HTA+ Operating Manual
Readiness Assessment
A structured, vendor-neutral evaluation of an organization's ability to adopt, implement, or scale health technology — covering infrastructure, workflows, governance, and people.
When to propose this
The client is considering a new system (EMR, telehealth platform, data exchange layer, etc.) but hasn't committed to a vendor. Or they've deployed something that isn't working and need an honest diagnosis. This is also the natural entry-point engagement — it builds trust and often leads to Strategy or Implementation work.
Assessment Framework
The assessment scores the organization across five dimensions:
| Dimension | What We Evaluate | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure | Connectivity, hardware, power reliability, existing systems, data formats, integration capability | 25% |
| Workflows | Current clinical and administrative processes, pain points, workarounds, paper dependencies | 20% |
| Governance | Decision-making structures, data ownership policies, regulatory posture, change management history | 20% |
| People & Skills | Technical talent, clinical champions, leadership buy-in, training capacity, vendor management experience | 20% |
| Ecosystem | Payer landscape, referral network maturity, regulatory environment, partner dependencies | 15% |
Methodology — Phase Breakdown
Duration: 1 week
- Kickoff call — align on objectives, constraints, and key stakeholders
- Collect existing documentation (org charts, IT inventories, policy docs, prior assessments)
- Desk review of regulatory environment, market context, and comparable deployments
- Develop interview guides tailored to stakeholder groups
Duration: 2–3 weeks
- Stakeholder interviews (leadership, IT, clinical leads, frontline staff) — typically 8–15 sessions
- Site visits where applicable — observe workflows, infrastructure, workarounds
- Technical audit of existing systems (connectivity, uptime, integration points)
- Patient/community perspective capture (where relevant and ethical)
Duration: 1–2 weeks
- Score each dimension (1–5 scale with defined rubrics)
- Identify critical gaps, dependencies, and quick wins
- Benchmark against comparable organizations where data exists
- Develop prioritized recommendation roadmap (immediate / 6-month / 12-month)
Duration: 1 week
- Written report: executive summary, detailed findings per dimension, scored matrix, roadmap
- 60-minute presentation to leadership with Q&A
- Optional: condensed board-ready summary (2–3 pages)
Strategy & Policy Advisory
Helping clients define where to go with technology — and how to get there within the regulatory, financial, and political realities they operate in.
When to propose this
The client has a general vision but no roadmap. Or they're navigating a regulatory change, entering a new market, or trying to align multiple stakeholders around a shared technology direction. This often follows an Assessment engagement or comes from organizations that already know their gaps but need help prioritizing and sequencing.
Typical Workstreams
| Workstream | Description | Typical Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Technology Roadmap | Prioritized, phased plan for technology adoption — from quick wins to long-term platform decisions. Accounts for budget, talent, and dependencies. | 4–8 weeks |
| Market & Positioning | For health tech startups and scale-ups: competitive analysis, value proposition refinement, go-to-market strategy, partnership identification. | 3–6 weeks |
| Policy & Regulatory Navigation | Mapping the regulatory landscape, identifying compliance requirements, building relationships with regulators, preparing for licensing or accreditation. | Ongoing / retainer |
| Business Model Design | Revenue model development, unit economics, pricing strategy, sustainability planning — especially for organizations transitioning from grant-funded to commercial models. | 4–6 weeks |
| Stakeholder Alignment | Facilitated sessions to build consensus among leadership, clinical teams, IT, government partners, and funders around a shared technology direction. | 2–4 weeks |
Deliverables
Depending on scope: strategy document, executive presentation, implementation-ready roadmap with milestones and owners, regulatory compliance checklist, stakeholder alignment brief, or investor-ready materials.
Implementation & Management
Hands-on delivery support — translating strategy into running systems, with governance and performance structures that keep things on track.
When to propose this
The client has committed to a direction (often after Assessment and/or Strategy work with us or another party) and needs execution support. They may lack internal project management capacity, vendor management experience, or the ability to hold multiple workstreams together. This is our highest-value, longest-duration engagement type.
