actionable recommendations) Tracker of the recommendations, prioritising the top ones.
• Annual UHC monitoring report
• Policy and advocacy briefs for the Secretary

Position Title:

Analyst (Service Capacity) – UHC Delivery Unit (Junior National)

Duty Station: Lahore (embedded within the Health & Population Department)
Duration / LOE: June 2024 – March 2025, full-time (LOE 100 days – subject to change until the start of the TA)
Reporting To: Associate (RMNCH & Service Capacity) / Provincial Team Leader / E4H Programme Team

Role Purpose

Key Roles & Responsibilities

• Support analysis of Service Capacity & Access indicators under the UHC Roadmap.
• Track hospital bed density, health workforce availability, and facility readiness across districts.
• Contribute to data analysis, dashboards, presentations, and analytical briefs for internal and external stakeholders.
• Assist with KPI tracking and equity-focused data disaggregation (regional and district level).
• Coordinate with HISDU and relevant directorates to support monitoring of service capacity indicators.
• Support preparation of reports and policy briefs for roadmap monitoring and performance stocktakes.
• Undertake other tasks related to the UHC Roadmap as assigned by the Delivery Unit leadership.

Requirements

Technical Expertise

• BA/BSc in Public Health, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Public Policy or related field.
• 2–7 years relevant experience in health systems analytics, service delivery monitoring, or health facility performance analysis.

Core Competencies

• Analytical and quantitative data interpretation skills
• Ability to analyse health workforce and infrastructure indicators
• Strong reporting and presentation development skills
• Attention to detail and structured documentation
• Ability to collaborate effectively with programme teams and stakeholders
• Strong coordination and communication skills