1. Introduction and Background

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development, and delivery of Positive Impact - the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities, and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental, and financial benefits. For the past 50 years, we have been making Positive Impact possible. With a team of more than 2,500 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of more than 35,000 technical experts, Palladium has improved - and is committed to continuing to improve - economies, societies and most importantly, people's lives.

Palladium with funding from USAID is currently in the fourth year of implementing the Uganda Health Systems Strengthening (UHSS) Activity. UHSS aims to strengthen Uganda’s health systems through technical assistance to improve leadership, accountability, efficiency, and quality of health services in the key areas of Leadership and governance; public financial management; Human Resources for health and community health systems. Part of our HRH support to Ministry of Health is focused on enhancing the functionality and utilization of the Integrated Huan Resource Information System (iHRIS). The system has five core modules: iHRIS Qualify for health workforce registration and licensing; iHRIS Manage for human resource management; iHRIS Train for managing pre-service and in-service training; iHRIS Retain for attraction, motivation, and retention; iHRIS Plan for workforce planning and projections; and iHRIS Community Health Workers Manage referred to as Community Health Workers Registry (CHWR) for tracking community health workers. Uganda currently runs a highly customized version of iHRIS 4.3 compared to the global standard version. Some of the custom sub-modules include uniform management, attendance tracking, performance management, and community health workers tracking.

However, with the health sector developing and adopting new systems for utilization, it has been deduced that iHRIS as a system requires a modern User Interface (UI) and an upgrade of the core system to be able to catch up with other health information systems like DHIS2 in terms of interoperability, scalability, and being user friendly. Although the current iHRIS is providing the needed HRH management, analyses, and informing policy; it still slow to register data capture updates, to generate reports, no provision for multiple entries or uploads, with a procedural navigation user interface and does not have an interactive integrated dashboard, has multiple duplicated data sets. The upgrade is targeting iHRIS national manage, iHRIS Train and iHRIS Community Health Workers manage (referred to as CHWR). It is against this background that Uganda Health Systems Strengthening Activity is therefore seeking the services of a competent and experienced consultant to plan and execute this system upgrade to iHRIS Manage, Attendance to Duty and the Community Health Workers Registry components.

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Purpose and objectives of the consultancy

1.1 Purpose and goal

The purpose of the consultancy is to support a comprehensive review and execute a system update of iHRIS through system audits of the existing business processes; a consultative exercise that captures the needs of the end users of the system during the update exercise.

1.2 Specific objectives of the consultancy

The specific objectives of the consultancy are to:

Improve how analytics are generated in the system including customization of dashboards such attendance to duty for linkage to payroll, staffing, audit reports, attrition, and recruitment reports, CHW reports, IST reports among others which can be viewed at national, regional and district level. 

Improve system speed, navigation and access including options for offline access particularly for regions that have limited internet access

Ensure that the system captures updates immediately as opposed to once in a 24-hour window which is currently the case as well as utilization of customized excel sheets for ease of upload as opposed to individual entries.

Ensure system interoperability and linkage to other systems such as the National Health Worker Registry, DHIS2, and Family Connect for improved performance management.

Integrate functions that monitor system utilization such as messaging platforms that inform to users update their data system; or inform users of system downtime etc. 

Improve system access through different access point e.g phones, tablets.

Upgrade the User Interface (UI) and core system of iHRIS to improve systems functionality and usability.

2. Key Tasks of the Consultancy

The following are illustrative tasks to be carried out by the consultant to accomplish the assignment:

Hold planning meetings with UHSS Activity, MOH staff, RRH representatives and DLG staff to review the SOW, expectations, and work plan.

Develop work plan and inception report.

Conduct consultative meetings including documenting challenges and lessons learnt in the use of iHRIS.

Conduct system audit and review business processes. Current system analysis will involve studying the modules in iHRIS 4.3 as per Uganda’s custom site, upgrades to be done, and how they will be accomplished.

Setting up test servers, customizing the system according to Ugandan standards and modules, and installing a new platform.

Develop scripts to migrate data from the old system.

Develop modules to migrate from the legacy system and fix the previous links/ integrations with other systems like Family Connect

Develop API to link/ interoperability with DHIS2 and new MoH registries including NHWR.

