The Pakistan Digital Authority (PDA) has appointed Yahya Aftab as its new Service Design Lead as the authority continues to develop its approach to citizen-focused public service delivery. Aftab joins PDA from Ideate Innovation, where he progressed from Senior Researcher to leading the firm’s service design work. His appointment brings research, service design and human-centred design experience to an organization responsible for work related to how citizens interact with public services.
Aftab holds a Master’s degree in Global Development from Cornell University and a degree in Political Science from the Lahore University of Management Sciences. According to PDA, his research career spans more than six years and includes experience with several research and design approaches. These include randomised controlled trials, ethnography, process tracing and human-centred design. His previous professional work has included projects involving the World Bank Group, the Gates Foundation and the State Bank of Pakistan, as well as work with the Government of Punjab’s Integrated Reproductive Maternal Newborn Child Health and Nutrition Programme.
At PDA, Aftab will focus on research into citizen needs and the challenges people experience while accessing public services. The authority said his role will involve designing and leading research that identifies citizen requirements and pain points. This work is intended to provide information that can be used when developing approaches to service delivery, with the citizen experience serving as an important part of the service design process.
The appointment comes as digital government initiatives increasingly place attention on how public services are designed and experienced by citizens, rather than only on the underlying technology. PDA’s announcement describes service design as an area where understanding citizens is an important starting point for improving public service delivery. However, the authority has not disclosed specific projects Aftab will lead, the services that will initially be studied, or a timeline for new service design initiatives. Details about upcoming research programmes, implementation plans and measurable targets were also not provided. His appointment adds a dedicated service design role to PDA’s work as the authority develops its broader approach to citizen-focused digital services.
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