Background
The MOHW Jamaica has developed a recovery plan for the health sector for COVID -19 centered around the five main strategies of the Pandemic Influenza Plan. The five areas are:
- Planning & Coordination
- Situation Assessment and Monitoring
- Prevention and Containment
- Health System Response
- Communication
Class 1 disease surveillance and the early detection of and response to public health emergencies are national priorities. The existing system is primarily paper-based with the use of spreadsheets, an incompletely implemented electronic system and central level data entry for all notifications. In addition, there is a lack of national standards for defining the structure of the electronic health record and components such as a surveillance module, as well as data specifications that would contribute to a national data dictionary for health. Data quality is thus a concern. Moreover, geospatial data for mapping data points of interest are a secondary product based on a time-consuming manual process. Laboratory test results are critical for confirming the diagnoses of communicable diseases yet the Laboratory Information Management System is not integrated with the surveillance system. Tracking patients is difficult as there is no unique identifier that links encounter records and diagnostics for an individual. Reporting and data analytics are laborious and are produced primarily by spreadsheet manipulatons in a delayed fashion. Together, these challenges limit the efficiency of the communicable disease surveillance and response systems.
The transition to an efficient electronic system is critical for routine surveillance, the long-term monitoring of all class 1 notifiable diseases as well as the early identification of new and emerging public health threats such as COVID-19. Real time reporting will also enable the timely identification of changes in disease profiles (morbidity and mortality) to inform both emergency services and routine programme planning. This will enable the surveillance programme to capture data realtime, at point of care and with geospatial mapping built-in.
The expansion of the laboratory network to service delivery points is critical in improving turnaround time for results and will improve patient care as well as the response to public health emergencies. Through a partnership and Service Level Agreement with the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), Senaite LIMS is being implemented in public hospitals through the support of the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC).
The Global Fund Grant will support a number of initiatives:
- Design and implementation of a Class 1 disease surveillance system based upon open data standards and geospatial technology with analytics;
- Integration of laboratory test orders and results with the Class 1 disease surveillance system; and
- Development of a prototype for a Master Patient Registry with a unique identifier for each patient that links all their records through identity management engineering.
2. Objective(s)
Provide project management support to the surveillance and laboratory strengthening components of the Global Fund project.
3. Scope of Work
- Document the overall scope and objectives of the project
- Develop and manage a detailed project schedule and work-plan Participate in management of the procurement process
- Define and manage resources efficiently and effectively
- Prepare a budget
- Track costs
- Prepare expenditure reports
- Provide progress reports to the MOHW and the funding agency at regular intervals. This includes adjustments to schedules, resources, or other aspects of the initiative.
- Maintain industry standards and best practices throughout the life of the project
- Measure and monitor performance to identify inefficiencies and identify areas for improvement
- Any other relevant duties as may be assigned
4. Reporting
- Services will be contracted by the Ministry of Health and Wellness. The Contractor will report to the Information Systems for Health (IS4H) Lead for the MOHW.
5. Deliverables
Table 1. Deliverables and due dates
| Deliverable | Due | |
| 1. | Detailed work plan and updates | Monthly |
| 2. | Financial Statement | Quarterly |
| 3. | Implementation Progress Report | Monthly |
| 4. | Other Ad Hoc Reports | As needed |
6. Eligibility Requirements
The Contractor should have:
- An undergraduate university degree in Business, Computer Science,
- A graduate degree in business, management, or other related discipline
- Certification/Qualification/Training in Project Management is required
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience in project management
- Excellent organizational skills as evidenced by reference reports o Excellent interpersonal skills
- Proficiency in the use of the Microsoft Office suite
- Proficiency in the use of Trello or other appropriate project management software
- Proficiency in English (written) o Proficiency in English (verbal)
- An in-depth understanding of the organization and management of public and private institutions and NGOs
- An understanding of the laws and protocols that govern the administration of funds obtained through the Global Fund
- Experience in managing a government project funded by the Global Fund or a multilateral funding agency will be an asset
7. Duration
The duration of the contract will be nine (9) months (October 2020 – June 2021).