Notice G1: Content Global Goods

Introduction

Are you a digital innovator with a current or candidate content global good? We are excited to launch the first-ever call for content global goods. We are looking for innovative companies interested in working with us to increase the availability, adaptability, and maturity of high-quality digital health tools to address country-driven health needs. Successful applicants to this call will join the global goods community and will be featured in the next version of the Global Goods Guidebook.

At least half of the world’s population cannot obtain essential health services. Digital interventions can play a key role in extending the reach and quality of health services, improving health access and outcomes. Since 2016, Digital Square has focused on reorienting the global digital health community to better match digital health approaches to country needs—advancing digital health resources and tools that are adaptable to different countries and contexts to help close the health equity gap.

NOTE/ATTENTION: We encourage all existing global goods, as well as new tools, to apply to these notices to ensure that tools are re-evaluated for representation in the upcoming Global Goods Guidebook.

Digital Square global goods

Digital Square global goods are health-focused tools that are impactful, scalable, and adaptable to different countries and contexts. In addition, they have an active focus on becoming more interoperable, deployable, and better serving of low-middle-income country (LMIC) strategies. The following are the attributes of global goods:

Available under an open source license, services with no barrier to access, and content readily available under an open content license.

Are aligned to the Digital Public Goods (DPG) Standard and are either nominated or registered as DPGs (only relevant to software and content global goods).

Supported by an anchor organization and/or strong community.

Having clear governance structures.

Demonstrated effectiveness of the tool.

Deployed at scale and used across multiple countries.

Designed to be interoperable—to connect and communicate with other digital health systems.

Demonstrated sustainability continuum for the tool.

Notice G1: Content Global Goods

This call focuses on the identification of content global goods for health which are currently in use on a global scale.

Content

A mature digital health content global good is a resource, toolkit, or data standard that is available under an open license and that is used to improve or analyze the capabilities required to manage health data. Capabilities include those related to resource allocation, people, hardware, software, infrastructure, and operations.

Key attributes of a content global good are:

Available under an appropriate Creative Commons license or similar.
Aligned with the Digital Public Goods (DPG) Standard.
Supported by a strong community with a clear governance structure.
Funded by multiple sources.
Uptake at scale (relative to use case for the content) across multiple countries and/or diverse projects.
Demonstrated effectiveness.

Examples of content global goods may include, but are not limited to:

Training content
Standards specifications and technical guidance
Guidance and normative documents
Protocols and policies

Who can apply?

Digital Square accepts submissions from various applicators, independently or in partnership with others, including research institutes and institutions of higher education, non-governmental organizations, and private, for-profit companies. Digital Square also accepts applications for funding from innovators, digital entrepreneurs, and researchers of all nationalities based in all geographies.

Benefits of applying

Recognition as a content global good: Successful applications will be recognized as a Digital Square approved global good, which provides confidence in those wishing to utilize the content and can be used to garner donor support.

The global goods community: All successful global goods will be invited to attend the 2023 Global Good Innovators Meeting, hosted on the African continent, which serves as an opportunity to connect, learn, and gain insights from the broader global community. Select successful applicants will receive sponsorship to attend the event. This event offers unique opportunities of engaging directly with a range of donors and endorsers of the global goods guidebook and concept at large, as well as key ministries leveraging global goods, and countries interested in global goods.

Global visibility: All successfully classified global goods will be featured in the next version of the Global Goods Guidebook. This key reference catalogue forms part of the recommended guidance in selecting digital health solutions for country adoption by donors. It is endorsed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL), Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA), German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), US Agency for International Development (USAID), and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Eligibility criteria

Proposals are required to meet a set of minimum eligibility criteria to be considered for evaluation. The eligibility criteria are as follows:

The proposed content must meet the definition of a global good and must align with the DPG Standard. The content must also be a registered digital public good with the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA).
The proposed content must be licensed under an appropriate open license such as Creative Commons, or similar.
The proposed content must focus on Sustainable Development Goal 3: Health and well-being and must be mapped to the categories and system classifications of the World Health Organization’s “Classification of digital health interventions v1.0” according to the focus areas of intervention they seek to address.
The content must provide evidence of uptake at scale with preference for diverse use and not singular projects.
The content must demonstrate a level of maturity and uptake within the target market with strong backing and support from a community or established anchor organization/group.