Digital Expert

Background:

This Terms of Reference (ToR) defines a short-term, outcomes-driven engagement for a Digital Expert (Health IT, Interoperability, and Procurement Support) to help design, specify, and procure the digital capabilities needed for the Comprehensive Case Management (CCM) Project in Odisha. The assignment is explicitly aligned to India’s national digital health direction—particularly open standards, federated architecture, consent-based data exchange, privacy-by-design, and interoperability—as articulated across the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission ecosystem and the National Digital Health Blueprint.

The engagement is structured around four practical outcomes:

1. A validated “as-is” digital ecosystem assessment (state + district + facility level), including readiness for CCM workflows and data capture.
2. A detailed mapping of entity, "Centre for Development of Advanced Computing","meity r&d society India" systems to CCM needs, with a gap analysis and an implementable integration/interoperability plan.
3. RFP-ready procurement packages (including at least one RFP for digital solutions, plus integration and security requirements) that are compliant with public procurement good practice and structured for transparent evaluation.
4. Implementation supports for approvals and vendor selection, including pre-bid clarifications and technical evaluation support (as requested/authorized).

Role purpose, reporting, and governance

Role title

Digital Expert (Health IT Architecture, Interoperability, and Digital Procurement/RFP Support) – CCM Project, Odisha.

Engagement purpose

To provide time-bound expert support to (i) assess and map Odisha’s digital health ecosystem as relevant to CCM, (ii) translate CCM needs into implementable functional/technical requirements, interoperability specifications, and data governance expectations, and (iii) produce procurement-ready RFP packages for digital solutions (and associated integration/security components), aligned with ABDM/NDHB/EHR standards and applicable privacy requirements.

Reporting lines and supervision

The Digital Expert will report to the Senior Director, Swasti Health Catalyst. Swasti will provide day-to-day direction, milestone acceptance, and coordination with government counterparts.

Collaboration expectations

The Digital Expert will work collaboratively with:

1. State health IT/digital health teams and program owners (for requirements, workflows, and approvals).
2. C-DAC teams supporting existing systems in Odisha and/or relevant national/state deployments (for system documentation, interface options, and feasibility).
3. ABDM/NHA integration resources as needed for sandbox alignment, milestone readiness, and compliance expectations (through documented processes).

Duration and expected time allocation

Initial engagement will be for a period of 50 days.

Scope of work, methodology, and tools

The scope is organized into workstreams to ensure the assignment can move from discovery → specifications → procurement-ready outputs.

Workstream A: Mobilization and inception

Key activities - Conduct a rapid document review of available CCM SoW materials, state digital health landscape artifacts, relevant policies/standards, and procurements (including any existing helpline/call center and facility IT footprints).

- Confirm governance: decision-makers, approval cycle, and access pathways for system documentation and facility access. - Produce an inception report defining assessment instruments, stakeholder map, and a consolidated data/document request list.

Methodology/tools (indicative) - Stakeholder mapping and RACI-style alignment (non-procurement). - Structured interview guides for clinical, operations, IT, and program stakeholders.

Workstream B: Assessment of Odisha digital ecosystem for CCM

This workstream builds a CCM-relevant digital ecosystem map, including:

1. Facility digital systems in use (registration, EMR/HIS, labs, pharmacy, billing, referrals).
2. Core supporting infrastructure (connectivity, devices, staffing, workflows, uptime expectations).
3. Existing service touchpoints relevant to care coordination (including helpline/call center models where applicable). Official state procurement artifacts indicate Odisha has commissioned integrated patient transport and health helpline services, which is relevant when designing/aligning CCM care coordination channels.

Outputs include structured readiness scoring and constraints list (connectivity, staffing, governance).

