Expression of Interest (EOI) Assessment, Design, and Implementation of a National Unified Health Terminology Service in Rwanda

GIZ Rwanda

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH has been working in Rwanda for more than 40 years.

Rwanda is a country with a turbulent and, at times, tragic history, and the impact of the 1994 genocide is still felt today. Nevertheless, Rwanda has achieved progress at a number of levels since 2000. Stability, security, steady economic growth and low corruption are some of the key successes. The country is also regarded as a pioneer in Africa in environmental protection, digitalisation and gender equality.

Despite these encouraging developments, however, Rwanda is still a very poor country that continues to rely on international support. This support is in virtually all sectors and is coordinated by the Rwandan Government. As a reliable partner in an efficient task-sharing system, GIZ works in three priority areas on behalf of the German Government:

Economic development and employment
Governance and democracy
Digitalisation

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https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/332.html

Expression of Interest (EoI)

Assessment, Design, and Implementation of a National Unified Health Terminology Service in Rwanda

Transaction no.:7000009946

Project processing number:G-060104-001

Internal order:60104990000)

Country: Rwanda

0. Context

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federally owned international cooperation enterprise for sustainable development with worldwide operations. The GIZ Office in Kigali covers GIZ’s portfolio in Rwanda and Burundi. GIZ Rwanda/Burundi implements projects on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the European Union and other commissioning authorities in the following priority areas: Sustainable Economic Development, Good Governance, Climate, Energy and Sustainable Urban Development, Digitalization and Digital Economy, Mineral Governance, Peace and Security in the Great Lakes Region.

Health data interoperability is critical to improving healthcare quality, efficiency, and access. However, a large share of health data globally remains underutilized due to fragmentation and lack of standardization. While regions such as the European Union have established initiatives to advance interoperability, including the European Interoperability Framework and the European Health Data Space, many countries in Africa continue to face challenges related to governance, coordination, and technical capacity. Strengthening Rwanda’s national terminology and interoperability foundations will support more consistent data capture, improved data exchange across systems, and better use of health data for service delivery, management, and policy.

This activity responds to a need identified in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to support the development and implementation of a national health terminology service for Rwanda, aimed at improving data standardization and interoperability across health information systems. It addresses gaps in data consistency, clinical coding practices, and system integration across the health sector. The work includes establishing governance arrangements, assessing current systems and terminology use, designing the technical architecture, and developing a minimum viable product (MVP), followed by pilot testing, rollout, and capacity building.

1. Tasks to be performed by the contractor

The contractor shall provide the following work/service:

Work Package 1 – Framing and governance setup

Objective: Have a clear objective and link to related initiatives

Tasks:

Document the objective statement for the centralised terminology service (scope, intended users, systems to be interconnected as the basis for defining scope, high-level benefits).
Document the linkage between terminology service, capacity building for data entry to show how the service supports better data capture in the existing systems.

Identify and formally designate an accountable individual (project lead) to coordinate all activities related to the terminology service.

Map key stakeholders in MOH and other institutions that must be involved

Output

Document describing the objective, scope – anchored in the list of systems to be interconnected, and linkage between the centralised terminology service and data-entry capacity-building initiatives.

Work Package 2 – Project planning and resourcing

Objective: Have an approved project plan to support assessment and design of the terminology service.

Tasks:

Develop a detailed project plan and implementation roadmap for the terminology service, including workstreams, timelines, roles and responsibilities, dependencies, and budget.

Integrate explicit activities for “current status / mapping assessment” and “technical architecture and MVP” into a project plan as distinct work packages.

Align and validate the project plan with MOH and relevant stakeholders, securing formal approval.

Output

Approved project plan and implementation roadmap, including timelines, work packages, roles and responsibilities, dependencies, and indicative budget.

Work Package 3 – Assessment of current state and mappings

Objective: Consultant to design a clear picture of current status and mappings for the systems identified as in scope for interconnection.

Tasks:

Conduct a structured assessment of each of the in-scope systems – i.e those to be interconnected via the terminology server -- focusing on:

How diagnoses, procedures, medicines, and other key data elements are currently coded.

Existing terminologies and standards already in use (e.g. any code lists, value sets).

Document, code systems, and value sets, including owners, update processes, and overlaps.
Map all data elements from each in-scope source system to relevant international standards (e.g. ICD, SNOMED CT, LOINC). Identify data elements not adequately covered by international standards and propose candidate national standards for these, producing a consolidated terminology list to be managed by the server.

Analyse and document mapping needs (e.g. between local codes and standard terminologies) and current gaps or inconsistencies.

Produce a “current state and mappings” report to be validated with MOH and system owners.

