Brief on the Organization:

The Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) is working towards building a healthier India. It is helping to address the limited institutional and systems capacity in India by strengthening education and training, advancing research and technology and facilitating policy and practice in the area of Public Health. PHFI is headquartered in New Delhi with national presence through its constituent units of regional Indian Institutes of Public Health (IIPHs) and Centers of Applied Research in core public health themes. The Foundation, established in 2006 as a public private initiative, is governed by an independent board comprising of senior government officials, eminent Indian and International academic and leaders, civil society representatives and corporate leaders.

Project brief:

Are citizens of Delhi willing to stop using private vehicles for their daily office commute in order to reduce air pollution and related ailments – a contingent valuation study- Maintaining air quality is one of the biggest challenges in urban planning, public health and governance requiring multi-pronged approaches aimed at different stakeholder groups. According to Greenpeace estimates, twenty-two of the worlds’ most polluted cities are in India. Delhi remains the most polluted capital in the world. The National Capital Region of Delhi accounts for five of the top eleven most polluted cities in India. Air pollution has been associated with higher risks of cardio vascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma and lung cancer. Prolonged exposure to traffic related air pollution has also been associated with higher risks of lymphocytic leukaemia and mental health issues. Ambient traffic related air pollution has been found to be associated with reduced cognitive function in older men. Increased vehicular traffic in big cities is a major cause of air/noise pollution, road traffic accidents and loss pf productivity caused by longer commutes caused by traffic congestion. Traffic related air pollution can be significantly controlled by reducing the number of vehicles on the roads. Encouraging the use of public transport is one of the most important interventions aimed at reducing vehicular congestion and resultant air pollution. Governments across the world have heavily invested in the development of public transport systems and have looked for means of engaging with citizens to encourage the use of public transport. The current study aims at assessing the willingness of the residents of Delhi to stop using their private vehicles and shift to public transport. The study will also assess the current attitudes and perceptions towards the current public transport system. The study will use a contingent valuation method (CVM) to determine the willingness to pay of private vehicle users to continue using their vehicles for their daily office commute. CVM has been widely used to assess impacts of environmental sustainability and to value air quality improvements including to value health impacts of air pollution. A similar study in Malaysia lead to important policy interventions. Apart from providing information on perceptions and attitudes of commuters towards the current public transport system, the study will provide information on the economic value placed by commuters on private transportation and provide an estimate of the welfare gain associated with it. It will also provide information on the possibility of new interventions such as imposing additional fees/taxes on private vehicle use to encourage the use of public transport as well as indicate the optimum amount of such taxes/fees that will discourage the use of private vehicles. This is especially important in the Delhi National Capital Region given the huge amount of investments in the Delhi Metro and the feeder transport services across the city and suburbs.

Objectives of this study is – 1. To assess and summarise evidence on contingent valuation studies identifying the willingness to pay (WTP) or willingness to Accept (WTA) of private vehicle users to continue to use private transport modes or shift to public transport respectively. 2. To assess the attitude and perceptions of private vehicle users in Delhi on the current public transport system, air pollution in Delhi and related morbidities. 3. To assess the willingness of private vehicle users to shift to public transport for their daily commute to office and determinants thereof. 4. To assess the willingness to pay of private vehicle users to continue using their private vehicles for their daily commute to office and associated welfare gain.

Deliverables:

Initiate and complete the literature reviews as per study proposal
Develop complete protocols for each review
Execute the search strategies
Complete the data synthesis from the selected articles as per protocol
Complete the literature review reports in consultation with the PI
Finalise tools of data collection
Supervise/ Coordinate other researchers involved in the project
Supervise/ Coordinate third party vendors of the project.
Supervise/ Coordinate training of field workers
Supervise/ Coordinate and undertake data collection
Complete data analysis
Complete and finalise research report in consultation with the PI
Develop manuscripts based on the research and prepare for publication
Prepare and deliver presentations of the study in conferences/meetings as necessary.
Supervise student interns working in the project
Develop proposals on related issues and present for funding.
Contribute to teaching/training activities as necessary.
Liaison with ICMR and other Governmental departments for compliance or reporting as necessary.
Ensure compliance with ICMR requirements as per the contract.
Liaison with other agencies as necessary.
Liaison with other departments of IIPHD and PHFI as and when required including- Research and Operations.
Complete data collection and data analysis as per protocol.
Ensure archival and storage of data as per protocol.
Complete final research report.
Travel as and when required.
Any other related tasks as assigned by the PI

Qualification:

Desirable:

Relevant level of qualification in Public Health
Specific courses undertaken in economic evaluation/contingent valuation
Specific courses undertaken in systematic reviews
Qualification in health economics
Qualification in research methods, especially quantitative methods

Experience:

Desirable:

Around 2 Years of experience in conducting literature reviews
Experience in primary research
Experience in data analysis
Experience in scientific writing
Past experience in conducting primary research, especially in HTA project will be an advantage.

Process to Apply:

Interested and eligible candidates may send their updated CV to recruit@phfi.org (CV file- pdf or word, should be named in the format name_surname) and fill the application form– https://forms.office.com/r/zPVcn6FSNU . Please mention the exact Position Code (IIPHD-SRSAT-200) in the email subject line. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the interview.

Please note that Annual Salary (CTC) will commensurate with available skills and fitment of the incumbent as per the selection process.

Last Date of Receipt of Applications: May 29, 2023

To apply for this job email your details to recruit@phfi.org