Request for proposals "Research of stakeholders' opinions to better understand how to improve the eHealth system for all citizens of Ukraine"

The research is conducted within the framework of the SURGe reform initiative “Support of digitalization of the health system of Ukraine” (Client). Sociological companies are invited to participate.

Terms of Reference: request-for-proposal_ehealth.pdf [295.06 Kb] (Downloads: 1)

Closing date for applications: August 20, 2021

Please, send your applications to: irynam@alineainternational.com

1. Expected period of needs assessment implementation: August – September 2021.
2. Objective of the needs assessment: collecting and analyzing disaggregated data on successful practices and challenges in using eHealth services, and seeking solutions to ensure that all citizens of Ukraine can be more comfortable using eHealth services. 
To research:

• Best practices and challenges of using the electronic referral system, the affordable medicines program, and the electronic prescription for different types of citizens.
• Reasons why different types of citizens of Ukraine might be reluctant to use eHealth systems.
• Demographic data about who is comfortable and less comfortable with eHealth systems to information communications campaigns.
• Comfort level with move to an e-version of the disabilities ID.
• Gathering citizen’s ideas about how the eHealth system can be improved.

3. Method and target groups:
National representation is needed. The contractor shall provide commercial proposal based on a sample sizes {n} as listed below:

Target groups:

• General public (women and men) (age ranges: 18-35;35-60;60+), {n=1000 or more}
• People with low income. {n=300}
• Elderly people. {n=300}
• People with disabilities, further disaggregated by type of disability. {n=200}
• People with chronic illnesses, further disaggregated by type of chronic illness. {n=200}
• Pregnant women. {n=200}
• Medical specialists. {n=200}

The Client may provide support in selection and communication with NGOs which are representing the aforementioned target groups.

Geography split:

• Rural and urban citizens: village, small town (less than 100 thousand), large city (regional centers), Kyiv and regions.

Methods:

• Focus group discussions (FGD) followed by face-to-face interviews with each of the target groups, with special consideration for accessibility issues for people with disabilities, elderly people, and for those with chronic illnesses. 
• All groups (except pregnant women) are to be further disaggregated by the requested demographic data (age, sex, income, education, language, employment, financial situation, place of residence etc.)
• Survey methods should be suitable and accessible for the person interviewed.

Preliminary number of questions to target groups (including social issues and demographic data): FGD – 15-19 questions per group (7-8 close, 9-12 open); questionnaires – 15-23 questions per group (13-18 close, 2 open). Most of the questions within FGDs as well as within questionnaires are repetitive.

4. General information:

• Official statistics on the number of people with disabilities in Ukraine (as at 1 January 2019): http://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/druk/publicat/kat_u/2020/zb/03/snsz_med_2019.pdf
• Official statistics on the number of people with chronic illnesses in Ukraine (as of October 2019): http://www.ukrstat.gov.ua/druk/publicat/kat_u/2020/zb/03/snsz_med_2019.pdf
• There is no specific data on the number of people with low income, however according to unofficial data, there are about 13.5 million families with low income in Ukraine.
• According to official statistics, as of 2019, there are 7 million elderly people in Ukraine (among which - 2.3 million are elderly men and 4.6 million are elderly women).
• According to official statistics, about 950,000 births were given in Ukraine for the last three years (among which 290,000 births in 2019, 316,000 in 2018 and 345,000 in 2017).
• According to the data provided by the National Health Service of Ukraine, there are 100,000+ medical specialists in Ukraine.

5. Survey implementation: 

1. Draft FGD questionnaires and online questionnaires are developed by Client, inputs and edits are expected from the Contractor, followed by the approval by Client. 
2. Contractor will conduct FGD-s. Client has the right to know about the time and to be present at the FGDs.
3. Contractor will update the questionnaires for the quantitative survey based on the findings from FGDs.
4. Contractor will conduct quantitative survey.
5. Contractor will propose the structure of the report and will get approval by Client before drafting the report. The structure of the report should reflect Client’s questions (hypotheses) formulated in the prior steps, and the report itself should give clear answers to those questions.
6. Contractor will provide Client with draft report and will update it according to Client’s comments without extra fees.

6. Support your request for proposal with the following documents:

1. Information about the supplier: 
   1. proposed team composition for the project, 
   2. professional resumes of the key experts with the references to their LinkedIn profiles, 
   3. list of the research of the similar type in the similar areas conducted during the last two years with the relevant examples provided, including: clients’ names, method used (qualitative/quantitative/fac-to-face, CATI, online/CAWI etc.), target audience(s), sample size.

2. Commercial proposal indicating the detailed budget, design of the survey with sampling number for different target groups, assessment methods for each of the target group, stages and timeline of the survey, example of the report and format of the raw data that will be provided after implementation of the survey.

3. Copies of registration documents: state registration, taxpayer's certificate, other permits, licenses and documents.

7. Selection criteria:

• professional experience in the field of sociological research in the relevant areas;
• price of services;
• sampling size, methods of the survey implementation;
• realistic workplan timeline that is well described sufficiently detailed;
• professional staff with knowledge and experience in this field;
• the ability to provide services as per the timeline described in section 9.

8. Deliverables:

• Report (in Ukrainian but preferably in English) on findings of the FGDs and survey, with analysis, description of limitations, and disaggregated by the demographic data. 

• The report without the disaggregated data will not be approved.

• All raw data files, including transcripts of FGDs.

9. Expected timeline:

ACTIVITY	DATE/Duration
Selection of Proposal	16 Aug
Research conducted	17 Aug  –  17 September
Contractor submits the first draft	+ 1 week
Client reviews and comments on the first draft	+ 1 week
Contractor submits the second draft	+ 1 week
Client reviews and comments on the second draft	+ 1 week

10. Payment schedule:

30% paid on providing raw data

40% paid on submission of the draft report based on the pre-agreed structure which answers all Client’s questions (hypotheses) formulated in the prior steps

30% paid on submission of satisfactory final report and raw data files including transcripts of FGDs, approved by Client

Selected company will be required to fill-in Client’s Due Diligence form. Failure to fail-in Due Diligence form will disqualify a company from being granted a contract.