Gillian McKay, DrPH
Humanitarian and Development Professional

Research

• Qualitative research. Doctoral thesis on the impact of the Ebola outbreak in Sierra Leone on family planning.

• Quantitative research. 300-household KAP-B survey in South Sudan on integrated health programming.

• Formative research. Community and health worker perspectives of IPC interventions during the 2018-19 DRC Ebola outbreak.

• Policy research. Knowledge management in health emergency responses for GOAL.

• Knowledge translation. Plain language policy briefs and research interpretations for NGOs, donors and MoH.

• Systematic literature review. Health systems resilience; Humanitarianism in epidemics.

• Research commissioning. Impact of men’s support groups on child nutrition and vaccination outcomes.

• Participatory research. Safe motherhood intervention identification in Ethiopia.​

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Strategy

• Innovation. Engaging Kenyan youth in family planning using “hackathons” for the Gates Foundation.

• Emergency response. National social and behaviour change strategy for the Sierra Leone Ebola response.

• Cross-pillar strategy. Development of the community engagement in IPC interventions strategy for areas with intense community reticence in the DRC's current Ebola response.

• Partnership. Reviews of NGO partners prior to funding awards and during grants for quality assurance with GOAL and WHO.

• Strategic development. Global community engagement and social behaviour change strategy for GOAL.

• Strategic review. GOAL’s gender policy and approach at headquarters and field levels.

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Technical Advising

• Best practice. Standard operating protocols for the UK’s world-wide deployable Emergency Medical Team.

• Training manual development. Climate change adaptation and sexual and reproductive health in Malawi.

• Monitoring and evaluation. Indicators and processes for social and behaviour change projects across GOAL.  

• Clinical policies and procedures. GOAL’s 100-bed Ebola Treatment Centre (ETC) in Port Loko, Sierra Leone.

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Fundraising and Representation

• Proposal development. Health, WASH, Nutrition, Gender and Research proposals.

• External representation. USAID, DfID, CDC, WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, Gates, World Bank, Paul G Allen and Governments.

• Media engagement. Radio and TV interviews, newspaper articles and blogs.

• Conference organisation. Learning lessons from Ebola with NGOs, UN agencies, academia and donors.

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Change Management

• Operational restructuring. Health and nutrition projects in GOAL Malawi after funding landscape review.

• Medical logistics. Pharmaceutical and medical supply and management for 3 Ebola Treatment Centres in DRC.

• Health systems strengthening. Transition of GOAL’s primary health units to the MoH in South Sudan.

• Value for money. Restructure of Ebola surveillance operations in Port Loko, Sierra Leone.

• Adaptive management. Adjust focus from construction to maintenance and use of latrines in GOAL Malawi.​

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Operations

• Needs and risk assessments. During Ebola outbreaks in Sierra Leone and DRC.

• Project start-up. Health and protection grant for Syrian refugees in Turkey.

• Coordination. Partnership lead for WHO's IPC sub-commission in Butembo, DRC in the 2018-19 Ebola outbreak.

• Clinic management. 20 primary health and nutrition care units in Twic County and Abyei, South Sudan.

• Staff training. Infection prevention and control training of 400+ high-risk zone ETC staff.

• Project evaluation. Cholera prevention program in Haiti.

Personnel Management

• Staff management. 30 international and 400+ national staff at the GOAL ETC in Port Loko, Sierra Leone.

• Technical hiring and supervision. Senior health staff in 15 GOAL country offices and during the WHO DRC Ebola response.

• Capacity building. Capacity review and training program for 200+ health and nutrition staff in South Sudan.