Planning an Information Systems Project: A Toolkit for Public Health Managers

This toolkit can help public health managers plan for the implementation of information and communications technology in health information systems. It draws on lessons learned by project Optimize, a five-year collaboration between the World Health Organization and PATH, to help optimize the vaccine supply chain. While the focus is on information and communications technology, many of the same planning elements and steps apply to mHealth planning and implementation, including: forming a team, defining what the system needs to do, finding the right solution (with a breakdown of software models), selecting the right vendors, estimating implementation and operating costs, creating an implementation plan, and understanding and managing project risks. 

Why it helps with planning: The toolkit focuses on the planning phase of an information systems project, the guidance of which is relevant for mHealth implementations and can be used alongside the guidance in The mHealth Planning Guide. It proposes an eight-step process that can help decision-makers:

• Choose the solution that best fits their needs and context.
• Obtain the external help and expertise they need.
• Develop, scale, and then sustain their chosen solution.