IHCRF Innovation Fellow

About PHIA Foundation Partnering Hope Into Action Foundation (PHIA) is a Charitable Trust registered in Delhi in 2005. It works across multiple geographies on addressing issues which act as barriers for communities to thrive. PHIA’s focus has been on the disadvantaged and vulnerable communities who are left behind in the development interventions. PHIA works in partnership with multiple stakeholders including government, private sector, philanthropy institutions, civil society organisations, academic institutions and community-based organisations with this focus. Its interventions and programs are spread in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi NCR, Ladakh and Punjab. PHIA’s community centric work is on a range of issues including education, WASH, strengthening local governance, climate change adaptation, sustainable livelihoods through strengthening value chains benefiting communities, and food and nutrition security for communities. Central to PHIA’s vision is the belief that real transformation begins at the community level. By nurturing leadership, building capacities, and advocating for systemic change, PHIA turns hope into actionable solutions. Its evidence-driven programs have touched the lives of countless individuals, inspiring them to overcome challenges and thrive. About the Position India Health and Climate Resilience Fellowship (IHCRF) Program: The India Health and Climate Resilience Fellowship Programme (IHCRF) attempts to empowers healthcare actors to design and implement human-cantered solutions for primary healthcare challenges. The fellowship programme encourages innovation and continuous learning to create a responsive and resilient public health system. Job Summary: IHCRF Innovation Fellow is embed within district public health systems to diagnose real service-delivery bottlenecks, opportunities and co-design, test, and embed feasible improvements that strengthen climate-resilient, equitable delivery.

Job Description

A. Scope 1. Owns (accountable for producing and driving)

• A. Scope 1. Owns (accountable for producing and driving):
• A Double Diamond (Discover-Define–Develop–Deliver–Document) cycle for one prioritized district implementation gap at a time, including field triangulation beyond dashboards.
• A stakeholder map and engagement plan that secures buy-in and anticipates resistance/gatekeeping.
• Prototypes and real-world testing plans constrained to existing staff, budgets, and government routines (anti-pilotitis).
• Documentation outputs: decision-ready briefs and a learning asset/playbook capturing adaptations and implementation learnings. 2. Influences (recommends and aligns, without formal authority):
• District review cadences and routine platforms (facility reviews, VHSNC agendas) by embedding tools/processes into existing meetings.
• Priority-setting and adoption decisions through evidence, facilitation, and alignment to district incentives/priorities (e.g., visible wins/rankings). 3. Supports (enables others to deliver):
• Frontline teams and supervisors during implementation through coaching/troubleshooting to reduce burden and increase adoption.
• District leadership with structured problem framing and safe communication of field realities (without blame). B.

Key responsibilities

(grouped themes) 1. Diagnosis & problem framing

• (grouped themes) 1. Diagnosis & problem framing
• Conduct qualitative/ethnographic discovery with frontline providers and communities to surface real bottlenecks and lived experience.
• Triangulate dashboard narratives with field observation to reduce “green dashboard” distortions while maintaining trust.
• Build a system map (actors, incentives, feedback loops) and define one priority implementation gap with an explicit equity lens (including “extreme users”). 2. Co-design & prototyping
• Facilitate power-aware co-design with frontline staff, community platforms, and officials so marginalized voices are included.
• Design for the implementer by prioritizing workload reduction and incentive alignment for ASHAs/ANMs/MOICs (provider-centricity).
• Prototype and iterate solutions that are desirable for communities, feasible for administrations, and viable within existing constraints. 3. Delivery, embedding, sustainability
• Run real-world tests (not workshop-only outputs), iterate based on implementation feedback, and document what changed and why.
• Embed the improved tool/process into existing government routines and platforms to reduce handover failure and strengthen local ownership. 4. Stakeholder navigation & legitimacy
• Secure and maintain top-level buy-in (e.g., District Collector) and cultivate clinical/administrative champions to enable cross-silo adoption.
• Conduct politica

Core competencies (must-have) and preferred Must-have competencies

• Core competencies (must-have) and preferred Must-have competencies
• Applied human-centered, provider-centric design (from insights to testable improvements).
• Systems thinking and problem diagnosis (maps incentives/feedback loops; finds leverage points).
• Implementation discipline (real-world testing, adaptation documentation; avoids “pilotitis”).
• Political economy navigation (builds buy-in; manages gatekeeping/resistance).
• Power-aware facilitation and equity lens (includes marginalized voices; samples extreme users).
• Strong documentation and communication (decision-ready briefs; learning assets).
• Climate-risk integration mindset (applies climate lens in routine service delivery work). Preferred competencies
• Familiarity with implementation science frameworks (example referenced: CFIR).
• Prior

experience

embedded in or partnering deeply with Indian government systems. Minimum

qualifications

and preferred

qualifications

Minimum

qualifications

(competency-based)

• (competency-based)
• Demonstrated

experience

applying qualitative/HCD methods in complex social systems and converting insights into practical changes.

• applying qualitative/HCD methods in complex social systems and converting insights into practical changes.
• Demonstrated ability to map systems and manage implementation deliverables within timelines
• Demonstrated ability to work across district administration, health leadership, frontline workers, and community platforms. Alternative

experience

• bands
• Bachelor’s + 4 years relevant grassroots experience, or Master’s + 2 years field experien