E4H KPTA: RESEARCH ASSOCIATE

We are seeking a Junior National Short-Term Technical Assistance (STTA) Research Associate to support the expansion and institutionalisation of Facility-Level Budgeting (FLB) and Expenditure Management Policy across 10 additional districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the Evidence for Health (E4H) programme. This role involves working closely with the Financial Management Cell (FMC) and District Health Offices (DHOs) to facilitate a government-led transition of FLB implementation, building capacity at provincial and district levels, and ensuring the sustainability of budgeting processes aligned with health sector priorities. The position requires active coordination, technical support, and mentoring to enable FMC and DHOs to independently manage facility-level budgeting and expenditure functions, contributing to improved health sector performance and accountability.

Key Responsibilities
- Support FMC-led orientation and mobilisation of 10 additional districts for FLB implementation, ensuring alignment with established government models and processes.
- Facilitate the selection and training of district focal persons/master trainers through competency-based Training-of-Trainers (ToT) programs, promoting standardisation and peer learning across 20 districts.
- Assist in planning and conducting Annual District Budget Seminars led by trained district focal persons, focusing on facility needs assessment, prioritisation, costing, and budget finalisation.
- Provide technical mentoring, quality assurance, and troubleshooting support during district-level budgeting exercises while allowing FMC and DHOs to lead implementation.
- Oversee consolidation of facility-level Annual Action Plans and budget estimates into unified district submissions for inclusion in the fiscal year Demand for Grant and Integrated Development Action Plans.
- Support FMC and government counterparts in transitioning from budget preparation to execution, including alignment of HR and financial management systems with facility-level cost centres.
- Facilitate the gradual handover of FLB implementation responsibilities from E4H to FMC, ensuring institutionalisation of tools, processes, and capacity-building mechanisms for future scale-up.
- Coordinate with relevant stakeholders including Health and Finance Departments, NHSP, and IFMIS to ensure integration of FLB within existing government frameworks and avoid parallel systems.

Required Qualifications
- Degree in finance, economics, public administration, data or health management, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years’ relevant experience in data collection and analysis, documentation, training logistics, and government coordination.
- Proven experience or familiarity with Facility-Level Budgeting (FLB), District Development Officer (DDO) functions, or public-sector budgeting and expenditure processes.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple district-level activities, ensure data quality, and support consolidation and evidence tracking efforts.
- Excellent communication and problem-solving abilities to facilitate collaboration among diverse government stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications and Benefits
- Experience working within government health systems or donor-funded health programmes is highly desirable.
- Exposure to capacity-building initiatives and mentoring in public financial management will be an advantage.
- Opportunity to contribute to a high-impact programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), working alongside leading international partners.
- Engagement in a structured transition model that promotes government ownership and sustainability of health sector budgeting reforms.

This assignment is scheduled from November 2026 to August 2027, with an estimated level of effort of 110 days. The role offers a unique opportunity to support systemic health financing reforms and build institutional capacity within Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s health sector.