Agreement for Performance of Work (APW): Software Programming Support for the HeartCare Implementation and Evaluation in Demonstration Sites { for updating of Android versions of HeartCare}

BACKGROUND

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), principally cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, impose a significant burden on health and development in the Western Pacific Region. NCDs are the leading causes of death and disability, responsible for 80% of all deaths in a Region that is home to more than one quarter of the world’s population.

In 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched the Package of Essential Noncommunicable Disease Interventions for Primary Health Care in Low-Resource Settings (WHO PEN), which gives guidance to primary health-care staff working with limited resources.  Building on WHO PEN, in 2016, WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched the Global HEARTS Initiative to strengthen action against cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). This Initiative has three technical packages: HEARTS technical package for CVD management, SHAKE technical package for salt reduction, and MPOWER technical package for tobacco control.

HeartCare is a user-friendly software application available on Windows and Android that was developed by WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WPRO) to simplify and standardize CVD risk prediction and management. It predicts an individual’s 10-year risk of a fatal or non-fatal major cardiovascular event (myocardial infarction or stroke) according to age, sex, blood pressure, smoking status, presence or absence of diabetes mellitus, and total body cholesterol or body mass index (BMI) and was developed as a digital alternative to the paper CVD risk prediction charts produced by the WHO and the International Society of Hypertension to address difficulties of some health-care providers in using these charts leading to errors in risk calculation and consequently suboptimal case management. HeartCare also has a clinical decision support system (CDSS) that recommends clinical procedures and health counselling customized to the patient’s CVD risk level and other relevant clinical features, in line with the WHO PEN guidelines.

In addition to CVD risk assessment and customized health information, it provides a platform for electronic medical record management. It enables users to review previous medical records, including test results, of registered individuals. It builds a database of medical information and automatically generates reports, thus saving time on data encoding and analysis. It particularly has its advantage in collecting data at the primary care level, which is generally lacking in most low- and middle-income countries.

HeartCare will be implemented and evaluated in selected demonstration sites in the Western Pacific Region, requiring close collaboration among multi-disciplinary teams of experts. The contractor will be to update the Android HeartCare application to be compatible with the online Windows version of HeartCare, referring to the existing Android version and developing new features, as requested. The contractor will also need to develop back-end features for cloud access.

 

PURPOSE/SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE OF THE ACTIVITY

The  Noncommunicable Diseases and Health Promotion (NCD) unit of the World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific (WHO WPRO) seeks to contract   an IT company to support the implementation and evaluation of HeartCare in selected demonstration sites in the Western Pacific Region. The company will be expected to:

• Provide continuous support to update Android versions of HeartCare;
• Ensure inter‑compatibility of Android version of HeartCare with the online Windows version for data merging and sharing; and
• Support remote and in‑country support for adaptation, translation and integration of HeartCare into the local health information systems in selected countries;

 

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITIES TO BE CARRIED OUT

Output 1: Network system for updated Android version of HeartCare

Output 2: Development of network functionality in HeartCare

Output 3: Data merging and sharing in a cloud server

Output 4: Remote and in‑country support for adaptation, translation and integration of HeartCare into the local health information systems in selected countries

 

METHODS TO CARRY OUT THE ACTIVITY

The work will require daily interaction with all the technical teams involved in the implementation of HeartCare including the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific.

Output 1:                 Network system for updated Android version of HeartCare

Deliverable 1.1:     Design data export/import algorithm plan for inter compatibility with the online Windows version of HeartCare

Deliverable 1.2:     Establish network authorization scheme for (sub)national data management

Deliverable 1.3:     Revision of network system based on feedback received from external pilot testing

Output 2:                 Development of network functionality in HeartCare

Deliverable 2.1:     Develop data management features in Android version of HeartCare

Deliverable 2.2:     Develop all unique pages (layout and animation) for user interface and data management

Deliverable 2.3:     Refine data exporting and importing tools for database server and application compatibility including local access optimization, and management           

Deliverable 2.4:     Finalize and build user interface of the application including additional functionalities which includes data exporting/importing with an online server, alarming features for erasing duplication of the merged database, MySQL online database uploading and downloading features, among others as requested