Conduct a technical workshop to present all the systems currently in use

Output

Validated current-state assessment report covering existing systems, terminologies, code systems, value sets, and mapping gaps.
Consolidated terminology list, documenting: mapped data elements with their international standard references, data elements requiring national standards with proposed definitions, and the complete list of terms to be managed by the terminology server.

Technical workshop delivered and documented to review findings with stakeholders.

Work Package 4 – Technical design and MVP

Objective: Have a draft technical architecture/specification and an MVP of the terminology service.

Tasks:

Define functional requirements for the terminology service (e.g. terminology storage, search, versioning, mapping, APIs for client systems).

Design a draft technical architecture for the unified terminology server, following Enterprise Architecture (TOGAF) principles, and detailing the main components, system integration patterns, security and access control mechanisms, Data flow and governance, as well as operational considerations.

Develop draft technical specifications (e.g. interfaces, data structures, terminology lifecycle processes) in a format suitable for review by MoH and technical stakeholders.

Implement a MVP of the terminology service aligned to the draft architecture, sufficient to:

Demonstrate integration with at least one of the identified systems.

Showcase key workflows (e.g. retrieving codes, mapping).

Organise a review session with MOH and stakeholders to get feedback on the architecture and MVP, and document required adjustments.

Output

Documented functional requirements, technical architecture, technical specifications, and governance mechanisms for the terminology service.

Operational MVP of the terminology service with integration demo and architecture review including stakeholder feedback.

Work Package 5 – Pilot, rollout and showcasing

Objective: Pilot and go live with the solution.

Tasks:

Plan and execute a pilot of the terminology service, including:

Selection of pilot sites and systems.

Pilot success criteria and monitoring mechanisms.

Incorporate lessons from the pilot into the architecture and implementation, preparing for national rollout.

Complete activities required for the solution to be fully live by end of December 2026 (infrastructure, support processes, governance arrangements).

Coordinate with the go-live team to define what aspects of the terminology service will be demonstrated, and to whom, and where (policy brief, conference, etc.), ensuring evidence and stories from the pilot are captured.
Provide support for the go-live and any issues faced during the pilot phase.

Ensure alignment with the capacity building objective so that training materials and strategies reflect use of the unified terminology service within the approved systems

Output

Pilot implementation report with performance against success criteria, lessons learned, and supporting documentation showcasing system benefits.Terminology service deployed and operational for initial rollout.

Work Package 6 – Capacity building

Objective: A strategy is in place and tested for capacitating health workers to better use the approved systems, aligned with the unified terminology service.

Develop a short proposal describing the capacity-building objective and approach.

Integrate a capacity-building workstream into the overall project plan and implementation roadmap, including stakeholders, timelines, roles and responsibilities, delivery approach (e.g. training institutions or MoH teams), and indicative budget.

Conduct a training needs assessment for users of the approved health information systems, focusing on accurate data entry, system workflows, and the appropriate use of standardized terminology.

Define competency objectives for key user groups (e.g. frontline health workers, data managers, supervisors) and design or adapt a training curriculum that integrates system workflows with practical use of the terminology service.

Develop standardized training materials and guidance, including slide decks, job aids, quick reference guides, user manuals, and SOPs aligned with the mappings and value sets defined during the assessment and technical design phases.

Implement pilot trainings alongside the terminology service pilot, collect feedback from trainees and supervisors, refine the training approach, and develop a plan for national scale-up including processes for updating materials and monitoring indicators (e.g. number of staff trained, proportion of correctly coded records).

Output

Capacity-building strategy and workstream integrated into the project plan.
Standardized training curriculum and materials aligned with the terminology service
Pilot training completed with evaluation results and a national scale-up plan.

The contractor is responsible for providing the following services:

Assess the current state of terminologies, code systems, and mappings across all in-scope health information systems and produce a validated consolidated terminology list.
Design, develop, and deploy a centralised terminology service, including technical architecture, specifications, and an operational MVP integrated with at least one in-scope system.
Develop and implement a capacity-building strategy with training materials and pilot trainings aligned to the terminology service.

Milestones/partial works	Deadline/place/person responsible	Criteria for acceptance
Governance setup, stakeholder mapping, and approved project plan	July 2026 / Consultants	Objective statement and project plan formally approved by MOH
Validated current-state assessment report and consolidated terminology list	September 2026/Consultants	Report and terminology list reviewed and accepted by MOH and system owners
Technical architecture, specifications, and operational MVP with integration demo	November 2026/Consultants	MVP demonstrated with at least one system; architecture review completed and feedback documented
Pilot rollout, capacity-building pilot, and national go-live	December 2026/Consultants	Terminology service fully operational; pilot report approved; training materials finalised and scale-up plan in place

Period of assignment: from June 2026 until December 2026.

