Personal bio
Ms Shophika has been working in health and social research for more than a decade. During these years, she has led and managed research projects of different nature and scale particularly in health sector, which methodologically include implementation research, evaluation research, national level surveillance study, large-scale survey and qualitative method using participatory approaches. Her engagement in different areas in various projects (health system resilience, gender and intersectionality, non-communicable disease, TB and tobacco, nutrition and family planning) proves her expertise in implementation and evaluation research. Having a keen interest in health systems research, her current engagements are focused on health systems strengthening projects, mainly by identifying gaps in health system capacities to cope with shocks and stressors, and co-creating and co-planning models with stakeholders at systems and community to support building resilient health systems at national and sub-national levels. She also has a good experience of literature and policy reviews and analysis. She is engaged in promoting use of evidence in policy actions and health agendas through publications, development of policy briefs, discussion paper and through stakeholder engagement. She works as Senior Manager: Health System Research, Evaluation and Learning at HERD International and is a member of Senior Management Team.
Work undertaken that best illustrates capability to handle the tasks assigned
- Co-Investigator: Project –ReBUILD for Resilience (May 2020 – April 2026), implemented by HERD International, funded by FCDO/Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
- Co-Investigator: Project – Partnership for Equity and Inclusion (Oct 2020-Nov 2021), implemented by HERD International, funded by UKRI/University of Leeds, UK, a research study (mix of qualitative and policy review) assessing gender and intersectionality in health information system.
- Co-Investigator: Study- Understanding health system resilience to respond to COVID-19 in a federalized context in Nepal (Oct 2020-Nov 2021), funded by FCDO
- Research lead: Project – Factors affecting stock-out of essential medicines in government health facilities of Nepal (June 2018-Aug 2019), implemented by HERD International, funded by USAID.
- Research lead: Project – Improving access to Diabetes Care in Nepal, a 3-year operational research (May 2016-February 2019), implemented by HERD International, funded by World Diabetes Foundation, Denmark.
- Research lead: Project – Tobacco cessation within TB programs, (Nov 2016-Dec 2019), multi-country study, funded by European Commission/ University of York, UK.
- Research lead: Project – Survey for urban equity (SUE), a 2-year mixed methods research study (April 2017-March 2019), conducted by HERD International, funded by Medical Research Council/University of Leeds, UK.
- Research lead: Project – Strengthening implementation of Multi-Sector Nutrition Plan (MSNP), a national level project (Mid 2016-April 2017) implemented by HERD Nepal in 30 districts, funded by European Commission/UNICEF.
- Co-Investigator: Project – National Nutrition Sentinel Based Surveillance, (mid 2016-December 2017), conducted by HERD Nepal for Child Health Division, Ministry of Health, funded by European Commission/UNICEF.
- Research lead: Project – Strengthening National Family Planning Program, 2-year evaluation studies of 3 family planning interventions of national significance in Nepal (mid-2014 to mid-2016) conducted by HERD International, co-funded by DFID and USAID.