Upgrading the iHRIS dashboard with new analytics and linking it with existing dashboards including HRH Dashboard, and MoH Top Management Dashboard.

Plan and test demos of system updates to key stakeholders for collective agreement.

Execute system updates based on what the proposed needs are by end users.

Deploy the new productive version of the system.

Support the updated system roll out and training of iHRIS focal persons.

Prepare and submit draft and final consultancy report.

3. Duration

The consultancy will be for a period of 120 working days.

4. Timelines

SN          Activity Duration (Days)

1              Planning meetings with UHSS Activity, MoH to review the SOW   02

2              Prepare and present inception report, including incorporating feedback 05

3             Conduct consultative meetings for national, regional and DLG level stakeholders 15

4              Plan, design, and coordinate the system audit process    20

5              Execute system updates and conduct demos for feedback             25

6              Migrate data from 4.3 to the new system              30

7              Support the updated system roll out and focal person training     18

8              Submission of final report            05

 Total     120

5. Expected Deliverables

The expected deliverables of the consultancy will include:

Inception Report  (30 percent of total cost)                                   

Report on iHRIS update requirements generated from stakeholder consultations and systems audit including experiences and lessons learnt (30 percent of total cost)

Report on implemented tasks and operational iHRIS updates (20 percent of total cost)

Final consultancy report (20 percent of total cost)

6. Reporting

The Consultant will be answerable to the Commissioner for HRM of MOH and the Chief of Party, Uganda Health Systems Strengthening (UHSS) Activity for this assignment. The consultant will work closely with Assistant Commissioner, Health Information Management Division of MoH, the HRH and Informatics UHSS Team Leads, Senior HRH Advisor, and the UHSS and MoH informatics team with guidance from the HRH TWG.

7. Payment

Payments will be made upon satisfactory completion of the assignments, as per fixed price for each deliverable in the agreed contract.

Required Qualifications:

8. Required Skills, Qualifications, and Experience

Advanced University degree in either Degree in computer science, information systems, information systems management or other relevant qualifications. Additional qualifications a plus.

Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in conducting information system audits and upgrades, software engineering with proven proficiency in popular software coding languages.

Experience in the management and use of human resource or health information management systems.

Outstanding writing skills in the English language with demonstrated ability for logical and analytical writing

Proven experience in customizing iHRIS and its modules or any other health information systems is a MUST.

Strong communicator with excellent interpersonal and presentation skills

Well organized and structured, good attention for detail

Strong drive for results, taking pride in delivering as per expectation in terms of quality

and timeliness

Ability to synthesize complex documents into key messages and clear summary

documents

Knowledge of Uganda’s health system

Must be a resident in Uganda.

9. Submission guidelines

All interested parties are required to submit their applications highlighting their qualifications, names/ contacts of three referees, experience in conducting similar work, and a written quote and budget in Ugandan Shillings for completing the assignment. A fixed price consultant agreement for this assignment will be issued and will be based on the agreed key deliverables. The applications should be emailed to uhss.procurement@uhss.co.ug  not later than 17:00 hours EST on 16th March 2023.

Company Overview:

About Palladium - Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact – the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value.  We work with governments, businesses, and investors to solve the world's most pressing challenges. With a team of more than 3,000 employees operating in 90 plus countries and a global network of over 35,000 experts, we help improve economies, societies and, most importantly, people's lives.

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion - Palladium is committed to embedding equity, diversity, and inclusion into everything we do. We welcome applications from all sections of society and actively encourage diversity to drive innovation, creativity, success and good practice. We positively welcome and seek to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce; and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment regardless of their background or personal characteristics. These include: (but are not limited to) socio-economic background, age, race, gender identity and expression, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, veteran, marital or Indigenous status.

Should you require any adjustments or accommodations to be made due to a disability or you are a neurodivergent individual or for any other circumstance, please email our team at accessibility@thepalladiumgroup.com  and we will be in touch to discuss.

Safeguarding - We define Safeguarding as “the preventative action taken by Palladium to protect our people, clients and the communities we work with from harm”. We are committed to ensuring that all children and adults who come into contact with Palladium are treated with respect and are free from abuse.  All successful candidates will be subject to an enhanced selection process including safeguarding-focused interviews and a rigorous due diligence process.