Background

The TB Self-Assessment and Messaging Service (mHealth)e is a Digital Adherence Technology (DAT) which enables providers to make informed decisions about patients who need either more or less intensive follow up to maximize treatment success rates. The mHealth Service will enable the NTP and health providers to cost-effectively increase their engagement and communication with the general public and registered patients around TB prevention, case detection and treatment.

The Service is based on the USSD communications protocol and can be utilized on smart and feature phones and a range of mobile networks (2G, 3G and 4G). This proposed mHealth Service is based on a similar system in use in Tanzania which has to date sent over 3.5M messages to nearly 240,000 individuals who self-selected to screen for TB – resulting in over 174,000 self-reported cases for further medical follow-up.

In addition, the system will mitigate impact of COVID-19 on the TB program which has manifested through reduced case notifications in 2020 and lower treatment success rate.

Objectives

The Service aligns with and supports achievement of:

• Strategic Objective 1 - To increase the treatment coverage of all forms of TB from 72% in 2015 to 90% (with contribution from childhood TB increasing from 7% to 12% and from non-NTP providers increasing from 13% to 20%) by 2020
• Strategic Objective 2 - To increase treatment success rate for all forms of tuberculosis from 81% in 2014 to 90% by 2020
• Strategic Objective 6 - To strengthen health delivery and community systems for resilient and sustainable TB services by enhancing leadership; coordination; monitoring and evaluation capacity.

Duties and Responsibilities

Scope of Work

The Ministry of Health and Child Care’s National TB Program proposes to build and roll-out this application in the provinces of Midlands and Bulawayo, as they relatively report high TB incidence and lower treatment success rates. The mHealth Service will integrate with the TB Module in the MoHCC’s existing electronic health records system contributing to achievement of key TB goals and milestones through enhanced engagement with patients, reporting & analysis and machine learning.  An application awareness campaign will also be done whereby the system will be advertised 15 times.

The mHealth Service will include the following features to mitigate these effects:

• TB Self-Screening and Referral Application: This application offers innovative technology for the public can check symptoms via phone; presumptive cases are referred to a health facility for TB screening. A consenting client may take a self-assessment using the mHealth diagnostic service. If the system classifies the client as presumptive, SMS messages will automatically be sent to the client recommending TB testing and providing educational information. If the system classifies the client as non-presumptive, educational SMS messages will be sent on TB prevention and symptom identification
• Contact Tracing Application: If confirmed at a health facility, healthcare workers can solicit contacts from the presumptive TB patients. Text message reminders to visit a health facility for TB screening are sent to mobile phones of all contacts.

Expected Outputs and Deliverables

The mHealth Service will contribute to achievement of goals established in the NTP’s Strategic Plan, specifically:

• Reduce TB incidence (all forms) by 80% by 2025
• Reduce TB mortality (all forms) by 80% by 2025

Documentation

Documentation will include sufficient and detailed documentation for a general user as well as necessary details for the relevant specialty as appropriate. The specific documentation guides shall be provided to cover the needs of the following users.

Installation and Administration

The application installation guide shall be detailed enough to provide system’s administrators with all the information necessary for the database administration. The documentation shall list all utilities and tools necessary for the proper administration of the mHealth. These tools shall cover management and administration of the application, the user interface, and any auxiliary programs integrated into the delivered system. The Contractor shall provide all other relevant design & documents as may be required to carry out the work as detailed in the scope of work.

User Guide

User documentation shall be sufficient and detailed enough to allow different levels of relevant users to perform their functions without having to rely overly much on external support. The contractor will also be responsible for the knowledge transfer on the mHealth through use of adequate documentation and training.

System Operator Documentation

This portion of the document is intended for those people who are running the application. It shall include direction for operating the various hardware components, operating the software and, recognizing and correcting problems.

This consists of, but not limited to, the following

• Software and system operating direction
• Hardware operating direction

Institutional Arrangement

1. The TB Program coordinator will review output and confirm acceptance, directly supervise the Contractor, to whom the consultant will be directly responsible, reporting to, seeking approval/acceptance of output
2. Progress report will be presented at the end of each milestone. There is an option for presenting the report virtually depending on circumstances.
3. The contractor is expected to liaise/interact/collaborate with TB focal teams through the IT Coordinator during performance of the work for technical guidance.

Duration of the Work

1. The work will be performed over a period of 60 working days spread.
2. MOHCC is expected to review outputs, give comments, and certify approval/acceptance of outputs, etc. within 2 weeks. 
3. The entire work of database development and testing should be completed within agreed period from the date of award of work.

Duty Station

Training will be conducted at a venue to be determined by MOHCC

Competencies

Professionalism:

Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter;

Good research, analytical and problem-solving skills;

Conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines and achieving results.

Communication:

Excellent and effective written and oral skills; ability to persuade people with varying points of view and to present information in a concise and accurate manner, ability to clearly communicate links between the organizations.

Planning and Organizing:

Proven ability to plan, coordinate and monitor own work and that of others;

Ability to work under pressure and uses time efficiently;

Identifies priority activities and assignments, adjust priorities as required.

Teamwork:

Works collaboratively with colleagues to achieve organizational goals;

Solicits input by valuing ideas and expertise of others and is willing to learn from others

LANGUAGE:

• Fluent in English

Scope of Price Proposal and Schedule of Payments

1. Lump Sum Amount is the preferred approach. 
2. The Lump Sum Amount must be “all-inclusive”.

Clearly state that the contract price is fixed

B.Recommended Presentation of Offer

For purposes of generating Offers whose contents are uniformly presented and to facilitate their comparative analysis, it is best to recommend the preferred contents and presentation of the Offer to be submitted, as well as the format/sequencing of their presentation.  The following documents may be requested:

1. Duly accomplished Letter of Confirmation of Interest and Availability using the template provided by UNDP;
2. Personal CV or P11, indicating all past experience from similar projects, as well as the contact details (email and telephone number) of the Candidate and at least three (3) professional references;
3. Brief description of why the individual considers him/herself as the most suitable for the assignment, and a methodology, if applicable, on how they will approach and complete the assignment. A methodology is recommended for intellectual services, but may be omitted for support services [Note: this is optional for support services]; 
4. Financial Proposal that indicates the all-inclusive fixed total contract price, supported by a breakdown of costs, as per template provided.  If an Offer is employed by an organization/company/institution, and he/she expects his/her employer to charge a management fee in the process of releasing him/her to UNDP under Reimbursable Loan Agreement (RLA), the Offer must indicate at this point, and ensure that all such costs are duly incorporated in the financial proposal submitted to UNDP. 

Criteria for Selection of the Best Offer

Required Skills and Experience

Qualifications of the Successful Individual Contractor

The individuals desirous of quoting for the work should make an expression of interest by submitting the required documents and information listed below

1. The relevant individual should have a degree in Computer Science, Information Systems or any related field.
2. Proven Knowledge and the use of the following tools is a must: software versioning, java, jasper reports, angular JS.
3. Knowledge of health information systems is an added advantage.
4. At least 6 years working experience.
5. Proven experience in developing working system (provide references).
6. The individual selected should be a local.