SolDevelo was responsible for the integration of CORE-MIS and openIMIS – two separate systems dealing with social protection schemes management. Together with SwissTPH, we worked on new features, and integrated two solutions to create a comprehensive tool that would help the users govern social protection programs quickly and effectively.
The Client
GIZ
GIZ (The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH) is a German development agency, focused on providing cost-efficient services for sustainable development. openIMIS is one of the solutions coordinated by GIZ.
World Bank
The World Bank is an international collaborative initiative, made up of 189 member countries. It provides financial products and technical assistance to support areas of the world that require help. CORE-MIS is an initiative created by The World Bank.
Partner
SwissTPH
SwissTPH (The Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute) is an international institute focused on providing healthcare-related research, education and services to help the low- and middle-income countries.
SolDevelo and SwissTPH worked together throughout the entire duration of the project, discussing the requirements and making decisions on what course of action to take while implementing the integrated solution.
openIMIS
openIMIS (open-source Insurance Management Information System) is designed to assist in managing health insurance schemes. The main objective of this initiative is to increase the availability of efficient and effective technology adapted to the conditions prevailing in developing countries.
The software can be used to manage:
- Membership/patient registry;
- Benefit package (services and prices);
- Contracted providers;
- Service claims and reimbursement;
- Client feedback;
- Monitoring and reporting; etc.
SolDevelo has been engaged in the development of openIMIS for many years, and we’re happy to witness its growth and be a part of it. The initiative is continuously putting effort in improving Universal Health Coverage, and the new integration is another step in this journey.
You can learn more about openIMIS in our Tanzania implementation case study and Moldova implementation project.
CORE-MIS
The second of the integrated systems was created by The World Bank in 2020 as a response to the healthcare crisis of the global COVID-19 pandemic. CORE-MIS (Core Management Information System) is a free online application supporting the delivery of social protection benefits and services. The program was designed for continuous development and easy integration with other solutions.
The software enables the following operations:
- Targeting;
- Beneficiary enrollment;
- Payment management;
- Grievance redress,
- Reporting;
- User management; etc.
With over 18 different modules available, CORE-MIS is a flexible tool, easily adjustable to the specific needs of institutions that use it. The intention behind this software is for it to serve as a core building block for development and enhancement of delivery systems.
The Challenge
The project’s main goal was to integrate two separate, independent systems, openIMIS and CORE-MIS, into a one, seamless, coherent solution. To achieve this, we were challenged to adjust CORE-MIS functionalities so that they can be integrated with openIMIS’ features and use cases.
The new integrated software package is aimed to serve as a digital public good, and manage a variety of schemes, such as health insurance, employment injury insurance, voucher schemes, cash transfers, and economic inclusion programs.
Reliable social protection delivery systems are what makes a real difference in everyday struggles of common people, who are often vulnerable to the economic, climatic, and political changes that affect their lives. Social protection programs play a vital role in ensuring the adequate provision of fundamental human necessities, while at the same time reducing social inequalities.
The Solution
The integration required the development of new modules that would allow the two systems to work together effectively.
Individuals and Groups modules
The purpose of these modules is to store individuals’ and groups’ data which can be used in programmes (benefit plans).
The user can search for the individuals by their name or date of birth. The individuals’ data can be edited or deleted. By viewing the details, the user can check what programmes the individual belongs to.
Similarly, the user can browse groups. By entering the name of an individual, the user will find groups in which the individual belongs to. Each group’s members can be viewed, edited and deleted. Groups module also allows users to view corresponding benefit plans.
In both cases, data can be downloaded in the form of a CSV file.
Programmes module
This module is designed to give the user easy and clear access to the benefit plans. The system allows the user to group beneficiaries and to define methods of the payment of benefits. Programmes can be searched by code, name, or dates.
Data is available to download in the form of a CSV file.
Advanced filters
While browsing the information, the user can also apply advanced custom filters. This feature is designed to make searching for specific data easier and quicker. Advanced filters are multileveled and can be applied to multiple modules.
Maker-checker concept implementation
Maker-checker concept is often called “the four-eyes principle.” It requires each task or transaction to be completed by at least two people. The purpose of such a work process is to ensure double control over each action taken.
To provide the system with a higher level of control, we’ve implemented the four-eyes principle to openIMIS. My Tasks module gives the user access to tasks that require approval according to the maker-checker rule. Only when the task is approved, will changes be implemented into the system.
Payments
We’ve implemented a comprehensive digital payment flow, allowing the user to effortlessly manage financial operations within the system. It includes the following actions:
- Creating Payment Cycles,
- Generating Invoices,
- Generating Payrolls,
- Process Reconciliation.
The feature supports only digital payments. Other forms of payment will be implemented in the future.
OpenSearch
The system was integrated with OpenSearch – a data visualization tool. You will learn more about this feature in our upcoming blog post.
openFN integration
We’ve integrated the system with openFN, an enterprise integration platform created to help governments and social-impact organizations with interoperability-related challenges. The integration allows the user to import to CORE-MIS unstructured beneficiaries data that may differ depending on the benefit plan they belong to.
The Result
The project was initiated in May, and finalized in August, 2023. During this time, we’ve successfully delivered the complete business flow, from adding Individuals, to Payments processing. We worked in Scrum, with 2-week Sprints and Sprint Reviews. Additionally, we met once a week for a deep dive session to consult the scope, and discuss any doubts and questions.
We worked in React on the frontend and Python on the backend. To ensure the highest quality of the newly integrated tool, we’ve engaged a QA specialist. We also worked with a UX/UI designer who prepared an intuitive and user-friendly interface for the new modules.
While creating new functionalities, such as My Tasks or Advanced Filters, we took special care in making them generic so that they can be easily applied to other openIMIS modules in the future.
To increase the accessibility of the system, we’ve created a series of CORE-MIS user guides, walking the user through the new functionalities.
Since openIMIS is largely a community-based solution, we made sure to actively reach out to its members, engage ourselves in the discussions, and keep the community updated on the results of our work. We regularly conducted demonstrations of the product, providing the future users with space for feedback.
As previously mentioned, SolDevelo is a long-time openIMIS contributor, actively participating in its development. CORE-MIS integration, however, was the first openIMIS project that we had the pleasure of conducting as the main contractor. It was a valuable experience and a great honor to lead this initiative, and use all our skills and knowledge to ensure its success.