Engagement Structure
- Define project governance: steering committee, working groups, decision authority
- Establish reporting cadence (weekly standups, monthly steering, quarterly reviews)
- Set up tracking infrastructure: project plan, risk register, decision log
- Clarify roles — what HTA+ owns vs. what the client owns vs. what vendors own
- Vendor coordination and accountability (RFP support, contract review, milestone tracking)
- Technical oversight — ensuring build aligns with requirements and standards
- Change management support — communications, training planning, resistance management
- Performance dashboards — real-time visibility into progress, spend, and risk
- Knowledge transfer to internal teams
- Post-launch monitoring plan (KPIs, feedback loops, issue escalation)
- Lessons learned documentation
- Optional: retainer for ongoing advisory during stabilization (typically 3–6 months)
Training & Capacity Building
Building internal capability so that organizations can sustain technology adoption without permanent external dependency.
Program Formats
| Format | Audience | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Briefing | C-suite, Board | Half-day | Health tech landscape, decision frameworks, governance essentials. High-level, non-technical. |
| Leadership Workshop | Directors, Dept Heads | 1–2 days | Deeper dive: vendor evaluation, requirements definition, change management, data governance basics. |
| Practitioner Bootcamp | IT, Clinical Leads, Data Teams | 3–5 days | Hands-on: system configuration, data standards, integration patterns, troubleshooting, user support models. |
| Frontline Adoption Program | End users, Nurses, CHWs | Ongoing | Train-the-trainer model. Workflow-specific training, quick reference guides, peer champion networks. |
| Custom Programs | Mixed | Varies | Bespoke content for specific organizational needs — regulatory compliance, data privacy, or platform-specific training. |
Engagement Models
How we structure and price work. Flexibility matters — different clients and contexts require different commercial arrangements.
| Model | Best For | Structure | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fixed Fee | Assessments, defined strategy deliverables | Scoped price with clear deliverables and timeline. 50% upfront, 50% on delivery. | Preferred for new client relationships. Low risk for both sides. |
| Monthly Retainer | Ongoing advisory, policy navigation, implementation oversight | Fixed monthly fee for an agreed number of hours/days. Reviewed quarterly. | Best for long-running engagements. Includes a set number of hours; overages billed at day rate. |
| Day Rate | Short-term, ad hoc advisory, workshops | Per-day billing with a minimum of 2 days. | Used for workshops, speaking, or supplement to retainer. Travel billed separately. |
| Milestone-Based | Implementation projects with clear phases | Payments tied to agreed milestones (e.g., governance setup complete, vendor selected, go-live). | Aligns incentives. Requires well-defined milestones upfront. |
| Equity / Hybrid | Early-stage startups with limited cash | Reduced cash fee + equity or revenue share. Structured case-by-case. | Only for startups with strong product-market signal. Requires advisory board seat or equivalent oversight. |
Rate Card
Baseline rates. All rates in USD. Adjust for market, client type, and strategic importance. NGO/government rates are discounted by default.
| Engagement Type | Commercial Rate | NGO / Government Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Readiness Assessment (standard) | $12,000 – $25,000 | $8,000 – $16,000 |
| Strategy Engagement (4–8 weeks) | $15,000 – $40,000 | $10,000 – $25,000 |
| Implementation Management (monthly) | $6,000 – $12,000 /month | $4,000 – $8,000 /month |
| Day Rate (advisory / workshops) | $1,500 – $2,500 /day | $1,000 – $1,500 /day |
| Executive Briefing (half-day) | $3,000 – $5,000 | $2,000 – $3,500 |
| Practitioner Bootcamp (3–5 days) | $8,000 – $15,000 | $5,000 – $10,000 |
Expense Policy
Travel, accommodation, and incidental expenses are billed at cost with receipts. Domestic travel within Nigeria is included in project fees for engagements over $10,000. International travel is always billed separately and approved in advance.
