Request for Quotation – Information Technology Business Analyst/Consultant – North Zone Business Unit

With Ministerial Order 305/2017, Alberta Health established the Provincial Primary Care Network (PCN) Committee and five Zone PCN Committees. The Zone PCN Committees provide advice to the Minister, through the Provincial PCN Committee, on PCN issues.  Each Zone PCN committee is responsible for developing their Zone Service Plan with the three goals of alignment, integration, and shared services.

The North Zone (NZ) Primary Care Network Committee has representatives from the 11 Primary Care Networks (PCN) and Alberta Health Services (AHS) North Zone Senior Leaders.   The committee is led by a PCN/AHS dyad with secretariat assistance from the Zone Support Team.  The NZ forms the largest geographical health zone in Alberta. 

The 11 PCNs are individual not-for-profit entities each with a Board of Directors and an Executive Director that manages day-to-day operations.  Multiple information technology and management systems are used across the zone.  The NZ PCN Committee is requesting quotes from qualified and experienced Information Technology Business Analysts/Consultants to support the North Zone in their Pan-PCN Information Technology Coordination Project. 

The North Zone has 11 Primary Care Networks (PCNs)– Aspen, Big Horn, Bonnyville, Cold Lake, Grande Prairie, Lakeland, McLeod River, Northwest, Peace Region, Saddle Hills, and Wood Buffalo.  Each of these independent not-for-profits organizations are funded by Alberta Health to provide primary care programs and services to the communities and populations that they serve geographically.   All PCN’s are governed by a Board of Directors, who are family physicians responsible for the strategic direction of the PCN.  The operations of a PCN are managed by an Executive Director.   Several Executive Directors have accountability to manage more than one PCN. 

The Pan-PCN Information Technology Coordination Project is about supporting the PCNs, where applicable and possible, to leverage and share information technology that would benefit their operations and service delivery.  Key benefits sought include cost-savings, business continuity and redundancy, time-savings with accessing common IT platforms/resources/tools. 

In scope for this project is the centralized and de-centralized PCN’s networking and file sharing services, subscriptions services, hardware/servers, networks – VPN, tools and/or applications.  Out of scope for this project are clinical documentation platforms or electronic medical records (EMRs).

The North Zone Primary Care Committee requires a strong, experienced business analyst/consultant to meet the goals of the project:

1. Compile a thorough current state of information technology (applications, subscriptions, networks, services) used in all Primary Care Networks across the North Zone
2. Conduct an analysis and develop a business case for solutions that would enable
   1. file sharing and collaboration between all PCNs,
   2. common analytics and business performance intelligence platform/tool to support policy/regulatory requirements for reporting and compliance, and
   3. enterprise-wide opportunities and cost-savings.
3. Provide recommendations and plan for the alignment, coordination, and migration to a new services or infrastructure across the PCNs

To reach these goals, the North Zone PCN Committee is now accepting quotations in response to this Request for Quotations.

PROPOSALS DUE BY FEBRUARY 13, 2023

Utilizing their depth and breadth of knowledge and expertise with Information Technology systems, platforms, software, and business analysis, the consultant will:

Consult with each PCN to collect data and information pertinent to the environmental scan and business case recommendations to:

• Create process maps
• Advise and support the PCNs to reach project benefits of cost-savings, etc.
• Translate technical language and information into digestible plain language for stakeholders
• Identify risks and mitigation strategies
• Support procurement in a liaison role
• Develop information management/technology agreements as required
• Support implementation of any shared services

The consultant will work under the supervision and oversight of the Zone Business Unit.

The nature of the contractual relationship is a 6-month contract to start with the option for renewal based on zone business needs and business analyst/consultant performance. 

A deliverable schedule will be developed in consultation with the successful candidate, but the expectation is that the schedule will align and comply with standard reporting requirements and policies of Alberta Health (grant funder) for Primary Health Care. 

The expected deliverables include: 

• Conduct environmental scan of current state IT infrastructure, network, applications, etc.
• Engage and consult with stakeholders
• Communicate project updates/status
• Advise on risk management
• Develop a business case and recommendations for IT shared services opportunities including the primary requirement of file sharing between applicable primary care networks
• Support procurement of IT services/hardware/applications
• Develop an implementation and migration plan

The Request for Quotation (RFQ) must contain the following content:

• Cover sheet
• Proponent details
• Resume/CV
• Applicable certifications/credentials
• Three references
• Approach to the scope of work
• Detailed budget to complete the scope of work

Download Request for Quotation (RFQ) PDF

The deadline for submission is no later than 5:00 pm on February 13, 2023

For questions connected to this RFQ, contact:

Ping Mason-Lai, NZ Project Manager
pmasonlai@gmail.com
587-785-0582