Description
BackgroundPartners In Health (PIH) is a global health and social justice non-governmental organization. PIH's mission is to provide a preferential option for impoverished people in health care. Over the past three decades, Partners In Health, along with Ministries of Health and other partners, has contributed to embedding key innovations into health systems: e.g., improving community health systems and mainstreaming paid community health workers; leveraging vertical investments such as in HIV to improve chronic disease care more broadly; strengthening national ownership of health information systems; and normalizing universal health coverage as a goal. Despite that progress, primary care still under-delivers for people in impoverished communities with the collapse of global health aid, further stressing primary care systems. Meanwhile, the pace of technological change continues to accelerate with the advent of artificial intelligence, but we see a widening relevance gap between these advances and the settings where PIH works. To navigate these crossroads, PIH seeks to strengthen its digital health approach to rural and community-based primary care, enabling the organization to demonstrate the feasibility and impact of new digital innovations to deliver primary care, particularly in rural contexts. ObjectivesThis Request serves as a competitive process to identify a Consultant (an individual or a firm) to assess the requirements for a pragmatic integration of a digital health platform into primary health care at Partners In Health care delivery sites, as well as to develop multiple scenarios for where and how Partners In Health could initiate its implementation with a focus on rural and community-based primary care. The successful individual or firm will work with the Partners In Health Coordination Site, care delivery sites, and experts at the University of Global Health Equity to complete the following:
Readiness Assessment: Develop a value chain framework for digital health and primary care at PIH, including a mapping of the “5S” components (staff, stuff, spaces, systems, and social support) required for digital health readiness along that chain as the basis of basic and deep dive assessments with care delivery sites. Map existing digital health and primary care models and tools against key criteria for potential applicability for PIH site contexts. Document relevant government policies, digital health strategies, regulatory considerations, and national platforms within each PIH partner country. Conduct a high-level readiness assessment with all PIH care delivery sites, using desk research and internal interviews to assess existing digital infrastructure, mobile phone access, patient and provider trust in digital health, and barriers and enablers to integrate digital workflows. Complete deeper assessments of the opportunities and investment needs for effective implementation of a digital health in primary care transformation at three PIH care delivery sites (likely Malawi, Liberia, and Sierra Leone) according to the “5S” model. Scenario Development: Develop scenarios for transforming the use of digital health in primary care at PIH over the next ~5-10 years, including assessments of investment requirements, impact potential, risks, and potential partnerships. As part of those scenarios, create specific recommendations around needed efforts in the next 1-3 years to pilot new solutions and/or address underlying constraints. As needed, support the presentation of findings to PIH leadership and key stakeholders, and iterate on findings based on feedback. Consultant Capabilities & QualificationsWe are seeking an individual or firm who can work in a deeply collaborative way, providing overall project management support as well as technical expertise that augments internal capabilities. The ideal consultant will have technical depth on digital health, including uses of artificial intelligence, with particular emphasis on rural contexts in low-income countries. The consultant will ideally also have experience supporting processes that are jointly executed alongside client teams: As part of this effort, PIH will establish a Core Team of 5-6 individuals who will make hands-on contributions to the analysis and recommendations, as well as a broader Steering Group to provide regular guidance on project direction. We anticipate that the bulk of this process will be completed between February and June 2026. The location of the consultancy is flexible; key project stakeholders would be based in time zones spanning from US Eastern Time to Central African Time. The deeper readiness assessment stage would likely include in-person assessments of work in the three anticipated focus sites (Malawi, Liberia, and Sierra Leone). To ApplyBecause of the complexity of this assignment, we are soliciting brief Expressions of Interest before inviting full technical proposals. To express interest, please submit the following to Morgan Benson ([email protected]) by Friday January 16, 2026, at 5pm US EST: A brief (1-2 page) overview of individual or firm qualifications and relevant project examples A brief (1-2 page) overview of high-level proposed project approach Estimated level of effort and total anticipated budget, including daily billing rates; where needed, feel free to include any assumptions on PIH internal capacity and/or scenarios for structuring the work. CVs of key project personnel DisclaimerPIH is not responsible for any costs incurred in the preparation, submission, or negotiation of any Expressions of Interests. This Request for Expressions of Interest is part of a discretionary program. Submission of a response does not create a contractual relationship between the applicant and PIH. Furthermore, all respondents acknowledge that all terms are subject to change. In particular, PIH reserves the right, in its sole discretion and without notice, to: Cancel this Request for Expressions of Interest at any time and for any reason. Amend and reissue the Request for Expressions of Interest at any time and for any reason. Accept or reject any response that is nonconforming because it does not meet the eligibility criteria or does not comply with the instructions.Verify any information provided by respondents through independent research or by contacting third parties deemed to be reliable by PIH and use that information to inform PIH’s decision.Modify eligibility and evaluation criteria, including but not limited to criteria assessed at the triage stage, at any time.Not provide critiques or feedback regarding the reasons an Expression of Interest was or was not selected.