Engagement Lifecycle
Every engagement follows this arc. Adapt timing and emphasis based on engagement type, but don't skip stages.
Duration: 1–5 business days
- Inbound inquiry received (via website, referral, or direct outreach)
- Initial response within 24 hours — acknowledge, ask 2–3 qualifying questions
- Qualify: Is this within our capability? Is the client serious? Is there budget?
- If qualified, schedule a 30-minute discovery call
Duration: 1–2 weeks
- Discovery call: understand the problem, context, constraints, timeline, decision-makers
- Follow-up: request relevant documents, clarify scope boundaries
- Draft scope of work — clear deliverables, timeline, assumptions, pricing
- Internal review before sending proposal
Duration: 1–3 weeks (client-dependent)
- Send proposal with clear scope, deliverables, timeline, team, and pricing
- Walk through the proposal on a call — never just email and wait
- Handle questions, negotiate scope (not rates) if needed
- Execute engagement letter or contract. Collect upfront payment where applicable.
Duration: Varies by engagement type
- Kick off with a formal session — align on communication cadence, points of contact, tools
- Execute per the service-specific methodology (see sections above)
- Regular check-ins with client (weekly minimum)
- Flag risks and scope changes early — never surprise the client
Duration: 1–2 weeks post-delivery
- Deliver final outputs, conduct walkthrough/presentation
- Collect feedback (informal call + short written survey)
- Send final invoice
- Schedule 30-day check-in to see how things are going
- Add client to quarterly insights mailing list (with permission)
- Document lessons learned internally
Client Onboarding
What happens between signed contract and first deliverable. Getting this right sets the tone for the entire engagement.
Onboarding Checklist
| Item | Owner | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Signed engagement letter / contract | HTA+ | Before kickoff |
| Upfront payment received (if applicable) | Client | Before kickoff |
| Primary point of contact confirmed (both sides) | Both | Day 1 |
| Communication channels set up (email group, shared folder, Slack/WhatsApp) | HTA+ | Day 1–2 |
| Document request sent (org charts, IT inventory, prior reports, etc.) | HTA+ | Day 1–3 |
| Kickoff meeting scheduled | HTA+ | Within first week |
| Project plan / Gantt shared | HTA+ | By kickoff meeting |
| Stakeholder interview schedule confirmed | Client | Week 1–2 |
Quality Assurance
Standards for what goes out the door with the HTA+ name on it.
Deliverable Standards
Every client-facing deliverable must meet these criteria before release:
| Criterion | Standard |
|---|---|
| Accuracy | All data, claims, and references verified. No placeholder text. No unverified statistics. |
| Clarity | A non-technical executive should understand the executive summary. Jargon defined or eliminated. |
| Actionability | Every recommendation includes who should do it, by when, and what "done" looks like. |
| Design | Professional formatting. Consistent branding. Clean typography. No walls of text. |
| Proofreading | Zero typos, grammatical errors, or formatting inconsistencies. Read it out loud before sending. |
Review Process
All deliverables go through a two-stage review: self-review by the author (using the checklist above), then a peer review by one other team member. For high-stakes deliverables (board presentations, strategy documents, anything over $20,000 engagement value), the Principal Advisor reviews before release.
Stakeholder Management
How we identify, map, and manage the people who influence whether our work succeeds.
Stakeholder Mapping
At the start of every engagement, map stakeholders on two axes:
| High Influence | Low Influence | |
|---|---|---|
| High Interest | MANAGE CLOSELY Regular 1:1s, co-create with them, no surprises | KEEP INFORMED Regular updates, invite to reviews, address concerns proactively |
| Low Interest | KEEP SATISFIED Periodic high-level updates, escalate only what matters to them | Monitor — minimal effort unless status changes |
Communication Principles
Never surprise a stakeholder. If bad news is coming, they should hear it from us first, in private, with a proposed path forward. Over-communicate early in the engagement when trust is still being built. Match communication format to the stakeholder — some want a weekly email, some want a 5-minute WhatsApp voice note, some want a formal report. Ask them.