The Challenge
Ghana, one of the fastest growing nations in Africa, is currently at a cross roads in its history. The Country is in a unique position to take advantage of many opportunities with the potential of improving the living standards of Ghanaians and establishing the nation as an important world player. In order to remain competitive and maintain and improve its productivity levels, Ghana must ensure its population remains healthy and have access to basic quality healthcare services for all of its residents. The National Health Insurance Agency (NHIA) of Ghana wanted to hire a contractor to conduct an audit of their IT capabilities, identify gaps between the “As-Is” and the “To-Be” scenarios, and provide specific recommendations for improvement.

The Solution
Identika was part of a team that conducted an Independent Verification and Validation(IV&V) that was used to collect, assess, and analyze the IT strategy and infrastructure of the agency; then, armed with those findings, provide recommendations for improvement that aligned with best-in-class industry standards. Specific activities included:

• Review relevant documentation , other appropriate literature and provide input for various deliverables
• Develop an implementation plan for the IV&V effort
• Develop appropriate data collection instruments , tools and templates to conduct institutional level reviews at the head office, regional offices and district offices
• Undertake relevant interviews with key staff of the NHIA in the designated areas.
• Conduct designated site visits and interviews with stakeholders in several regions of Ghana.
• Provide the necessary knowledge transfer certification to NHIA auditors.
• Provide input into the preparation of the inception, draft and final reports for the following areas:
  • IT Architecture
  • Business process reviews
  • Application systems and control
  • Change management and ITAsset management procedures
  • Data Center, Claims Center, and Call Center

The Benefits
The result of our work is helping NHIA assess their current capabilities and areas of improvement. With these new insights, the agency will be in a much better position to prepare their IT infrastructure meet the demands for services, information technology, and customer support that its citizens will require in the areas of health care.