Call for Consultancy: IT Officer

1. CONTEXT AND JUSTIFICATION
1.1. CONTEXT
Lebanon's healthcare system has been significantly affected by economic challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic, and infrastructure damage. These factors have led to limited accessibility and availability of essential healthcare services, particularly for vulnerable populations. To address these issues, the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and PUI are collaborating to improve healthcare outcomes and enhance service delivery.
Digitalization plays a crucial role in transforming healthcare delivery and overcoming the challenges faced by the healthcare system. The integration of technology into healthcare processes can improve efficiency, enhance data management, and enable better coordination among healthcare providers. By leveraging digital solutions, such as health applications and
electronic health records, the MOPH aims to enhance accessibility to healthcare services, streamline processes, and improve patient outcomes.
In previous interventions, PUI has actively supported the development and enhancement of PHENICs, the national Health Information System (HIS) used by Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCCs) across Lebanon. PHENICs serves as a comprehensive digital platform that enables efficient data collection, analysis, and reporting. It facilitates the management of patient records,
vaccination campaigns, and vital health indicators. By contributing to the development and enhancement of PHENICs, PUI has already laid the foundation for digitalization in the healthcare system, promoting standardized data collection and reporting mechanisms.

1.2. RATIONALE
Building upon these initiatives, the collaboration between MOPH and PUI aim to empower healthcare professionals, strengthen the healthcare system's capacity at MOPH Central level more specifically for South Lebanon, and ultimately improve healthcare outcomes for all individuals in Lebanon.

2. CONSULTANCY OBJECTIVES
2.1. OVERALL OBJECTIVE
The overall purpose of this TOR is to outline the tasks of the IT Officer who will play a vital role in the development and implementation of digital health for Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCC) services through Phenics. The IT Officer will contribute to the digitalization efforts, ensuring the successful deployment and utilization of the applications to enhance healthcare accessibility and streamline service delivery.

2.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• Contribute to the development and implementation of all MOPH IT requests for South Lebanon.
• Facilitate training sessions for healthcare personnel to ensure the effective utilization of the developed applications.
• Provide ongoing technical support and assistance to end-users, addressing their queries and concerns related to Phenics.
• Provide support to partners on PHENICs related issues.
• Contribute in the overall monitoring and accessibility of PHENICs features among stakeholders.
• This position will be supporting MOPH IT department to develop further features for PUI including but not limited to triage, consultation forms smoothly implemented on Phenics as well the integration of MHPSS development features under the supervision of the IT manager.
• Assist with other IT-related tasks as assigned by the project management or the PUI IM specialist.

3. METHODOLOGY
3.1 OVER-ALL SCOPE OF THE WORK:
The IT Officer will play a pivotal role in the development and implementation of Phenics, training capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, coordination and communication with different stakeholders.

3.2. MAIN TASKS
The IT Officer will be responsible for the following tasks:
Development and Implementation of new and ongoing features on Phenics:

• Collaborate with the development team at MOPH to contribute to the design, development, and implementation of Phenics such as MHPSS integration, Triage and consultation, Pharmacy related alerts and features.
• Ensure that the applications align with the objectives of the project and meet the specific needs of PHCC services.
• Conduct thorough testing and debugging of applications to identify and address technical issues and ensure optimal functionality.

Training and Capacity Building:

• Conduct training sessions for healthcare personnel, including PHC centers, dispensaries, outreach teams, vaccination campaign teams, Qada offices, vaccination points in the borders, and private physicians.
• Provide comprehensive training on the usage of the developed features on Phenics, emphasizing their potential to enhance accessibility, improve patient care, and streamline administrative processes.
• Offer ongoing technical support and assistance to end-users, addressing their queries and concerns related to the applications.

Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Collaborate with the team leader to establish appropriate monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess the impact and effectiveness of the digital health applications.
• Collect and analyze relevant data and feedback from end-users to identify areas for improvement and inform decision-making.

