Assessing organizational readiness and capacity for developing an integrated child health information system.

The Tool for Assessment and Planning (the Tool) assists public health teams in designing child health information integration projects from planning through early implementation. The tool is a companion to Integration of Newborn Screening and Genetic Services Systems with Other Maternal and Child Health Systems: A Sourcebook for Planning and Development (the Sourcebook). The Tool and the Sourcebook focus on 9 key elements considered critical to supporting information systems integration. The 9 key elements are: leadership, project governance, project management, stakeholder involvement, organizational and technical strategies, technical support and coordination, financial support and management, policy support, and evaluation. Project teams can use the Tool to assess their organizational readiness and capacity by examining the critical components and strategies required to support success based on the 9 key elements. The questions are intended to promote discussion among project team members and to identify specific action steps. The Tool includes a planning matrix to track those action steps and to identify accountable personnel. Strategically examining the critical elements and documenting next steps increases the likelihood of a successful integration project.