Tizta T. Degfie
Addis Ababa
Summary
Senior population health consultant with 18 years of experience in consultancy and project delivery across Sub-Saharan Africa. Expertise in managing comprehensive consulting engagements, including scoping, proposal development, implementation, and quality assurance. Proven success in supporting governments, NGOs, and academic institutions with strategy development and evidence-based decision-making. Strong ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and navigate complex stakeholder environments to achieve measurable outcomes.
Overview
2026
2026
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Researcher & Project Lead (Independent Consultant)
African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
10.2024 - Current
- Lead and deliver consultancy assignments for population health and health systems portfolios from concept to completion, including strategy development, budgeting, implementation planning, and performance reporting.
- Lead and coordinate multidisciplinary teams (10–20+) delivering surveys, qualitative research, and policy analyses across complex operating environments.
- Accountable for quality assurance, timelines, and delivery of executive-level reports, policy briefs, and learning products for clients and partners.
- Embed learning and knowledge management systems to ensure evidence directly informs programs, policy dialogue, and donor and government investment decisions.
Senior Scientific Advisor & Project Management Lead
Fenot – Harvard University Collaborative Project
11.2020 - 09.2024
- Served as senior advisor and delivery lead for multi-year population health and policy initiatives supporting evidence-informed decision-making.
- Directed project strategy, methodological design, governance structures, and end-to-end delivery across multiple workstreams.
- Led engagement with regional health bureaus, senior policymakers, and academic partners.
- Drove translation of research into actionable policy briefs, syntheses, guidelines, and executive learning forums.
Health Systems Analyst & Project Officer
Fenot – Harvard School of Public Health Project
09.2018 - 10.2020
- Facilitated delivery of health financing and quality-of-care research initiatives aligned with national priorities.
- Coordinated implementation efforts with government counterparts to enhance system performance.
- Synthesized large datasets into actionable insights, elevating decision-making processes.
- Analyzed data using SQL, Excel, and Power Automate for comprehensive reporting.
- Developed technical briefs, policy papers, and progress reports to engage stakeholders.
- Monitored system performance to identify weaknesses and inefficiencies.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to translate user requirements into system changes.
- Conducted training sessions for staff to improve understanding of system functionalities.
Postdoctoral Scientist & Project Coordinator
African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
09.2016 - 08.2018
- Led design, execution, and monitoring of multi-country population health programs.
- Represented projects at national and regional policy forums.
- Strengthened institutional learning through synthesis reports and policy briefs.
Lead Consultant / Project Delivery Lead
Ministry of Health, Ethiopia
- Provided strategic advisory support on population health, health systems strengthening, and evidence-informed policymaking.
- Led policy analysis, stakeholder consultations, and synthesis of research findings into client-ready deliverables.
- Key Outputs: Policy briefs, strategic options papers, executive presentations, and decision-support tools.
- Outcomes: Strengthened use of evidence in national planning and policy dialogue; informed priority-setting and program design within the Ministry.
Senior Consultant & Delivery Lead
Harvard University
- Led end-to-end consultancy assignments translating research into actionable policy and program recommendations.
- Designed learning agendas, coordinated multi-country teams, and managed delivery timelines and quality assurance.
- Key Outputs: Policy syntheses, learning reports, executive briefs, and facilitated learning forums.
- Outcomes: Improved institutional learning and uptake of evidence by government and donor stakeholders; strengthened research-to-policy pathways.
Education
Postdoctoral Certificate - Population & Reproductive Health
APHRC
Kenya2018
PhD - Social–Health Sciences
Ghent University
Belgium2014
MSc - Population Studies / Reproductive Health
Addis Ababa University
Ethiopia2006
BEd - Geography
Bahir Dar University
Ethiopia2003
Skills
- Stakeholder engagement
- Data analysis
- Project management
- Team leadership
- Evidence synthesis
- Knowledge management
- Research methodology knowledge
- Effective communication
- Data collection techniques
- Leadership and management
- Analytical research
- Project coordination
- Analytical-thinking
- Collaborative working
Affiliations
- Population Association of America (PAA)
- Ethiopian Public Health Association (EPHA)
- IUSSP
- Global Burden of Disease Collaborator
Custom Section
- End-to-end consultancy delivery for population health and health systems assignments
- Project and program delivery with clear outputs, timelines, and accountability
- Client advisory on strategy, policy options, and evidence-informed decisions
- Design and implementation of research, MEL, and learning systems
- Preparation of client-ready deliverables, executive reports, and policy briefs
- Capacity strengthening and institutional learning for sustainable outcomes
Websites, Portfolios and Profiles
https://linkedin.com/in/tizta-tilahun-0a284414/
Publications
45+ peer-reviewed publications, policy briefs, technical reports, and book chapters supporting evidence-based policy-making in population health and health systems. Full publication list provided as a separate annex upon request.
References
References available upon request.
Timeline
Senior Researcher & Project Lead (Independent Consultant)
African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
10.2024 - Current
Senior Scientific Advisor & Project Management Lead
Fenot – Harvard University Collaborative Project
11.2020 - 09.2024
Health Systems Analyst & Project Officer
Fenot – Harvard School of Public Health Project
09.2018 - 10.2020
Postdoctoral Scientist & Project Coordinator
African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC)
09.2016 - 08.2018
Lead Consultant / Project Delivery Lead
Ministry of Health, Ethiopia
Senior Consultant & Delivery Lead
Harvard University
Postdoctoral Certificate - Population & Reproductive Health
APHRC
PhD - Social–Health Sciences
Ghent University
MSc - Population Studies / Reproductive Health
Addis Ababa University
BEd - Geography
Bahir Dar University