Country Health Information Systems and Data Use (CHISU) | 7200AA19R00065

Opportunity Information: Apply for 7200AA19R00065

The Country Health Information Systems and Data Use (CHISU) opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number 7200AA19R00065) is a USAID Request for Information (RFI) focused on learning from the field rather than immediately making an award. It is categorized under discretionary opportunities in the health sector (CFDA 98.001) and is structured around gathering practical input from organizations with hands-on experience strengthening country health information systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The RFI emphasizes both paper-based and digital systems, signaling that USAID is interested in improvements across the full reality of how data is collected and used in many settings, not only in fully digitized environments.

At its core, the RFI is designed to map the global community's capabilities to provide technical assistance that helps countries develop stronger health information systems and, just as importantly, to increase the actual use of health data for decision making. The focus is not limited to building tools or improving reporting pipelines; it explicitly points toward better use of information to drive decisions that can improve health outcomes. In practice, that can include strengthening routine health information systems, improving data quality, building the capacity of health workers and managers to analyze and interpret data, supporting governance and data standards, improving interoperability across platforms, and helping programs institutionalize feedback loops where data meaningfully informs planning, budgeting, supervision, and service improvement.

A major theme in the description is USAID's interest in understanding what organizations can do in specific technical areas of health information system development and data-use improvement. Although the short public description does not list the sub-areas, the intent is clear: USAID wants detailed, experience-based input on what approaches work, what skills and staffing models are needed, what partnerships are most effective, and what types of technical assistance are feasible at country level. The mention of both paper and digital systems suggests that USAID expects respondents to address challenges like hybrid workflows, transition planning from paper to digital, change management, and sustaining improvements in places where electricity, connectivity, and human resource constraints are real limiting factors.

Another key element is USAID's interest in the challenges of measuring and monitoring the impact of health information system improvements. This is a common difficulty in HIS strengthening because benefits are often indirect and take time to show up. For example, better data quality and improved reporting timeliness may be measurable quickly, but linking those improvements to downstream outcomes like improved coverage, better quality of care, reduced stockouts, or lower mortality is harder and can be confounded by many simultaneous health system changes. The RFI is essentially asking respondents to be candid about what can be measured reliably, which indicators are meaningful, what evaluation designs are realistic, and what methods can credibly show contribution rather than claiming direct attribution.

From an administrative standpoint, the listing indicates the anticipated instrument type associated with the overall effort is a cooperative agreement, and eligibility is unrestricted, meaning a wide range of applicants could potentially respond (for example, nonprofits, for-profits, universities, consortia, and other entities). The posting date is June 18, 2019, and the original closing date is July 9, 2019. The award ceiling is shown as 0 and expected awards are not specified, both of which are consistent with an RFI: it is not a promise of funding, but a market research step used to inform USAID's future program design and procurement strategy. The listing also repeatedly instructs interested parties to read the attachment, which typically contains the detailed questions USAID wants answered, formatting instructions, and submission requirements.

Overall, CHISU as described here is best understood as USAID taking a structured pulse of the field to shape future investments in national health information systems and data use. The agency is looking for organizations that can demonstrate real-world experience improving HIS performance in LMIC contexts, and it wants thoughtful input on both implementation capabilities and the practical realities of tracking impact at the country level.

• The Agency for International Development in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Country Health Information Systems and Data Use (CHISU)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 98.001.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2019-06-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2019-07-09. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: Unrestricted.

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