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Terms of Reference (ToR) for A firm for Development of Data Capturing and Common Software Platform for Ethiopian Health and
Demographic Surveillance System sites
Background
The ImpactHDSS Ethiopia Project is implemented by Vital Strategies in collaboration with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), the Ministry of Health (MOH), and 16 Health and Demographic Surveillance System (HDSS) sites hosted by Ethiopian academic institutions. The project aims to strengthen the national HDSS ecosystem through standardization of operations, data systems, and analytical approaches, while establishing a sustainable national HDSS network capable of producing high-quality longitudinal demographic and health data for policy and decision-making.
A baseline assessment conducted across 16 HDSS sites identified substantial heterogeneity in data systems, software platforms, database structures, data collection tools, hosting environments, interoperability mechanisms, and information technology capacity. Several sites employed different versions of OpenHDS or customized databases, while others rely on HRS2, which is paper based and was not developed for Ethiopian Context. The adoption of OpenHDS has been affected by complex processes, lack of community support and its being obsolete. These differences limit interoperability, pooled data analyses, data sharing, standardization of the data generated by HDSS sites, and sustained generation of reliable evidence at national and sub-national levels.
With the goal of standardizing data capturing and common software platforms for HDSS sites, the Technical Working Group of the ImpactHDSS Project established an Information Technology IT task team. The task team has assessed data capturing and common software platforms that support longitudinal and relational demographic and health databases, developed a system requirement specification, and identified and evaluated six out of 20 longlisted pre-screened platforms, including OpenHDS, HDSS explorer, ODK X, Redcap, CommCare and DHIS-2 tracker. Ease of customization of the platform, availability of wide support community, being open source, and compatibility with existing digital systems in Ethiopia and having Application Interface Programming were also additional criteria used for evaluation of the platforms.
To support the standardization process, the ImpactHDSS project seeks to engage a firm with experienced Software Engineers or Computer Science Experts to conduct a comprehensive review of IT platforms recommended by the task team and relevant others; provide advice and facilitate the decision to identify, adopt and customize a platform and support its implementation at the 16 HDSS sites.
Purpose of the Assignment
The purpose of this consultancy is to advise and guide the ImpactHDSS project stakeholders in
i) reaching a decision on the best available software platform that meets the requirements spelled out below, ii) supporting the adoption and customization of the selected software, and iii) provide support to its implementation at the HDSS sites and iv) provide technical guidance on migration of sites’ legacy data to the new standard platform in consultation with the modules and analytics task teams. Ease of data integration and migration to the standard platform is a crucial consideration.
Objectives
General Objective
To assess HDSS software platforms and digital systems and recommend, adopt, customize, and support the implementation of sustainable, interoperable, and scalable data capturing and software platform for the Ethiopian HDSS sites by building upon the review and system functional requirements which were conducted and established by the IT task team.
Specific Objectives
The firm shall engage relevant experts to:
Review, revise and finalize the report produced by the IT task team on assessment of the existing HDSS software platforms and system functional and non-functional requirements assessment.
Evaluate the IT systems/platforms recommended by the IT task team for functional and non-functional requirements and other platforms as necessary, that will involve assessing the platforms for software architecture, database design, security, scalability, and maintainability across HDSS sites.
Recommend adopting or customizing one of the selected platforms, along with a maximum of two feasible alternative options
Facilitate a decision-making workshop with project stakeholders and document the outcome of the workshop
Develop/ customize the approved platform and support its implementation that will involve developing an implementation guide, and training materials.
Provide training, including for HDSS data managers and database administrators, MOH, and EPHI experts
Recommend approaches for legacy data migration and integration
Scope of Work
The consultancy involves supporting the adoption of a sustainable data capturing and common software platform by the 16 HDSS sites working with the ImpactHDSS project. Throughout the consultancy work, the firm will have technical support from HDSS Data Managers as needed. The firm will also work closely with the ImpactHDSS project team, HDSS site personnel, the IT Task Team, the Analytics Task Team, the National Data management center at Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI), and the Ministry of Health (MoH) to understand existing systems and future requirements and to customize/develop and implement a sustainable IT platform. Specifically, the firm will undertake the following activities:
Review of technical reports and documentations of IT task team and other sources as well
Building on the work already completed by the IT Task Team, this review will focus on three core areas: the suitability of candidate software/systems/platforms for HDSS data management processes, the design of a standard digital infrastructure package, and the overall information architecture. The objective is to produce recommendations for a pragmatic, standardized national
HDSS digital system covering data collection, archiving/warehousing, data integration, and data sharing and access.
