Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) help health financing and social protection scheme operators to improve the efficiency of their business processes. The use of ICTs enables highly complex business processes — such as beneficiary management, service provision tracking, and claims management — to run effectively and efficiently, even in the most resource-constrained settings.
Successful implementation of openIMIS requires financial planning from the outset to ensure sufficient resources are available to support each stage. Securing the necessary long-term funding should be an integral part of the core design process, whilst careful financial planning from the outset will not only ensure the sustainability of the ICT system itself, but will also play a significant role towards ensuring the long-term viability of the scheme.
Potential sources for financial support include development banks, bilateral donors, trusts and foundations. Many current users of openIMIS have secured funding for the initial costs from German, Swiss, or Belgian bilateral cooperation, as well as through various foundations. Development banks are also likely to be very supportive of scheme operators looking to implement openIMIS, which is a well-established platform and recognised digital public good, typically in the form of development loans.
In addition to these funding sources, a mechanism to support scheme operators with these initial funding requirements has been established by the openIMIS initiative. This mechanism is known as the Catalytic Implementation Fund.

Catalytic Implementation Fund

The German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Swiss Department for Development and Cooperation (SDC) established the openIMIS Catalytic Implementation Fund (CIF) as a complimentary investment programme to assist operators in deploying or extending the software across their social protection schemes. As the name suggests, the fund is intended as a catalyst; a start-up financial support package to lower the entry barrier for scheme operators. The use of the Catalytic Implementation Fund requires robust sustainability measures or the continued use of openIMIS, beyond the period of support provided under the CIF.
The CIF assists operators to implement openIMIS and facilitates growth of the initiative beyond the implementation phase. It provides support for building sustainable management information systems that adapt to changing needs, integrate with parallel software solutions, and offer opportunities for growth beyond the initial target groups. The fund is not intended to provide continuous, long-term financial backing and scheme operators are expected to develop a sustainable funding plan for their continued use of the software.

Eligibility and assessment criteria

Health and other social protection scheme operators based in countries receiving development support from either Germany or Switzerland are eligible to apply. Particular consideration is given to priority countries of either BMZ or SDC.
The form and amount of funding assistance provided is decided on a case-by-case basis. Applicants will need to undertake an implementation study and needs assessment, before presenting a clear and precise plan that includes legal and/or policy frameworks and well-defined standard operating procedures. The long-term viability of a proposed scheme is a key consideration, and system operators will need to demonstrate their ability to secure further financial support from other sources.