Freelance Development of ICD-11 Cause of Death (CoD) analysis tool
Job Description
UPDATE
With reference to the recently issued Request for Proposals (RFP) for development of a ICD-11 Cause of Death (CoD) analysis tool the deadline for submission has been extended to 31 December 2018. Below you find the corresponding updated version of the Bid Reference document MHA-CTS/11.2ext/2018 and the initial TORs. Already submitted proposal remain valid.
As indicated in the Bid Reference document, we are seeking for bidders with proven expertise in application development and data analysis using R and Shiny software. To verify this requirement kindly provide – as part of your proposal submission – detailed information and examples of your projects using R packages and Shiny apps.
BACKGROUND
Countries routinely invest significant resources into collecting mortality data from a variety of sources, including civil registration systems, health care facilities, ongoing longitudinal demographic and health surveillance, and from other data sources such as the census or household surveys. The primary purpose is, of course, to generate critical information to guide public health decision-making. However, data cannot be used appropriately or with any confidence if insufficient attention is paid to their quality. In the absence of systematic data quality assessment, and adjustment where necessary, the data that have been collected − often at great expense – cannot be used to their full potential to guide decision-making.
The current, WHO ANACoD tool (http://www.who.int/healthinfo/anacod/en/) provides relatively simple ways of analysing the internal validity and coherence of mortality data and shows how comparisons with other, external, sources of mortality data can be used to assess data consistency and plausibility. By carrying out these simple checks, data collectors and practitioners will be able to diagnose weaknesses in their data. However, the tool which is running on an Excel platform faces limitations and there is a need to switch the tool to a new software environment that would make it more powerful with enhanced functionalities for statistical analyses. In addition, with cause-of death data now started to be coded into ICD-11, the tool needs to incorporate this important change.
DESCRIPTION OF TASK
Develop an offline version of the ICD-11 Cause of Death (CoD) analysis tool using R and Shiny software. This will include:
1) Replicating all the analyses and charts that are available in the current ANACoD Excel version 2.0
2) Incorporating ICD-11 codes as well as mapping cause-code tables:
The tool should be able to load newer versions of the classification using the ICDAPI. More information on ICD-API can be found at (icd.who.int/icdapi)
– This will enable easy updates on the software when we have new versions
– Other language versions of the classification could be accessed from the API.
ICD-11 to mapping cause-code tables should be maintained at the server side so that
all users of the application can get access to the updates easily. The tool should be
able to update these maps from the online resource.
3) Enabling the analyses of several years of data to show trend analyses:
a) Create an interface that can handle several years of data. The current tool can
only process one country-year of data at a time.
b) Create outputs for several years of data, all in one operation. The current tool can
only analyse one country-year of data at a time.
c) Create charts to show trends over time
4) Enabling the analyses of sub-national data:
a) Create an interface which can handle national as well as sub-national data. The
current tool can only process national data.
b) Apply the same analyses done on the national data to the sub-national data
c) Create outputs for sub-national data.
d) Create charts for sub-national v/s national data
5) Incorporating a database that includes data from other sources for analytical comparison:
Create mechanism to import data from other sources into a built-in data base as much
as possible in a dynamic way.
6) Implementing comparisons of same data sets in both ICD-10 and ICD-11:
a) Match ICD-11 to ICD-10 codes to enable comparison of analytical results from
countries switching from ICD-10 to ICD-11
b) Produce tables and charts for comparison of analytical results
7) Producing a summarized report of the analyses well as outputs (tables and charts) for export:
a) Create a standard template to show results of analyses
b) Produce tables and charts in various formats that can be exported and use by other
standard analytical software.
8) Implementing mechanisms for WHO staff to update content of the tool by transferring knowledge on how to
a) Update the built-in database as described in (5); the mechanism should be flexible
enough to allow for an easy integration of additional countries, years and data
sources.
b) Sharing knowledge on how to incorporate updated text and links into the tool,
such as the ones listed under (5,7).
HOW TO APPLY
The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking offers for development of an ICD-11 Cause of Death (CoD) analysis tool. Your company or institution is invited to submit a proposal for the work in response to this Request for Proposals (RFP).
WHO is a public international organization, consisting of 194 Member States, and a Specialized Agency of the United Nations with the mandate to act as the directing and coordinating authority on international health work. As such, WHO is dependent on the budgetary and extra-budgetary contributions it receives for the implementation of its activities. Bidders are, therefore, requested to propose the best and most cost-effective solution to meet WHO requirements, while ensuring a high level of service.
WHO requires the successful bidder, the provider, to carry out the tasks as described above – development of an ICD-11 Cause of Death (CoD) analysis tool.
The provider shall be a qualified individual or a for profit/not for profit institution operating in the field of medical informatics and mortality data analysis with proven expertise in application development and data analysis using R and Shiny software.
Bidders should follow the instructions set forth below in the submission of their proposal to WHO.
The proposal and all correspondence and documents relating thereto shall be prepared and submitted in the English language.
The proposal should be concisely presented and structured to include the following information:
1. Project plan and proposed timeline. It is expected that the overall work program will be completed within three months.
