Balancing collaboration and leadership to evaluate England’s COVID-19 testing programme

In the wake of a major pandemic, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, reflection is not just valuable, it’s essential. The need for rigorous, evidence-based evaluation becomes clear when thinking about how to better prepare for future public health emergencies. That’s why I was proud to be the academic lead for a major collaborative effort between Oxford University Innovation (OUI) and Ernst & Young (EY), commissioned by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), to evaluate England’s COVID-19 testing programme.

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Evaluation of England's COVID-19 testing programme

COVID-19 reshaped almost every aspect of our lives. As the country rolled out a national testing programme at incredible speed, the scale and complexity of the effort were unprecedented. But with such rapid deployment came important questions: Was the programme equitable? Was it cost-effective? What impact did it actually have on public health?

To help answer these questions, UKHSA commissioned an independent evaluation. This required a team that combined academic rigour, operational expertise and multidisciplinary insight. I was very proud and honoured to be asked to put together and lead the academic team.

A collaboration rooted in trust and expertise

At the heart of the project was the EY–Oxford Health Analytics Consortium, for which I was the academic principal investigator. Dr Reshania Naidoo, from EY, assisted me as the co-lead investigator in this endeavour, as we had previously worked together at the University of Oxford and brought a strong shared vision to the table.

This was no ordinary project team. More than 45 staff members from the University of Oxford and EY, along with various consultants, joined forces, drawing on their combined academic, analytical and professional strengths. Oxford University Innovation played a central role in enabling the collaboration: facilitating the partnership with EY, supporting the Oxford academic team and managing the agreements that underpinned the work.

I focused on leading academic colleagues to do what they do best: deep, detailed analysis. EY contributed to the academic team and also provided a strong operational backbone through what they termed an ‘engine room’ model, which comprised a robust governance structure. The result was a truly interdisciplinary approach, with agile working groups focusing on various elements of the COVID-19 testing programme (healthcare, schools and adult social care, in addition to the overall testing programme) along with integrated team days that helped break down traditional silos among specialists from different fields.

Insights with impact

The outcome was an in-depth, comprehensive and independent evaluation of England's COVID-19 testing programme that shed light on the many successes of the programme, as well as areas that could have been improved. This enabled me and the team to capture key lessons to inform future pandemic preparedness and to develop clear, actionable and evidence-based recommendations for the future.

Looking back to look forward

For me, this project was a testament to the power of partnership, including partnership between academia and industry, and partnership between researchers and policymakers. It also reinforced just how important it is to invest in the infrastructure, data systems, and collaborations that can make a rapid, effective pandemic response a reality in the future.

This work was about looking back to look forward, by taking what we’ve learned and using it to shape a healthier, more resilient tomorrow.

Why this matters for your organisation

Whether you’re working in public health, international development, technology for good, product development, market access or policy innovation, the ability to translate strategy into measurable outcomes is critical. If your organisation is wrestling with how to evaluate impact, scale a new initiative, or make sense of complex data, I can help you structure your analytical approaches to deliver valuable insights.

As evidenced by the evaluation of the COVID-19 testing programme I have outlined here, I am highly skilled at leading a team to produce high-quality, evidence-based findings that can be used to inform strategy. My background and experience enable me to add considerable value in the creation and leadership of partnerships for the production of data-led insights to inform a range of strategic objectives.

Contact Lisa at Model Health to find out more.