Consulting and research projects

Syria Public Health Network (Ongoing)
  • Co-founded with Dr Fouad M. Fouad (American University of Beirut), Dr Aula Abarra (Imperial College), Dr Sharif Ismail (Imperial College), Dr Miriam Orcutt (University of Oxford) and Dr Anas Nader (Imperial) an independent network of key stakeholders (iNGOs, NGOs, government donors, academic researchers) working on health issues in Syria and neighbouring frontline countries. We provide advocacy, policy briefs and evidence reviews to donors, NGOs and UN agencies.
  • Organised of a series of policy workshop at the Royal Society of Medicine (March, September, 2015 and January 2016) involving 50 representatives from across the humanitarian response to examine key policy issues within the Syria health response.
  • Policy roundtable (June 2016) at Chatham House involving senior representatives from UN agencies / donors and policy makers from Lebanon and Jordan. ‘How to deal with non-communicable diseases in the Syrian refugee crisis’.
  • Forthcoming one day policy workshop: Options for supporting the Syrian health workforce. Centre on Global Health Security (CGHS) at Chatham House partner with the Syria Public Health Network (SPHN).
  • Website: http://syriahealthnetwork.org/

Policy briefs available below
  • Syria’s health: the silent burden of chronic diseases: Chatham House. Available at: http://syriahealthnetwork.org/attachments/article/34/NCD%20SPHN%20report.pdf
  • Mental Health. Available at: https://syriahealthnetwork.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/syria-mh-policy-brief_final.pdf
  • Syria’s health: an overview of current knowledge and policy priorities. Available at: https://syriahealthnetwork.files.wordpress.com/2016/02/syria-health-policy-brief_london-conf_final-3rdfebruary2016.pdf

Standing Committee for Economic and Commercial Cooperation of the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (COMCEC) (October 2015 – January 2016)

  • With Dr Rana Jawad (University of Bath) and Dr Hicham Mansour (University of Rabat).
  • Five country study of social protection and social welfare policies in Sierra Leone, Iran, Lebanon, Oman and Morocco.
  • Involved interviewing senior policy makers in each country, statistical analysis of the ComCec 57 country database and UN / World Bank data.
  • Report presented to the Turkish Government in February 2016.

Kings College, University of London, Department of Social Science, Health and Medicine. Sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council / Department for International Development (March 2015– March 2016)
  • With Dr Sridhar Venkatapuram (Kings College) and Pooja Mall (Consultant).
  • Evaluation and audit of 10 years of ESRC / DfID funded poverty alleviation development projects.
  • Project aims to assess the contribution of funded projects to the global health evidence base.

International Labour Organization, Geneva. Project conducted with Dr Brendan Burchell, University of Cambridge (July-August 2015)
  • Systematic review and analysis of the impact and effectiveness of self-employment programmes for young people globally.
  • Involved evidence review and statistical analysis of the ILO’s ‘School-to-Work Transition Survey’ (SWTS).

United Nations Research Institute for Social Development (UNRISD) (April 2015 to September 20 - June 2016)
  • Co-PI with Rana Jawad (University of Bath) and Dr Hicham Mansour (University of Rabat)
  • Book project – ‘New directions in Middle East Social Policy’ –Preparing policy report and audit on health and social protection systems in Jordan, Oman, Tunisia and Morocco.
  • Lead on ‘Social protection and welfare in Jordan’. Involved stakeholder interviews and policy audit of the Jordanian labour market.

United Nations Development Programme (Cairo, Egypt) (December 2014 – June 2015)
  • Policy report and mapping of social protection and health policies toward HIV prevention and control in Tunisia, Egypt, Algeria and Djbouti
  • Involves secondary data analysis and case study field interviews with government officials, NGOs and focus group discussions of persons living with HIV/AIDS.

International Alert (Lebanon) Lebanon (March 2014 – March 2015)
  • Policy and research advisor for the EU Instrument for Stability projects – ‘Strengthening health care systems in Lebanon’.
  • PI with Dr Fouad M. Fouad and Dr Chaza Akik on survey conducted in five Primary Health Care Centres to examine drivers and costs of segregation measures adopted in Primary Health Care settings to address tensions between Syrians and Lebanese.

Medicine du Monde (Lebanon) (January 2014 to June 2015)
  • Advisor for the National Health Access Survey, Lebanon.
  • Survey conducted in collaboration with UNHCR, The American University of Beirut, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health and the International Medical Corps.

UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) (September 2014 to April 2015)
  • Authored policy report on options and interventions for generating inclusive social development and community resilience in the Arab region.
  • Analysis of social protection, health care systems, labour markets, housing and access to land across the region.

Norwegian Refugee Council and UNHCR – Beirut (Multi Sector Needs Analysis)(February to April 2014)
  • Conducted extensive evidence review, policy assessment and audit of the humanitarian response for UNHCR and iNGOs.
  • Involved key informant interviews and analysis of secondary data on the health and basic needs situation of Syrian refugees and host communities in Lebanon.

International Labour Organization (ILO), Beirut, Lebanon      (Nov 2011 – December 2014)
  • Advisor: Provided technical assistance to Ministry of Labour, Lebanon on feasibility study of a Universal Healthcare Coverage scheme for Lebanon. Involved key informant interviews and cost benefit analysis.
  • Policy briefs on social protection policies in Jordan covering health, health services, active labour market programmes, pensions and child benefits. These will be used for a policy delegation to Jordan in early 2014.
  • Policy briefs on the health situation and access to health care in Lebanon and the region, social protection and the Kuwaiti labour market, Yemeni labour market.
  • Report on the cost effectiveness of HIV and TB screening in the MENA region.
  • Technical assistance to Jordanian government and Social Security Corporation in extension of health and welfare coverage. Interviews with key government policy makers and analysis of secondary data sets.
  • Designed national poll on public attitudes towards universal healthcare and social welfare in Lebanon.
  • Support for development of various policy briefs and statistical analysis for Jordanian and Palestinian social protection and welfare programmes.
 
ACTED and Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Amman, Jordan (August – October 2013)
  • Analysis and scoping of community tensions between Syrian refugees and host communities throughout Jordan.
  • Involved secondary data analysis and series of key stakeholder interviews with policy makers and UN / INGO / NGO community.
  • Provided recommendations for addressing NGO and donor response toward host communities.

Global Foundation for the Elimination of Domestic Violence  (2011 – Ongoing)
  • Lead researcher and advisor.
  • Extensive country assessments and policy briefings on domestic violence in Turkey, Jordan and Italy covering legislation and policy analysis.
  • Policy briefs used by Baroness Scotland of Asthal in political and policy delegations.
  • Conducted policy audits for Council of Europe on women’s rights, gender in the workplace and domestic violence.

PROGRESS – Unemployment, worklessness, social protection and health. European Union, Scottish Government (Sir Harry Burns). Based at University College London with Sir Michael Marmot.  (May 2011 – October 2012)
  • Created a systematic evidence base and designed benchmarking toolkit for European social protection, employment and health policies.
  • Evidence was used by Professor Michael Marmot in the ‘Social Determinants of health and the health divide’ report.

European Union (2010)
  • A seven-country evaluation study of education interventions aimed at promoting responsible alcohol consumption amongst young people in Europe.
  • Designed evaluation template and large-scale survey and analysis, managed and advised project coordinators, chaired meetings and disseminated results via presentations and reports.
 
UNICEF - Syria (2009-2010)
  • Evaluation and monitoring of the health effects of Child Friendly Spaces for refugee children in Damascus.
  • Writing policy reports on health of Iraqi refugee children, managing and analysing large data-sets, designing community surveys and liaising with UN staff and Syrian government officials.
 
International Labour Organization - Syria (2010)
  • Project and report examining the Syrian labour market, social welfare system and the potential economic and social impacts of the global economic crisis on Syria.
 
World Health Organization (WHO) and Strategic Review of Health Inequalities in England Post 2010 (Marmot Review)                                                                                     (2010)
  • Authored and co-authored two reports focusing on welfare to work (Active Labour Market Programmes) (New Deal) and policies aimed at tackling poverty and ill health amongst lone parents.

Ben Cave Associates (2006 – 2007)
  • Throughout my PhD and post PhD I provided consultancy services on health, economic and New Town developments to organisations at local, regional and international levels including The Home Office-UK Government, WHO, Mayors Office for London, European Union, London Health Commission, National Institute for Clinical Excellence, RAND Europe and New Deal for Communities. This work involved the Health Impact Assessment (HIA) of a variety of social and economic developments, policies and programmes in the UK and Europe.
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