3. Concept

In the tender, the tenderer is required to show how the objectives defined in Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) are to be achieved, if applicable under consideration of further method-related requirements (technical-methodological concept). In addition, the tenderer must describe the project management system for service provision.

Note: The numbers in parentheses correspond to the lines of the technical assessment grid.

Technical-methodological concept

Strategy (1.1): The tenderer is required to consider the tasks to be performed with reference to the objectives of the services put out to tender (see Chapter 1 Context) (1.1.1). Following this, the tenderer presents and justifies the explicit strategy with which it intends to provide the services for which it is responsible (see Chapter 2 Tasks to be performed) (1.1.2).

The tenderer is required to present the actors relevant for the services for which it is responsible and describe the cooperation (1.2) with them.

The tenderer is required to describe the key processes for the services for which it is responsible and create an operational plan or schedule (1.4.1) that describes how the services according to Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed by the contractor) are to be provided. In particular, the tenderer is required to describe the necessary work steps and, if applicable, take account of the milestones and contributions of other actors (partner contributions) in accordance with Chapter 2 (Tasks to be performed) (1.4.2).

The tenderer is required to describe its contribution to knowledge management for the partner (1.5.1) and GIZ.

4. Personnel concept

The tenderer is required to provide personnel who are suited to filling the positions described, on the basis of their CVs (see Chapter 7), the range of tasks involved and the required qualifications.

The below specified qualifications represent the requirements to reach the maximum number of points in the technical assessment.

Team leader: Project Leader

Tasks of the team leader

Lead the assessment of existing health information systems, including coding standards, terminologies, and value sets currently in use.
Define functional requirements and guide the technical design of the centralized terminology service.
Ensure alignment of the terminology service with national digital health architecture and interoperability standards.
Oversee mapping between local codes and international standards where applicable.
Lead technical workshops with MOH and system owners to validate architecture and implementation approaches.
Provide strategic technical guidance throughout the pilot and rollout phases.

Qualifications of the team leader

Education/training (2.1.1): University degree (Master’s or equivalent) in Health Informatics, Health Information Systems, Public Health Informatics, Information Technology, Computer Science or related field.

Language (2.1.2): C1-level language proficiencyin English
General professional experience (2.1.3): 5 years of professional experience in the health IT, software development, or system integration.
Specific professional experience (2.1.4): 3 years in leading the design or implementation of health information systems, including work with health data standards, terminologies, or interoperability frameworks.
Leadership/management experience (2.1.5): 3 years of management/leadership experience as project team leader or manager in a company

Health Information Systems Analyst

Tasks of the Health Information Systems Analyst

Lead the structured assessment of all in-scope health information systems, documenting existing terminologies, coding standards, value sets, and data workflows.
Support the design of functional and technical specifications for the centralized terminology service.
Conduct testing and documentation of system workflows and terminology mappings during the MVP and pilot phases.
Map data elements from each in-scope source system to relevant international standards (ICD, SNOMED CT, LOINC), identifying gaps where national standards need to be proposed.
Produce the consolidated terminology list to be managed by the server, including mapped elements, proposed national standards, and definitions.
Work closely with MOH and system owners to validate assessment findings and mapping outputs.

Qualifications of key expert 1

Education/training (2.2.1): University qualification (master’s or equivalent): Master’s degree in Health Informatics, Information Systems, Computer Science, Public Health, or related field.
Language (2.2.2): C1 -level language proficiency in English
General professional experience (2.2.3): 5 years of professional experience in digital health, health information systems analysis, or IT systems analysis.
Specific professional experience (2.2.4): 3 years of experience analyzing health information systems, data standards, or digital health architectures.

Software Engineer

Tasks of the Software Engineer

Design and develop the core terminology server application, including terminology storage, search, versioning, and mapping functions.
Build the technical infrastructure underpinning the centralized terminology service in line with the agreed architecture.
Develop user-facing components where required (e.g. terminology browser or admin interface).
Conduct unit testing, debugging, and technical documentation throughout the development lifecycle.
Support the Systems Integration Engineer during MVP integration and pilot deployment.
Implement adjustments to the server based on feedback from the architecture review session.

Qualifications of key expert 2

Education/training (2.3.1): University qualification (bachelor’s or equivalent): Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technologyor related field.
Language (2.3.2): B2 -level language proficiency in English
General professional experience (2.3.3): 4 years of professional experience in software development, or application engineering.
Specific professional experience (2.3.4): 2 years of experience developing health information systems or similar enterprise systems, with familiarity in database design, API development and software testing.

