Health Insurance Solution - Implementation Starter Kit
Welcome to the Implementation Starter Kit page, which provides useful information, training resources, and tools to get you started with installing and deploying openIMIS to manage your health insurance scheme needs. We have compiled these resources with the aim of providing an overview of the requirements of the system and walk you through learning tools we have at hand as your organization takes the openIMIS path to digitalizing your business processes.
Scheme Analysis
Demo Server
Rolling Out openIMIS
We have provided in the Implementation Steps the details in rolling out openIMIS.
The implementation steps indicated are part of an ideal approach that we would suggest. Some steps can be undertaken in parallel but ideally the stages of Assessment & Planning, Adaptation, Pilot, and Scale-up should be undertaken in the given sequence.
The steps outlined in the Implementation Steps page go beyond just the customization and implementation of the openIMIS software. They also concern other factors which have impacted the implementation time frame in the past. These factors include but are not limited to:
The scale of the roll out (communities, villages, regions, or nationwide)
The number of actors involved in the implementation
The establishment of appropriate policies and insurance entity
Political reasons
Procurement matters
Hence it is difficult to suggest the ideal time frame for rolling out the software.
Key Resources
Assessing Readiness to openIMIS
To utilize openIMIS optimally, it is best to start by outlining and describing your organisation’s processes, particularly, how information is or shall be processed. The software’s functionality can be customised and user roles defined based on your organisation’s procedures and offered services and in accordance to your policies on how to manage claims. We suggest that you use the Scheme Analysis template in reflecting on your business processes and the appropriateness and relevance of openIMIS to your system.
It will come as no surprise that implementing and operating openIMIS will require the allocation of adequate resources. The resources necessary to optimally run openIMIS are listed in Resource requirements, and for your convenient use we have also developed a Costing Tool, which you can use to estimate how these resources translate in monetary terms.
Once your organisation makes the decision and commitment to adopt openIMIS for your business process, it helps to know what you will need to work on in installing and deploying the platform. The Rapid Appraisal toolkit will help you determine your readiness to openIMIS and the gaps you will still need to address prior to embarking on the system change.
Communicating and Advocating the Change
During the preparatory work as your organisation goes through the process of defining and analysing the digitalisation needs of your system and determining how this can be addressed by openIMIS, an external consulting support might be helpful, to define roles and actors from the insurance body, relevant ministries (Health, Finance) and involve key stakeholders of insurance implementation. As the platform would require the buy in not only of your organisation’s staff but often the government leadership or other principal, it helps to have a guideline on how you could approach communicating and advocating for openIMIS among key actors. We have drafted a Communication Strategy that can be customised to fit your needs. This is a working document that would benefit from your feedback and revisions.
Key Resources
Capacity Building Programme
As with other capacity building (CB) programmes, it is best to start with the identification of staff who are key to the installation and roll out of openIMIS and assess their capacity level with regard to IT systems and digital technology. This will allow you to customise your CB according to the specific needs of your organisation. In general, we consider the programme to have the aim of attaining proficiency among relevant personnel in the use of the openIMIS platform towards integration of the system to standard business processes. OpenIMIS has the potential to bring about significant efficiency gains in your business processes and it is immensely valuable if your key staff are aware of and invested in these gains so that they take part in driving the change.
Those implementing the change to digitialising your system can be broken down into three main categories consisting of managers, administrators, and users. Your organisation’s CB programme would need to incorporate learning objectives specific to them as the roll out of openIMIS will rely heavily on their knowledge and application of the platform. To ensure that your CB and training activities deliver on learning results for your key staff, we suggest that your specific CB objectives refer to their working understanding of the functionality of the platform and their ability to navigate and use the application with ease. It is also important that your CB programme achieve technical competency amongst your key staff to deploy and customise openIMIS to your business processes.
Training Packages
Together in the openIMIS Global Initiative, we have been developing training packages for different audiences at every organizational level. We have compiled the training packages to serve as a menu for you to choose from according to what is applicable to your organisation and what has been established as your CB needs. The table below provides a list of materials that are available in this Wiki and the recommended staff for whom these materials might be relevant. Although a number of the materials are self-instructive, there is need for customisation of the materials especially when it is time to install and deploy openIMIS. This means that training on local operations would have to be done aligned with your own openIMIS application manual, which you would need to develop specific to your organisation.
You can use the table below as a base to build your organisation’s CB plan. When ready, you are welcome to run the introductory training packages with your key staff. We will be interested to hear your feedback. While Part A is more generic, Part B and C of the CB plan would have to be customised to your situation. We have shared examples of different customizations of Part B for your reference.
A. Introductory training modules in online format
| Materials | Content | Audience/ key staff | Delivery Design |
1 | Conduct of schematic analysis for openIMIS | Managers | Powerpoint slides (customisation required) | |
2 | Module 1: Introduction to OpenIMIS | Managers & Users | Webinars (delivered by AeHIN) | |
3 | Instruction in how to access the Demo Server to test the system | Users | Self-instructive text | |
4 | Demonstration of how to log-on, access and try-out the Demo Server | Users | Video tutorial | |
5 | Hands on experience of openIMIS functionality | Users | Hands-on practice | |
6 | Instructional guide on how to navigate the Demo Server and explore the extent of its functionalities | Users | Self-instructive text | |
7 | Video guide on how to add new or modify existing dataset in the system | Users | Video tutorial | |
7 | OpenIMIS Digital business processes | Users | User guide text |
B. On-site training for installation and deployment
| Materials | Content | Audience/ key staff | Delivery Design |
1 | Country-specific openIMIS Application Manual | Users | Classroom and hands-on training sessions | |
2 | Steps to follow to complete the country localisation process | Administrators | Video tutorials Will need to be supplemented with in-person training |
C. Follow through sessions
The designation of master trainers to mentor and coach staff is an effective way to ensure that knowledge and skills acquired are applied and competently put to use. When conducting the training, it is ideal to identify talented power users who can eventually be tapped to train and oversee the rollout of the platform to the peripheral levels. Your CB plan must therefore include an approach to monitor performance against defined indicators using regular supervisory checks, coaching and mentoring.
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