The firm will review the IT Task Team's deliverables to date, including the system requirement specifications and existing software recommendations along with any additional platforms needed, to arrive at an independent expert recommendation. This will identify a single preferred option, along with preferably two viable alternatives. The assessment will be conducted against the following criteria: suitability for HDSS data processes and long-term sustainability, database architecture, data management practices, interoperability arrangements and cybersecurity measures. To broaden the understanding of the firm, the review, in addition to the IT task team’s deliverables, may also include review of:
Evaluation of HDSS Software Platforms
The firm will rigorously evaluate the recommended software applications and provide a single recommendation, preferably with two viable alternatives. The firm will assess the six platforms prioritized by IT task team and others as needed using the following criteria.
Assessment of Data Architecture and Management Practices
Evaluate existing HDSS data structures and management workflows starting from collection to storage. Analyze longitudinal relational database designs, individual tracking mechanisms, and data synchronization processes. Propose improvements to ensure the recommended software supports seamless data integration and interoperability. The HDSS technical people and experienced data managers will support the firm to explain the HDSS data structure and workflows. Particular attention should be given to:
Recommendations shall be provided to improve standardization and interoperability.
Recommendation for HDSS software platform
Develop a comprehensive recommendation report for the standardized HDSS platform. Address system architecture, data governance, resource requirements, and sustainability. Compare the selected option against alternatives to justify the proposed adoption or customization path. The recommendation should address and be compatible with the standard package of IT infrastructure to be installed at HDSS sites and include
The firm should clearly compare alternative options before making recommendations, including whether it could be either the adoption of one of the recommended platforms or the customization of an existing system or development of a new platform.
Facilitation of a decision-making workshop
Organize and lead a workshop for project stakeholders to present findings and secure a final decision on the standard platform in collaboration with the ImpactHDSS project team. Utilize structured decision-making techniques to achieve consensus and document the proceedings for official ratification.
Customize and support the adoption of the selected platform
The firm will develop or customize the select platform and support its adoption. This includes perusing the software customization, customization protocol, and production of a detailed implementation guide for the selected platform. Define central and site-level deployment steps, institutional responsibilities, resource needs, recommendation on legacy data migration and integration and risk mitigation strategies to ensure a smooth transition. These should include:
Support the implementation of the selected system
Develop comprehensive implementation manuals and training materials. Conduct technical training sessions for database administrators, data managers, and coordinators at the site, EPHI, and MOH levels to ensure proficient operation of the new system.
Methodology
The firm is expected to employ a mixed-methods approach that combines document review, stakeholder consultations, technical system assessments, comparative analysis of software
platforms and customization and supporting the implementation. The methodology should be sufficiently rigorous to generate evidence-based recommendations and a maximum of two alternative options to present at the stakeholder workshop, while remaining practical and feasible within the consultancy period. The consultancy will involve two major phases: 1) Review, evaluation, recommendation and facilitation of choosing the appropriate platform based through consultative workshop and 2) development or customization of the platform and supporting its implementation. As such, the firm is expected to engage experts after the software is chosen through a consultative process.
The firm will base most of the document review on the outputs done by the IT task team to reduce duplication of efforts, engage with relevant stakeholders, facilitate the decision-making workshop to include HDSS site coordinators, IT personnel, data managers, project staff, Ministry of Health representatives, EPHI experts, and members of the HDSS IT and Analytics Task Teams. These consultations should be used to understand operational realities, assure identified system requirements, and validate findings.
Where appropriate, the firm may conduct demonstrations and reviews of existing software systems, inspect database structures and workflows, evaluate technical documentation, and comment on infrastructure configurations to inform their recommendation for the Ethiopian HDSS context including integration and migration of legacy data. A workshop involving relevant technical people and IT task team members will be organized to get feedback and either endorse the recommended platform or select one of the two proposed alternative options.
The consulting firm shall adopt a participatory, user-centered, and agile approach to customize the selected HDSS platform. The selected platform will then be configured and customized through iterative development cycles, allowing regular demonstrations, stakeholder feedback, and continuous refinement to ensure the solution aligns with operational needs and national standards. The consulting firm will apply robust quality assurance procedures throughout the customization process, including system, integration, performance, security, and user acceptance testing to ensure the platform is reliable, secure and scalable. Following successful testing, the firm will support system deployment, data migration where applicable, user training, and post-implementation technical support. Comprehensive technical documentation, source code, system administration guides, and knowledge transfer to designated technical teams will be provided to ensure sustainability, local ownership, and long-term maintenance of the customized platform.
Throughout the assignment, the firm is expected to maintain close communication with the ImpactHDSS project team and provide periodic updates on progress, emerging findings, and potential risks that may affect the successful completion of the consultancy.
Reporting and Supervision
While exercising professional and independent evaluation of the platforms and generating recommendations, the firm will report directly to the ImpactHDSS Deputy Project Director and the Project Director and will work under the directions from the ImpactHDSS TWG and project management and M&E team. The firm will also work closely with the following as necessary:
Deliverables
Duration of Assignment
The consultancy will be implemented in a phased approach. The intensive phase is expected to be completed within 4–6 weeks (20–30 working days) from contract signing. During the second phase, the firm is expected to provide training and limited implementation support for the sites as needed.
