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What is an OpenHIE Partner Organization (OPO)?

The term “OpenHIE Partner Organization” (OPO) is used to describe an organization that is actively participating in the OpenHIE Community and has a demonstrated interest in driving the OpenHIE mission, vision, and values.  OPOs actively invest their time into helping the OpenHIE Community sustainably achieve its goals in solidarity with our focus populations.  For example, organizations in the community may take on roles around standards development, implementation support, software application support, etc.  In return, the community serves as a milieu that advances the OPO organization’s knowledge/experience, collaboration opportunities, and reputation within the global health informatics community.

Why do we have an OPO program?

To empower a consortium of organizations to advance OpenHIE’s core mission within a rapidly growing community of practice.  By becoming an OPO, any organization can contribute to the digital transformation of health systems as part of a community mission that hopefully aligns with the mission of your organization.

What are the benefits of serving as an OPO?

Those organizations that are successful participants within the community describe many benefits of participation:  

Influence

• • Opportunity to identify new collaborators within the Community and through partner connections achieve global impact in global digital health and use of health data to achieve country health goals.

  • Help advance the direction of the OpenHIE community by helping iterate the OpenHIE community operational plan.

  • Influence specific reference technology considerations and help address issues within the OpenHIE Architecture, through commitment to OpenHIE Architecture Governance and Principles 

Exposure

• • Your organization can directly contribute to the OpenHIE mission by helping support the community and it’s members.

  • Learn about and support emerging country/stakeholder HIE initiatives through participation in the OpenHIE Ambassador Program

  • Identify and team up with other OPOs (where appropriate) on business development and implementation opportunities

Promotion

• • Listed on OpenHIE Partnering Organizations page, with an opportunity to create a profile of organizational capabilities 
  • Showcasing the work of OPOs and the country stakeholders they support through OpenHIE community communications channels 
  • Featured blogs, thought-pieces, and cross-promotion of your organization’s work through OpenHIE communications platforms (website, wiki, discourse, webinars, social media) 
  • Present/participate at conferences, webinars, and other public-facing events

What do we expect from OPOs?

OPOs need to collectively embody and/or support a number of roles and responsibilities within the Community.  In general, we ask all OPOs to: 

• ...serve as exemplars of OpenHIE’s mission, vision and values

• ...share or encourage sharing of country implementation activities

• ...manage virtual and in person community (subcommunity and working group) events 

• ...assist OpenHIE leadership in prioritizing activities within the larger OpenHIE community roadmap

• ...serve as OpenHIE ambassadors through the digital health ecosystem and encourage a broader representation in OpenHIE processes 

• ...assist in developing materials for OpenHIE scenarios and workflows to be shared

Are there any prerequisites to consider before applying?

• Level of demonstrated historical organizational engagement

How does an organization become an OPO?

The list below serves as guidelines for organizations wishing to join, or reaffirm their interest for another two years to the OpenHIE Community. These guidelines have been developed and approved by the OpenHIE Leadership Group. 

Expression of Interest (EOI)

• • Provide a brief expression of interest in writing to the OpenHIE Community Manager

Presentation of Capability 

• • Share brief statements to OpenHIE leadership regarding your:

    • Organizational capabilities; 

    • Skill sets to be contributed to the OpenHIE initiative; 

    • The desired role of your organization within the Community;

    • Examples of your historic contributions to the OpenHIE community and active contributions;

    • Examples of your contributions to the digital health community such as global goods, country leadership, etc. 

Agreement in writing to the following points (see attached OPO Relational Agreement by clicking the paperclip at the top of the page)

• • Agreement in writing to the Roles and Responsibilities of an OPO
  • Agreement in writing to all OpenHIE Policies

Note: OPOs are required to resubmit their intent to remain an OPO after each 24 month cycle and would be required to submit the above to demonstrate their continued engagement.

How do OPO applications get reviewed?

• The EOI, presentation of capability, and written agreement will be received and reviewed by the OpenHIE Leadership Group and a final decision to accept the organization’s request will be made by the OpenHIE Leadership Group. Note that during the review process the organization apply to be an OPO may be asked for more information.

• For further information on the OpenHIE Leadership Group, its members, and its voting process, please review this page.

• If approved, your organization will become an OpenHIE Partner Organization. 

How do OPO’s measure their success?

It’s important for the Community to understand an OPO engagement, successes, and priorities.  For this reason OPOs should look for public ways to share and self evaluate experiences with the Community, organizational commitments and contributions on a regular basis.  

This work is a derivative of OpenLMIS Trusted Partner documentation.