The Centre for Humanitarian Change (CHC), a humanitarian thinktank, in partnership with the University of Exeter (UK), is seeking two qualitative or mixed methods research fellows for high impact, action research on health system resilience to climate change.
About CHC
CHC brings together Kenyan and international expertise to provide professional research, assessment and learning to strengthen programming in fragile regions of Africa. Research by CHC focuses on aid and service delivery models (including health), and on the role of local organisations, in highly insecure and fragile areas. Through its work throughout East Africa and international partnerships, it is turning innovative learning into local capacity and evidence into action.
About the project
Extreme weather events, or climate shocks, cause physical injury and psychological trauma, and increase exposure to infectious diseases and malnutrition by disrupting food systems, the availability of safe water, and hygiene practices. As a result, demand for health and nutrition services can surge at a time when the functioning of a health system may itself have been disrupted by the climate shock (e.g. destroyed medical facilities, disrupted procurement, and absent staff).
HeRCS will address critical gaps in health systems’ capacity to anticipate and respond to such climate induced surges. From action research in northern Kenya, the project will (i) co-design and test a participatory toolkit for health facilities and communities to self-assess, monitor and enhance resilience capacities and (ii) develop and test an AI/machine learning model to forecast, and understand the drivers of, surges in the utilization of health and nutrition services. The tools will enable health actors to know and forecast the status of climate-related morbidities and malnutrition in communities and health facilities, and where and when to take appropriate action.
HeRCS, a two-year project, is part of the Climate Adaptation and Resilience Programme (CLARE), a UKCanada research programme aiming to enable socially inclusive and sustainable action to build resilience to climate change and natural hazards in Africa and Asia-Pacific.
HeRCS has two research fellow opportunities available. The first Research Fellow will focus on the resilience of the formal health system (health facilities and Ministry of Health) and the second Research Fellow on the resilience of communities.
About Research Fellow 1 (Work Package 1)
You will design, conduct and manage innovative research and policy advice on the resilience of the formal health system in Kenya to climate change (Work package 1). You will analyse the potential of the Surge Approach to strengthen the resilience of health facilities through desk review, workshops with experts, and learning activities with a sample of health facilities in the counties of Turkana and Marsabit in northern Kenya. Based on this analysis, you will co-design a new participatory approach for health facilities and sub-counties to assess their resilience and pre-plan actions to respond to surges and strengthen their long-term resilience to climate shocks. You will lead- and co-author high impact journal articles and policy outputs and contribute to organising learning workshops with national and international health and climate policy makers and practitioners.
Main duties and responsibilities
• Desk review to assess the Surge Approach against resilience capacity domains
• Organisation and co-facilitation of online learning workshop with experts to identify the gaps and opportunities for the Surge Approach for climate resilience
• Organisation and conducting of field research (interviews, workshops and analysis of secondary data) with a sample of health facilities already utilising the Surge approach in Turkana and Marsabit
• Co-design a methodological handbook for health facility climate resilience, building on the Surge Approach Handbook
• Training and supervision of field assistants
• Data collection from piloting methodology at health facility and sub-county levels
• Qualitative data analysis
• Authoring and co-authoring policy reports and scientific publications
• Engage in wider CLARE programme activities
• Contribute to the development of proposals and expressions of interest for future funding
About Research Fellow 2 (Work Package 2)
You will lead the design and implementation of impactful research and policy advice on the resilience of the community health system in Kenya to climate change (Work package 2). You will analyse the drivers and system processes associated with community surges in demand for health and nutrition services. You will then co-design and pilot a highly innovative approach and toolkit for assessing the climate resilience of local communities in the counties of Turkana and Marsabit in northern Kenya. You will lead and coauthor high impact journal articles and policy outputs and contribute to organising learning workshops with national and international health and climate policy makers and practitioners.
Main duties and responsibilities
• Lead a desk review and co-facilitate systems mapping of drivers and processes associated with malnutrition and morbidity surges in communities
• Lead a desk review of community-based actions that can address surges and build community health system resilience
• Co-develop a Community Health Systems Resilience Analysis toolkit (to include a diversity of participatory systems and community-based methods)
• Training and supervision of field assistants • Data collection from the piloting of the toolkit
• Qualitative data analysis
• Authoring and co-authoring policy reports and scientific publications
• Engage in wider CLARE programme activities
• Contribute to the development of proposals and expressions of interest for future funding
About you
Essential
• Education: PhD or equivalent qualification/experience in social sciences, international development, humanitarian studies, health, nutrition, geography or other related field of study.
• Skills: Confident in qualitative research methods, data collection and analysis; strong problemsolving, analytical and critical thinking skills; curiosity and an ability to provide theoretical and conceptual inputs; excellent written and verbal communication and facilitation skills; proficiency in qualitative data analysis coding and software (e.g. Nvivo); and a track record of writing and publishing.
• Attributes: A burning ambition for your research to have a major societal impact; self-motivated; detail-oriented; and able to work independently and as part of a team.
• Languages: Fluency in English (reading, writing, and speaking)
Desirable:
• Experience of conducting participatory research
• Skills in quantitative analysis of secondary data
• Experience working in northern counties of Kenya and/or other fragile areas
• Experience working with Kenyan communities
• Expertise in health systems and/or resilience
• Demonstrable experience/interest in climate and health
• Existing relationships with Ministry of Health and partners in Kenya
• Experience of providing training and supervision
• Research project and budget management experience
The position is full-time, but we will consider applications from those who need to work slightly less than full-time (e.g. because of care or other responsibilities).
Key relationships and contacts:
• Supervisors: Peter Hailey (CHC Director/Work Package 1 lead); Dr Matt Fortnam (CHC Associate and University of Exeter/Work package 2 lead)
• Internal: CHC Directors, HeRCS Research Fellows, HeRCS project manager, and field assistants
• External: Dr Tinkle Chugh and Work Package 3 Research Fellow (Computer Science, University of Exeter); project partners, including government bodies and international and national NGOs/IGOs; academic and practice steering group members.
What we offer
• Competitive salary subject to experience and qualifications
• Freedom and the support to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting and impactful research
• Flexible working
• Opportunities to build professional networks via the CLARE programme and CHC’s academic and policy networks
• Health insurance
Please submit your CV/resume (including at least two referees), cover letter, and an example of your
writing that demonstrates your research and writing skills to [email protected] and
[email protected] by close of 6 January 2025.
Your application will be considered for both Research Fellow positions, but, if you have a preference, please state it in your cover letter. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
For further information, please contact Peter Hailey ([email protected] ) and/or Matt
Fortnam ([email protected] )
