TA Title: Technical Support To H&PD Through Embedded Public Health Expert

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 Government of Punjab has committed to advancing Universal Health Coverage (UHC) through strategic reforms, the development of a provincial UHC Roadmap, and the institutionalisation of data-driven decision-making within the Health and Population Department (H&PD). In support of this agenda, a Delivery Unit (DU) was established as an operational arm of the Secretary Health to coordinate the implementation of UHC reforms, monitor progress and enable strategic course correction. While the DU has contributed to bridging planning and execution, its effectiveness is limited by gaps in public health analytical expertise and the lack of embedded technical support.

• At the same time, the Health Information and Service Delivery Unit (HISDU)—tasked with routine data collection and reporting—produces large volumes of service delivery data but lacks the technical capacity for transforming this data into actionable insights. Critical analytical functions such as denominator derivation, equity disaggregation, and UHC tracer indicator synthesis remain underdeveloped, resulting in fragmented data flows and limited use of evidence in reform tracking and performance oversight.
• These institutional challenges are compounded by the absence of an experienced dedicated public health expertise within both DU and HISDU, undermining the ability to align reforms with UHC indicator frameworks or inform high-level decision-making. Opportunities for adaptive policy design and data triangulation.
• To address these gaps, the Health and Population Department, with support from the Evidence for Health (E4H) Programme, will deploy an embedded Public Health Expert. The expert will support the DU and HISDU by enhancing technical capacity for UHC indicator alignment, strengthening real-time monitoring systems, and facilitating the use of data for evidence-informed reform implementation and accountability.

Strategic Approach

The Punjab UHC Roadmap provides the strategic foundation for health sector reform, guiding implementation across the H&PD. While notable progress has been made—especially in district-level monitoring and reform coordination—persistent technical and institutional gaps have limited the roadmap’s full operationalisation, particularly at the primary care level.

• The DU, established as the Secretary Health’s operational arm, plays a central role in tracking UHC implementation. However, the absence of embedded public health expertise limits its ability to translate roadmap priorities into actionable strategies and monitor real-time progress.
• HISDU remains an essential but underutilised actor in routine data generation and reporting. The lack of analytical depth—such as UHC tracer indicator derivation, denominator estimation, and equity disaggregation—constrains its capacity to support performance reviews and reform decision-making.
• Given Punjab’s evolving reform priorities and UHC Social Coverage Index (SCI) targets, there is increasing pressure to align health data flows, indicator frameworks, and departmental decision-making with both national and global benchmarks.
• Deploying an embedded Public Health Expert within both DU and HISDU presents a strategic opportunity to close these capacity gaps, enable data-policy translation, and institutionalise integrated monitoring and accountability mechanisms.

Through this TA, E4H will provide catalytic, embedded technical support to reinforce UHC reform tracking, enhance institutional coordination, and promote the routine use of data to inform system-level decision-making.

Objective

The overall objectives of the technical support are:

• To strengthen the institutional capacity of the DU and HISDU through the deployment of an embedded Public Health Expert, enabling enhanced tracking of UHC implementation and system performance.
• To improve the analytical use of routine health data by supporting denominator logic, composite UHC indicator development, and alignment with provincial and global UHC frameworks.
• To support the operationalisation of the UHC Roadmap by translating strategic goals into district-level targets, reform milestones, and performance dashboards.
• To facilitate coordination between data producers (HISDU) and users (H&PD leadership, and policy planners) to bridge data and decision-making gaps.
• To build institutional capacity and strengthen the health system through mentoring, tool development, and training of DU and HISDU staff, fostering long-term sustainability in data-driven governance—data dictionary.

These objectives will collectively enable the H&PD to strengthen its reform oversight mechanisms, drive equity-focused service delivery, and improve Punjab’s progress on UHC SCI indicators through evidence-informed action.

Scope of Work and Methodology

The embedded Public Health Expert will work across the DU and HISDU to enhance the technical and institutional capacity required for effective UHC reform implementation in Punjab. Co-located within the H&PD, the expert will serve as a key technical resource, supporting performance monitoring, analytical translation of routine data, and alignment of UHC indicators with policy targets.

The Technical Assistance (TA) will be delivered through a phased, embedded support model, focused on capacity building, data triangulation, and system-level integration.

The scope of work will follow five core phases:

Phase 1: Orientation and Technical Scoping

• Engage DU and HISDU teams to understand current analytical routines, reform priorities, and key bottlenecks.
• Review UHC Roadmap, existing monitoring frameworks, and HISDU’s data architecture.
• Align expectations and define coordination channels with key stakeholders.
• Prepare and present an Inception Slide Deck detailing the TA objectives, deliverables, entry points, and technical coordination plan.

Phase 2: Data Review and Indicator Mapping

• Conduct a technical assessment of routine data sources to assess completeness, disaggregation, and relevance to UHC SCI indicators.
• Map existing indicators against the Punjab UHC Roadmap and Provincial Essential Package of Health Services (EPHS).
• Develop methodologies for denominator construction and composite indicator development to enhance HISDU analytics.
• Identify duplications or gaps in data reporting and propose alignment strategies to improve data interoperability and dashboard utility.

Phase 3: Embedded Support and Capacity Building

• Mentor HISDU analysts on using analytical tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, or equivalent) for data synthesis, equity disaggregation, and trend analysis.
• Design or refine dashboards and tracking tools to support timely visualisation of reform progress across UHC proxy areas.
• Facilitate institutional learning sessions on data use for accountability and evidence-based planning.

Phase 4: Policy Translation and Reform Alignment

• Translate analytical findings into policy briefs, implementation guidance notes, and advocacy materials for the Secretary Health and CM oversight forums.
• Collaborate with DU team to identify implementation bottlenecks and jointly propose corrective actions.
• Establish or strengthen internal feedback loops between HISDU (data producers) and policy units (data users), with clear decision-making triggers.

Phase 5: Handover and Sustainability Planning

• Document tools, templates, workflows, and SOPs developed during the TA to support long-term institutional use.
• Develop a phased transition and sustainability plan with clearly assigned roles for DU and HISDU staff.
• Deliver a Final Slide Deck summarising TA achievements, capacity gains, and remaining gaps.
• Support final presentations to H&PD leadership and ensure alignment with future TA priorities under the E4H programme.

This embedded and adaptive methodology ensures that the TA remains technically robust, context-responsive, and focused on building durable institutional capabilities. By fostering sustained engagement with DU and HISDU staff, the TA aims to catalyse a shift towards routine use of health data for policy reform, equity-focused planning, and strategic oversight of UHC implementation.

Timeline and LOE

Aug 2025 – Feb 2026

108 days

Requirements:

Technical expertise

Masters in public health, health systems, epidemiology, or related field. 10 years of overall experience. With familiarity in health data analytics, UHC indicator tracking, or implementation of reform initiatives. Proven experience working with government health institutions and interpreting routine data for policy and planning.

Competencies

Analysis and use of information; Planning and delivering work; Technical accuracy; Capacity building; Collaboration with partners

Deliverables/KPIs

1. Inception report and presentation with detailed technical approach and work plan
2. Data review and indicator mapping report
3. Implementation Readiness Assessment Note
4. UHC Analytics Toolkit
5. Final report with slide deck