Summary of publication
BES is a Melbourne-based company, with a focus on providing sustainable health information systems developed and adapted for the Pacific. The project is managed by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Global Health Division (GHD). The GHD commenced funding of BES in 2019 under the Health Security Initiative (HSI) with an initial investment value of AUD2.6 million for three years. The agreement was amended eight times to expand activities, with a commensurate increase in budget, with a final value of AUD21.9 million across the Phase I project. Expansion and upscaling took place in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic which led to an urgent need for strengthening of surveillance databases and immunisation registers, with DFAT determining that BES was well placed to assist countries with this work through Vaccine Access and Health Security Initiative (VAHSI) funding.
DFAT engaged an independent evaluation team to assess the extent to which DFAT's AUD21.9 million in funding for health information systems through BES from 2019-2024 contributed to the digitisation of health information systems, providing visibility across the health system, improved access to data and use of evidence for policy and other decision-making, strengthened country responses to disease threats and improved medicines medical supply availability, and a move away from paper-based systems.
DFAT’s Management Response details how DFAT plans to act on the evaluation’s recommendations with BES, through the design and governance arrangements for funded programs.
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- Beyond Essential Systems Final Evaluation Report - Phase I Project 2019-2024 [PDF 851 KB]
- Beyond Essential Systems Final Evaluation Report - Phase I Project 2019-2024 [DOCX 235 KB]