Objectives

The primary objective of this tender is to appoint service providers to support the National Department of Health (NDoH) in the successful rollout of a bespoke Electronic Medical Record (EMR) digital health solution across eight provinces in South Africa. The goal is to enhance health data capture during clinical encounters, improve healthcare service delivery, resource utilization, and access, and contribute to the development of a comprehensive national health information system aligned with the 2019-2024 NDoH Digital Health Strategy.

Scope

The scope of work includes:

• Implementation of the EMR solution in all fixed Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities across eight provinces, covering approximately 3,083 facilities.
• Activities such as access and orientation at facilities, project management, risk management, hardware installation, software setup, testing, go-live support, user training, capacity building, change management, and monitoring.
• Execution within specified timeframes, with a minimum of 2 onsite days per facility for training and go-live activities.
• Post-implementation support, including site visits, troubleshooting, and additional staff training as needed.
• Exclusion of infrastructure design, procurement of networking equipment, and interoperability work, which are outside the scope.

Technical Requirements

The technical scope mandates:

• Deployment of a tested EMR Implementation Toolkit tailored to local facility contexts.
• Installation and configuration of the EMR solution according to NDoH guidelines within a set timeframe.
• Management of troubleshooting, system access provisioning, and adherence to change management principles.
• Development of detailed project plans, including milestones, timelines, resource allocation, risk mitigation, and contingency planning.
• Monitoring and reporting via Agile methodologies, bi-weekly scrums, and monthly progress reports.
• Compliance with health data governance, including adherence to the POPI Act and data privacy standards.
• Post-implementation training, support, and capacity building, including tiered support systems and master trainer programs.

Skills Requirements

The bid evaluation emphasizes the following skills and personnel qualifications:

• Experience: Minimum of five (5) years in healthcare-related projects, with proven involvement in health sector ICT implementations and adult learning/training projects.
• Key Personnel:
  • Team Leader per province with experience in district health management and at least 10 years in the public health sector.
  • Project Manager with NQF Level 7 or higher in project management, with at least 5 years’ experience.
  • Healthcare Providers (clinicians) with at least 5 years’ experience in district health services, registered with relevant professional bodies.
  • ICT Technicians with certifications such as A+ and N+ and at least 5 years’ ICT field experience.
  • Training personnel with adult education and training certifications and relevant experience.
• Capacity and Geospatial Footprint: Clear plan demonstrating existing human resources and geographic deployment across provinces and districts.
• Implementation and Change Management: Ability to develop comprehensive project plans, manage change processes, and deliver training and support aligned with project milestones.
• Communication & Documentation: Ability to produce detailed reports, training materials, and stakeholder engagement strategies.

Summary

The successful service providers must demonstrate technical expertise in EMR deployment, project management, change management, and training, supported by qualified personnel with relevant experience. They must also possess strong planning, monitoring, and capacity-building skills to ensure the EMR solution is effectively implemented across diverse healthcare facilities within the stipulated 18-month period, adhering to all governance, data privacy, and interoperability standards.