Deliverable 2.5:     Test and debug application for finalization

Output 3:                 Data merging and sharing in a cloud server

Deliverable 3.1:     Conduct extensive validation tests to ensure that HeartCare can import and export data across the network, also with the database collected from the online Windows version of HeartCare

Deliverable 3.2:     Provide maintenance support for the HeartCare server for the duration of the contract

Output 4:                 Remote and in-country support for adaptation, translation and integration of HeartCare into the local health information systems in selected countries

Deliverable 4.1:     Regular biweekly virtual consultations with all teams involved in the HeartCare project

Deliverable 4.2:     Join WHO and other relevant teams for an in-country consultation for implementation of HeartCare in at least one selected country

Deliverable 4.3:     Provide remote support in the selected countries for maintenance of the HeartCare Android application

 

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION

Essential:  Minimum of 10 years’ experience in Android application development; and project management or project coordination of technology based projects

EXPERIENCE

Essential:

Experience working with governments, and intergovernmental, hospitals and other development agencies, including World Health Organization, will be considered.

TECHNICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE

• Specific technical skills and knowledge in online software technologies to support the Tool; including insights into cloud server, computer networking, online network and structured query language (SQL).
• Specific programming skills and knowledge in Android studio, Java framework, computer security, application programming interface(API), web services and database management system(DBMS)

LANGUAGES

Written and spoken fluency in English (Read – Write – Speak / "Advanced" level)

COMPETENCIES

• Teamwork
• Respecting and promoting individual and cultural differences
• Communication
• Producing results
• Moving forward in a changing environment

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Planned timeline:  1 June to 30 November 2019

Place of assignment

The contractual partner will not be required to be based at WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific (Manila, Philippines) to perform the tasks related to this activity but will require daily interaction with all the technical teams involved in the implementation of HeartCare through email or virtual discussion as needed.

Travel

The contractual partner will be required to travel to the selected demonstration sites for relevant projects activities. The envisaged period per country mission is five days.

Demonstration sites are yet confirmed. For UN Global Market application purposes, include in the cost estimate a travel to Cambodia for five days for the proposed consultant/agency.  Any additional duty travels will be supported by WPRO through separate contracts.

Other Matters

• Upon finalization of the contract intellectual property of content and products shall revert to WHO.
• Any data or results may not be shared or distributed without approval of the responsible officer in WHO.
• The contractual partner will be required to travel to the selected demonstration sites for relevant projects activities.  The envisaged period per country mission is five days.
• Demonstration sites are yet to be confirmed.  For UN Global Market application purposes, include in the cost estimate a travel to Cambodia for five days for the proposed consultant/agency.  Any additional duty travels will be supported by WPRO through separate contracts.
• Deliverable timeline:

Deliverable/Output name/Deadline until

Deliverable 1.1

Design data export/import algorithm plan for inter compatibility with the online Windows version of HeartCare

Deadline until: 10 June 2019

Deliverable 1.2

Establish network authorization scheme for (sub)national data management

Deadline until: 20 June 2019

Deliverable 1.3

Revision of network system based on feedback received from external pilot testing

Deadline until: 30 June 2019

Deliverable 2.1

Develop data management features in Android version of HeartCare

Deadline until: 20 July 2019

Deliverable 2.2, 2.3, 2.4

Network functionality in HeartCare program with a cloud server

Deadline until: 31 August 2019

Deliverable 2.5

Tested and debugged application for approval

Deadline until: 30 October 2019

Deliverable 3.1 ~ 3.2

Live application with data merging and sharing in a cloud server

Deadline until: 30 October 2019

Deliverable 4.1 ~ 4.3

Remote and in-country support for maintenance of HeartCare Android application

Deadline until: 30 November 2019

 

 

APPLICATIONS

Qualified and interested specialists should submit their CV {for individual contractors} or Company Profile {for institutional applications} and Expression of Interest {cover letter} to the Supply Officer through WP RO UNGM at < wproungm@who.int > by
7 June 2019. 

The cover letter should outline how their experience and qualifications make them a suitable candidate for this position and should include their proposed daily consultancy fee (USD) and availability.

Please use Tender Notice No.  WPRO/2019-05/DNH_NCD/TN91182/mnc  as subject to all submission. 

Only successful candidates will be contacted.