Workstream C: Study and mapping of C-DAC and similar systems to CCM requirements

This is a required, explicit workstream. It covers:

1. System inventory and “as-is” architecture review for Digital system & C-DAC-supported systems present in Odisha (TBD list based on state confirmation). C-DAC describes its HMIS offerings as available in stand-alone and SaaS/cloud models and supports state-wide implementations across government hospitals.
2. Functional module mapping: Identify which modules/features already exist and can be leveraged. For example, e-Sushrut deployments include modules such as patient registration, doctor desk, investigations, IPD, and ADT-type workflows; and are described as digitizing registration, emergency, OPD, ADT, lab, pharmacy, and medical records workflows in at least one large state deployment.
3. ABDM alignment feasibility: Identify what is already ABDM-integrated or can be made ABDM-aligned. For instance, eSushrut@Clinic is positioned by government communication as enabling HFR/HPR registration and supporting outpatient/pharmacy/nursing modules, which is useful context for standardization pathways.
4. Gap analysis and recommendations: What must be added/changed to meet CCM requirements (workflow gaps, data gaps, interoperability gaps, privacy/security gaps, operations gaps).
5. Integration and data exchange plan: Interfaces required, API approach, data mapping expectations, and testing approach (including sandbox readiness where applicable).

Workstream D: CCM requirements, target architecture, and interoperability specifications

The Digital Expert will translate cm-level needs into implementable solution specifications:

1. Functional requirements: case intake, case stratification, patient navigation, appointment/slot coordination, referrals, follow-up scheduling, tasking, escalation, and grievance handling (as per CCM SoW).
2. Non-functional requirements: uptime, offline/low-connectivity modes, performance, accessibility, multilingual needs, auditability.
3. Target architecture: how CCM components interact with facility systems, registries, consent manager, and analytics.

Interoperability baseline - Use the ABDM-aligned conformance baseline for health data interchange, which is explicitly based on FHIR R4 and defines minimum conformance expectations.

- Ensure semantic standards alignment with India’s EHR Standards (2016), including SNOMED CT and LOINC for clinical terminology and observation/test coding.

- Align with NDHB principles: open standards, interoperability, and open API-based ecosystem with security/privacy built into API design.

Workstream E: Digital procurement deliverables, including RFPs

The Digital Expert will produce procurement-ready documentation for digital solutions required for CCM. Procurement packaging should follow recognized public procurement principles (transparency, fairness, competition, and accountability) and include well-defined ToR/scope, evaluation approach, and standard response formats.

At minimum, deliverables will include:

1. A Procurement Options Note (single RFP vs multiple lots; build vs configure vs integrate; licensing/hosting model options).
2. One or more RFP packages covering:
3. Functional and technical requirements (FRS/SRS-level where needed)
4. Interoperability requirements (FHIR artifacts, mapping, APIs, testing)
5. Data security and privacy requirements (controls, auditability, compliance)
6. SLAs and support model expectations
7. Evaluation criteria (including technical scoring and compliance checklists)
8. Draft implementation plan and deliverable schedule
9. Vendor response templates and compliance matrices

This approach is consistent with government guidance that emphasizes the importance of clear ToR formats and RFP issuance steps for consultancy/service procurement.

Workstream F: Procurement support (optional but recommended)

Subject to Swasti authorization and government procurement process needs, the Digital Expert may support:

1. Pre-bid conference technical clarifications and addenda drafting
2. Technical evaluation support (compliance checks, scoring support, bid clarifications)
3. Negotiation technical inputs and contract/SLA finalization support (technical clauses)

Procurement guidance notes that QCBS and similar approaches may be appropriate depending on complexity and downstream consequences and the Digital Expert will/may participate in bid evaluation committees and/or provide advisory support.

Deliverables, timelines, acceptance criteria, and responsibilities

Overall delivery principle: Each deliverable is accepted upon (i) completeness versus the agreed template, (ii) demonstrated traceability to CCM objectives and ABDM/NDHB/EHR standards where relevant, and (iii) formal sign-off by the Senior Director (Swasti) after consultation with designated government reviewers.

Travel requirements, itinerary outline, and cost

Required travel locations

In line with the request, travel is expected to include:

1. Bhubaneswar (state capital) for inception, stakeholder workshops, and validation.
2. Kendujhar district for district-level assessment and facility visits.
3. Facility-level visits across: Medical College, District Hospital, CHCs, PHCs, and SCs. As reference points for planning, the Directorate of Health Services lists a medical college in Keonjhar district, and the National Medical Commission college listing includes a Government Medical College in Keonjhar.

Budget/expenses

1.  Travel, lodging, reimbursed as per Swasti’s travel policy.
2.  Local transport for district and facility visits included as reimbursable actuals (with receipts where required)