Coordination and Communication:

• Coordinate with the project management team, the development team, and relevant stakeholders to ensure seamless integration and functionality of the applications.
• Serve as a liaison between end-users, project management, and the development team, conveying feedback and suggestions for enhancements.

Other IT Tasks:

• Assist with additional IT-related tasks as assigned by the project management or the PUI IM specialist to support the overall objectives of the project.
• Provide comprehensive training on the usage of the developed features on Phenics, emphasizing their potential to enhance accessibility, improve patient care, and streamline administrative processes.
• Offer ongoing technical support and assistance to end-users, addressing their queries and concerns related to the applications.

4. AREA OF INTERVENTION
The IT officer will be mainly covering South Lebanon for MOPH IT department and for central level as per MOPH need and request.

5. DURATION OF THE STUDY
The assigned activities have to be conducted in maximum December 2024.

FUNCTIONAL LINKS
The Consultant will be working directly under the overall supervision of MOPH IT manager and PUI Health IM. The consultancy will be led by one Consultant that must meet the criteria specified in Section 8 (Requirements).

6. EXPECTED DELIVERABLE
6.1. APPLICATION SUPPORT AND MAINTENANCE

• Provide ongoing support and maintenance for the apps and systems developed for the Health Information System.
• Monitor the performance and functionality of the applications and promptly address any issues or bugs.
• Collaborate with the development team and stakeholders to implement enhancements and updates to the applications.
• Ensure compatibility of the applications with different mobile devices and operating systems.

6.2. TROUBLESHOOTING AND ISSUE RESOLUTION

• Investigate and troubleshoot reported issues related to the PHENICS and Sohitna.
• Identify the root cause of problems and provide effective solutions or workarounds.
• Document and track issues, resolutions, and frequently asked questions to build a knowledge base for future reference.

6.3. DOCUMENTATION AND REPORTING

• Create and maintain technical documentation for the mobile applications, including architecture, design, and user manuals.
• Prepare regular progress reports, including updates on development, testing, and support activities.
• Document and track any changes, improvements, or enhancements made to the applications.

7. PREREQUISITE QUALIFICATIONS
7.1. Education
Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field.
7.2. Professional experience
Minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in IT support and application development, preferably in the healthcare sector.
7.3. Competencies and knowledge

• Proficiency in IT systems, networks, and infrastructure management.
• Strong understanding of software development lifecycle and experience in application development.
• Knowledge of healthcare systems and processes with previous experience on Phenics would be an advantage.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Effective communication and training abilities.

7.4. Languages

• Fluency in English & Arabic.

8. SELECTION CRITERIA
8.1 Technical evaluation
Evaluation criteria are the following:
- TORs understanding (25 points)
- Relevance and quality of the proposed methodology (25 points)
- Experience and relevant technical references (15 points)
- Candidates profile (15 points)

• Only the technical offers reaching at least 70% of the score will be declared technically valid and selected for the next phase of evaluation

8.2 Financial evaluation
Only the financial offers from the candidates with at least 70% of the technical evaluation score will be considered. A financial evaluation score will be calculated for each offer, starting on the lowest bid.

8.3 Finale evaluation
The final evaluation will combine both prior evaluations, accordingly a 70% moderation for the technical offer and a 30% moderation for the financial offer. The candidate who will have the higher score will be selected following an interview scoring grid. The financial offer will be analyzed and possibly negotiated with the candidate within the limit of the available budget.

9. OFFERS PRESENTATION
9.1 Technical offer composition (in English)
- A technical offer (1-3 pages) including:

• Understanding the role of IT role at MOPH.
• Previous experience in provision of capacity building for stakeholders on Information management

9.2 Financial offer composition (in English)
- A financial offer including a budget with detailed sections (fees, other costs)

• Fees
• National transportation
• Communication fees
• Other expenses
• Payment modality (ex: cash letter or bank transfer)
• Offer to be signed and stamped
• Validity of the offer
• Offer date