Pamela Steele Associates

Sophia Iosue,St Cross College,First Year Masters, MSc Migration Studies, Remote Working

Work Projects

I interned with the Research Team at PSA and I also did some work with Communications and supported the Technical Advisory team as needed in my capacity as a researcher. My main task involved producing a report on pharmaceutical disposal, which is one of the topics that had been previously started by the Research team. I was encouraged to do primary data collection in addition to a literature review for the report, so I had the opportunity to create a survey and conduct key informant interviews with professionals in the health supply chain. I converted this report into a PowerPoint and presenting it to the Supply Chain Think Tank that PSA initiated.

In addition to this ongoing task, I assisted with multiple Research team tasks throughout the weeks, including: a report on Covid-19s impact on the private sector; proofreading tasks on funding proposals and other research reports; preparing PowerPoints for the Director; updating Mendeley, a research team platform; and representing the research team in certain meetings.

I am very pleased with the support I received from PSA. The Research team has proven to be a valuable network of academics and professionals to learn from and discuss career opportunities with, especially considering many research team members also started out at PSA as interns. Although we were working remotely, my Manager was always available to chat or catch up over video call, and we usually checked-in multiple times per day. Finally, it was meaningful that the Director also made herself available for my questions and included me in tasks as needed.

Daily Life

My internship with PSA was remote. I had developed a routine for remote working while I was finishing my Masters so it was quite easy to transition into the remote internship with PSA. I have a specific workspace, which helped me get into a working mentality, and I maintained a routine in terms of when I ate meals and took breaks. After work, I would exercise and go for a walk in the evenings. Although at first it was challenging to get to know the team through remote working, I also feel that we still managed to get to know each other despite never actually meeting.

It was occasionally challenging to unplug from work entirely, especially when I had a big deadline coming up or project to work on. In these cases, it was tempting to continue working outside of work hours to make sure I did a good job with the work and because all of my materials were at home with me. However, PSA did a good job of offering TOIL when I did work after hours and encouraging all team members to take breaks as necessary. Another aspect that helped me maintain my schedule was that I was living with my partner, who also works remotely. I think the experience would have been much more challenging if I were completely alone, especially because many students had already left Oxford. However, my partners routine helped me maintain my own.

Lasting Impressions

I enjoyed my experience with PSA for many reasons. First, I received solid training in the health supply chain area which was important because I had an internship in the past which was focused on pharmaceutical donations, and working with PSA helped me understand how organisations like PSA can work with in-country health supply chain organisations to develop long-term solutions, such as capacity building. Second, it was valuable to work in an office setting, albeit remotely, directly out of my Masters. This helped me acclimate to working life again and has given me a jumping off point for my career following my Masters and my internship. Finally, I have received an offer from PSA and this will certainly make a lasting impact on me as it has provided me with the opportunity to continue working in this sector for the next few years. I am looking forward to working across teams and contributing to PSA's overall mission.

What advice would you give to future interns?

I learned a lot by taking every chance to contribute to projects the team was working on, even if the project did not relate to my specific tasks as an intern. Offering to help when it was needed helped me understand the work that different teams do, gave me a better sense of PSA's various projects, and it helped me develop various skills that have made me more employable and a better all-around employee.

Bhanu Prasad Mellachervu Naga,Green Templeton College,First Year Masters, MSc Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation, Remote Working

Work Projects

At PSA I created a Strategy Roadmap for the Organization and also helped set up the Organization Structure that will drive them towards realizing their full potential as they embark on very significant developmental work in the field of Public Health Supply Chains. This involved working with each of their departments which have now been converted into Business Units (Technical Advisory, Program Management Office, PSA Research, Business Development and PSA Academy). Each organization has now initiated their strategic plan and how they will interface with other units within PSA to achieve their objectives.

Daily Life

My remote internship due to Covid meant I engaged with PSA over Teams and participated in all their discussions online. For a certain time, I was also working on my Thesis and I had enough time (as the internship office and PSA worked together to approve me working only part-time during my internship) to carry out all tasks I needed. This was a huge support for me to gain this excellent experience even during the Covid pandemic. Big Thanks to the Oxford Internship Office!

Lasting Impressions

I enjoyed the experience. The founder, Pam Steele, is passionate about the humanitarian outcomes of her consultancy efforts and deeply connects with challenges in the African continent. Her personal story, determination and vision for Africa is inspiring. I have formed very good connections during this time, and I can say that I have friends in PSA and several cities in Africa that I have got invitations to visit.

What advice would you give to future interns?

I strongly encourage all future interns to consider speaking to the founders and their personal stories of determination and change that helped launch transformative initiatives, be it their firm or an initiative within the firm. Also, spend time in understanding the cultural diversity in the teams and the countries they come from as it is always fascinating.