2. For each item on the tasks described in the Annex 1, indicate amount of time required as well as cost
3. Indicate total financial proposal (number of days by daily rate).
4. Description of the contracting agency and curriculum vitae of the proposed team members
Information which the bidder considers confidential, if any, should be clearly marked as such. The bidder shall submit the complete proposal to WHO in writing no later than 31 December 2018 at 23:00 hours Geneva, Switzerland time (“the closing date”), by email at the following address: [email protected]
Each proposal shall be marked Ref: MHA-CTS/11.2ext/2018 and be signed by a person or persons duly authorized to represent the bidder, to submit a proposal and to bind the bidder to the terms of this RFP.
WHO may, at its own discretion, extend the closing date for the submission of proposals by notifying all bidders thereof in writing.
Any proposal received by WHO after the closing date for submission of proposals may be rejected.
The offer outlined in the proposal must be valid for a minimum period of 90 calendar days after the closing date. A proposal valid for a shorter period may be rejected by WHO. In exceptional circumstances, WHO may solicit the bidder’s consent to an extension of the period of validity. The request and the responses thereto shall be made in writing. Any bidder granting such an extension will not, however, be permitted to otherwise modify its proposal.
The bidder may withdraw its proposal any time after the proposal’s submission and before the above mentioned closing date, provided that written notice of the withdrawal is received by WHO via email as provided above, before the closing date.
No proposal may be modified after its submission, unless WHO has issued an amendment to the RFP allowing such modifications.
No proposal may be withdrawn in the interval between the closing date and the expiration of the period of proposal validity specified by the bidder in the proposal (subject always to the minimum period of validity referred to above).
WHO may, at any time before the closing date, for any reason, whether on its own initiative or in response to a clarification requested by a (prospective) bidder, modify the RFP by written amendment. Amendments could, inter alia, include modification of the project scope or requirements, the project timeline expectations and/or extension of the closing date for submission.
All prospective bidders that have received the RFP will be notified in writing of all amendments to the RFP and will, where applicable, be invited to amend their proposal accordingly.
Before conducting the technical and financial evaluation of the proposals it has received, WHO will perform a preliminary examination of these proposals to determine whether they are complete, whether any computational errors have been made, whether the documents have been properly signed, and whether the proposals are generally in order. Proposals which are not in order as aforesaid may be rejected.
Please note that WHO is not bound to select any bidder and may reject all proposals.
Furthermore, since a contract would be awarded in respect of the proposal which is considered most responsive to the needs of the project concerned, due consideration being given to WHO’s general principles, including economy and efficiency, WHO does not bind itself in any way to select the bidder offering the lowest price.
WHO may, at its discretion, ask any bidder for clarification of any part of its proposal. The request for clarification and the response shall be in writing. No change in price or substance of the proposal shall be sought, offered or permitted during this exchange.
WHO reserves the right to:
a) Award the contract to a bidder of its choice, even if its bid is not the lowest;
b) Award separate contracts for parts of the work, components or items, to one or more bidders of its choice, even if their bids are not the lowest;
c) Accept or reject any proposal, and to annul the solicitation process and reject all proposals at any time prior to award of contract, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidder or bidders and without any obligation to inform the affected bidder or bidders of the grounds for WHO’s action;
d) Award the contract on the basis of the Organization’s particular objectives to a bidder whose proposal is considered to be the most responsive to the needs of the Organization and the activity concerned;
e) Not award any contract at all.
WHO has the right to eliminate bids for technical or other reasons throughout the
evaluation/selection process. WHO shall not in any way be obliged to reveal, or discuss with any bidder, how a proposal was assessed, or to provide any other information relating to the evaluation/selection process or to state the reasons for elimination to any bidder.
NOTE: WHO is acting in good faith by issuing this RFP. However, this document does not oblige WHO to contract for the performance of any work, nor for the supply of any products or services.
At any time during the evaluation/selection process, WHO reserves the right to modify the scope of the work, services and/or goods called for under this RFP. WHO shall notify the change to only those bidders who have not been officially eliminated due to technical reasons at that point in time.
WHO reserves the right at the time of award of contract to extend, reduce or otherwise revise the scope of the work, services and/or goods called for under this RFP without any change in the base price or other terms and conditions offered by the selected bidder.
WHO also reserves the right to enter into negotiations with one or more bidders of its choice, including but not limited to negotiation of the terms of the proposal(s), the price quoted in such proposal(s) and/or the deletion of certain parts of the work, components or items called for under this RFP.
Within 30 days of receipt of the contract, the successful bidder shall sign and date the contract provided to it by WHO, and return it to WHO according to the instructions provided at that time. If the bidder does not accept the contract terms without changes, then WHO has the right not to proceed with the selected bidder and instead contract with another bidder of its choice.
All bidders must adhere to the UN Supplier Code of Conduct, which is available at the following link: https://www.un.org/Depts/ptd/sites/www.un.org.Depts.ptd/files/files/attachment/page/2014/February%202014/conduct_english.pdf
WHO reserves the right to publish (e(e.g. on the procurement page of its internet site) or otherwise make public the contractor’s name and address, information regarding the contract, including a description of the goods or services provided under the contract and the contract value.
Any and all of the contractor’s (general and/or special) conditions of contract are hereby explicitly excluded from the contract, i.e., regardless of whether such conditions are included in the contractor’s offer, or printed or referred to on the contractor’s letterhead, invoices and/or other material, documentation or communications.
We look forward to receiving your response to this RFP.