System Integration Engineer

Tasks of the System Integration Engineer

Design and implement APIs to enable in-scope health information systems to connect to and consume the centralized terminology service.
Lead integration between the terminology server and at least one in-scope health information system for the MVP demonstration.
Ensure interoperability with existing systems using relevant standards (e.g. HL7 FHIR, REST).
Conduct integration testing and resolve interface issues during MVP, pilot, and rollout phases.
Document integration specifications and support system owners during onboarding to the terminology service.
Provide technical support during go-live and pilot phase.

Qualifications of key expert 3

Education/training (2.4.1): University qualification (bachelor’s or equivalent): Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Information Technologyor related field.
Language (2.4.2): B2 -level language proficiency in English
General professional experience (2.4.3): 4 years of professional experience in systems integration, API development, or health IT interoperability.
Specific professional experience (2.4.4): 2 years of experience integrating health information systems, with demonstrable hands-on experience with HL7 FHIR, REST APIs, and interoperability frameworks.

Soft skills of team members

In addition to their specialist qualifications, the following qualifications are required of team members:

Team management skills
Communication skills
Stakeholder Management & Collaboration
Analytical & Critical Thinking
Interdisciplinary thinking
Gender and diversity sensitiveness.

5. Costing requirements.

Specification of inputs

Fee days	Number of experts	Number of days per expert	Total	Comments
Designation of TL/key expert	1	150	150
key expert -1/ Health Information Systems Analyst	1	140	140
Key expert -2/ Systems Integration Engineer	1	120	120
Key expert -3/ Software Engineer	1	120	120

6. Inputs of GIZ or other actors

GIZ and/or other actors are expected to make the following available:

Transportation on site with own project vehicle -- in case the assignment is outside Kigali.
Logistics for workshops:
- Workshop venue
- Workshop materials (White boards, markers, charts among others)
- Catering costs for 30 participants

7. Requirements on the format of the tender

The structure of the tender must correspond to the structure of the ToR. In particular, the detailed structure of the concept (Chapter 3) should be organised in accordance with the positively weighted criteria in the assessment grid (not with zero). The tender must be legible (font size 11 or larger) and clearly formulated. It must be drawn up in English (language).

The complete tender must not exceed 10 pages (excluding CVs). If one of the maximum page lengths is exceeded, the content appearing after the cut-off point will not be included in the assessment. External content (e.g. links to websites) will also not be considered.

The CVs of the personnel proposed in accordance with Chapter 4 of the ToRs must be submitted using the format specified in the terms and conditions for application. The CVs shall not exceed 3 pages each. They must clearly show the position and job the proposed person held in the reference project and for how long.

Please calculate your financial tender based exactly on the parameters specified in Chapter 5 Quantitative requirements. The contractor is not contractually entitled to use up the days, trips, workshops or budgets in full. The number of days, trips and workshops and the budgets will be contractually agreed as maximum limits. The specifications for pricing are defined in the price schedule.

8. Submission of the offers

Please submit your self-declaration of eligibility using the designated form and your technical and financial bids by 29.05.2026 in English only to RW_Quotation@giz.de.

The offer must be submitted in 2 separated emails in PFD format. The email subject line should be in the form of:

7000009946-Technical Offer This includes eligibility documents and technical proposal in two separate PDF files
7000009946 - financial offer in the format of price schedule provided

Details of our submission requirements are explained in the enclosed terms and conditions for application. Tenders which are submitted after the deadline, or which do not comply with the terms and conditions for application, will not be considered.

By submitting your tender, you accept GIZ’s General Terms and Conditions of Contract (in the currently valid version).

The tender documents listed below must be submitted in full and as separate documents:

Completed self-declaration and annexes
General administrative documents (RDB registration certificat, Tax clearance certificat and VAT certificat)

Financial bid in the format provided (price schedule)
Technical bid, including an up-to-date curriculum vitae (CV) for each expert and concept

When preparing the financial bid, you must adhere to the requirements of the specification of inputs as set out in the Terms of Reference. The tenders received will be subject to a technical evaluation based on the CV and the concept in accordance with the technical assessment grid (see annex). Only tenders that score over 500 points in the technical evaluation will be accepted for the financial evaluation. Technical bids that fail to reach this cut-off point will be regarded as unsuitable. The technical bid is weighted at 70% and the financial bid at 30%.

Sustainability

We have developed a Guide for Practising Corporate Sustainability (GPS) so that our contractors can learn about corporate sustainability at GIZ. We encourage all tenderers to complete the GPS online course and obtain the certificate.

Completing the GPS will not influence the award decision in this procedure. However, we would very much welcome your participation: https://gps.giz.de/en/.

8. Annexes