Ongoing Recruitment – STTA Junior National

Ongoing Recruitment – STTA Junior National - Data Analyst. Evidence for Health (E4H) is a Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO)-funded programme aimed at strengthening Pakistan's healthcare system, providing technical assistance to Punjab, Federal, and KP governments, implemented by Palladium in partnership with Oxford Policy Management (OPM).

This TA supports the implementation of three outputs:

• Output 1: Strengthened integrated health security for preparedness and emergency response.
• Output 2: Strengthened evidence-based decision-making for accountability and performance.
• Output 3: Improved implementation of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

Background and Problem Statement

Despite Pakistan's progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC), persons with disabilities face barriers to equitable healthcare. The TA defines disability as long-term impairments which, with environmental and attitudinal barriers, hinder participation in society. Health equity and UHC require inclusive health systems. Global evidence shows persons with disabilities experience delayed care, poor health outcomes, and financial hardship due to inaccessible services.

Punjab hosts a significant share of health infrastructure and disease burden. Inclusivity remains under-integrated in infrastructure design, human resource development, and service protocols. There is currently no systematic data on the accessibility of health facilities for persons with disabilities in Punjab.

At policy level, Pakistan has disability inclusion commitments through:

• UNCRPD (ratified 2011) outlining the right to health without discrimination.
• National Policy for Persons with Disabilities
• Punjab Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act

Operationalising these commitments in health remains limited. The Punjab Health Sector Strategy (2019–2028) promotes equitable service delivery but does not fully address disability inclusion in facilities or operations. Global frameworks emphasize addressing physical, informational, communication, and attitudinal barriers.

The TA will conduct a structured assessment of public health facilities in selected urban and rural districts in Punjab to evaluate inclusivity of health services across infrastructure, staff capacity, and service delivery, benchmarked against national legislation and international best practices. The assessment will generate actionable recommendations and a prioritised roadmap for institutionalising disability-inclusive practices.

Strategic Approach

This TA is a direct ask from the Special Secretary (Operations), H&PD, and supports UHC reforms by identifying barriers to equitable access for persons with disabilities, contributing to SDG 3.8 and SDG 10.2. It aligns with Pakistan's Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS) and disability policies by translating commitments into reform actions and by supporting UNCRPD implementation.

It demonstrates E4H's demand-responsive model and complements other E4H efforts by embedding disability inclusion within existing platforms, strengthening coherence and reach of E4H programming.

Objectives

The specific objectives are:

• Assess the disability inclusion readiness of public health facilities across six districts in Punjab, evaluating infrastructure, service delivery, staff readiness, and processes against international benchmarks, and identify gaps.
• Generate actionable, system-level recommendations and a scalable assessment framework to inform inclusive health reforms and infrastructural upgrades, supporting institutionalisation of disability-responsive practices within Punjab's health system.

Domain & Description

• Physical Accessibility: Infrastructure, signage, ramps, restrooms
• Attitudinal Barriers: Staff attitudes, awareness, inclusion training
• Communication Barriers: Sign language, visual aids, etc.
• Financial Accessibility: Entitlements, subsidies, or costs

Scope of Work and Methodology

The TA encompasses a multi-phase assessment of 30 public health facilities across six districts in Punjab, focusing on accessibility and inclusivity for persons with disabilities. A mixed-methods approach will be used, including infrastructure assessments, interviews, and policy reviews, delivered over six months in five sequential phases.

Phase 1: Planning and Inception

• Engage with H&PD to finalise scope and stakeholder strategy.
• Select districts and facilities using stratified sampling to ensure diversity (e.g., BHUs, RHCs, DHQs, THQs).
• Develop an Inception Report with work plan, roles, risk mitigation, and contextual analysis.

Phase 2: Tool Development and Training

• Design data collection tools based on WHO guidance and best practices, with adaptable models.
• Customize checklists to capture physical access, service readiness, staff training, and patient dignity.
• Review relevant assessments to develop an applicable, context-specific checklist and methodology for Punjab.
• Develop training materials and conduct a field surveyor training workshop with pilots.

Phase 3: Field Assessment and Data Collection

• Deploy survey teams with a civil engineer, disability expert, and data analyst.
• Activities include physical assessments, staff interviews, patient feedback, and collection of photographic/geospatial evidence.
• Quality control through routine checks and centralized data monitoring.

Phase 4: Data Analysis and Interpretation

• Consolidate and clean data; identify recurring barriers and facility readiness scores.
• Map results against international standards and national benchmarks; prepare a feasibility matrix and assess scalability.

Phase 5: Reporting and Dissemination

• Draft facility-wise and consolidated reports; develop a technical policy brief and presentation for decision-makers.
• Hold a validation workshop with H&PD and stakeholders; incorporate feedback and deliver final outputs including a methodology guide and raw data archive.

Capacity Transfer, Sustainability and Transition Planning

This TA aims to ensure sustainability, capacity transfer, and transition by embedding disability inclusion into Punjab's health system and UHC; the Special Secretary (Operations) will be a focal point.

This TA will deliver a series of structured, aligned deliverables to support immediate decision-making and long-term institutional integration of disability-inclusive health system practices.

• Inception Report and Presentation
• Customized Assessment Tools
• Facility & Consolidated Reports
• Feasibility & Prioritization Matrix
• Final Report & Policy Brief

Position: Data Analyst

Level: Junior National

LOE: 126 days

Performance Period: Sep 2025 – Mar 2026

Role Requirements
Lead data cleaning, consolidation, quantitative analysis, and support dashboards/visualisations.

Technical Expertise

• Bachelor's/Master's in data science, public health, statistics, or related field.
• 5+ years' overall experience. Experience with data analysis & visualization.
• Proficient in Excel, Power BI, Python/R.

Note: The following items appear to be titles or references from other projects and are not part of the core TA description: TA:Institutionalisation of the Sustainable Training System through Developm....