Global Goods Guidebook Version 4.0: Expanded content and refreshed set of software global goods
By: Amanda Srsic (Communications Consultant)
The wait is over! Digital Square is excited to announce the fourth edition of our Global Goods Guidebook, featuring a comprehensive overview of the 36 software global goods approved by Digital Square’s Notice G0 Open Application Process. Through the Guidebook, Digital Square aims to showcase the value of global goods; support the advocacy for ongoing adoption of global goods by countries; and generate additional sustained interest, investment, and support for global goods. This Guidebook has historically been one of our most requested and referenced resources, and this updated version aims to continue to serve as a trusted tool for country leaders, partners, and funders.
Global goods are digital health tools that are adaptable to different countries and contexts to help address key health system challenges. There are three types of global goods—software, services, and content. The current guidebook specifically showcases software global goods that were selected after the most recent application cycle. Some of this year’s software global goods have contributed to landmark achievements such as creating maps of polio vaccination efforts, managing patient electronic medical records, and integrating healthcare payment information in a single platform, to name a few. Through the Guidebook, stakeholders can learn about the features of each global good, how it was selected, and the impact it has already made. The Guidebook also aligns with the Global Good Maturity Model in that, when available, it includes information on the global utility, community, and software of each global good.
Later this year, Digital Square will open two additional application cycles focusing on the two other types of global goods—content and services. As we recognize more global goods, they will be integrated into the Guidebook to keep this resource as updated as possible.
“I am really excited for audiences to experience the updated Guidebook featuring the global goods approved through our latest Notice process. This resource continues to be valuable for leaders across the digital health ecosystem, informing decisions for adapting and scaling digital health tools. In addition to the software global goods featured in this Guidebook, I’m excited to see the resource evolve, including content and service global goods in the future.”
All of the global goods Digital Square features are based on open standards and open architecture, as this is essential to promoting interoperability, accessibility, and standardization. This year’s global goods are cornerstones in strengthening national health systems and reflect gold standards amid changing technology, making this Guidebook a key resource for stakeholders. It is also a central part of Digital Square’s 2023 Strategy, which includes an increased commitment to providing national governments with a range of impactful, adaptable, standards-based tools to strengthen their ability to align digital platforms with national priorities and meet their digital health needs. By accelerating public health planning and decision making, this Guidebook advances governments’ abilities to save lives and improve the health of their nations.
What’s new in version 4.0?
In this edition, we have added three new sections to the Guidebook that reflect the current and evolving needs of the digital health ecosystem—standards and interoperability; security and privacy; and the benefits of becoming a global good. This information provides greater insight into the importance of facilitating seamless exchange of information across systems and managing cybersecurity and data protection while pursuing digital health transformation. It also highlights the advantages of being recognized as a global good, including membership in the global goods community, advice and guidance from Digital Square’s technical experts, and global visibility through the Guidebook.
Other additions include our updates to the global goods entry pages to align with the Global Goods Maturity Model, providing more information about global utility, community, and software than in previous versions. We have also modernized the design of the Guidebook to promote engagement and usability.
Lastly, we included updated language to distinguish between digital public goods and global goods. Digital public goods refer to tools with open-source software, open data, open artificial intelligence models, open standards, and open content that adhere to privacy and other applicable laws and best practices, do no harm by design, and help attain all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Global goods fall under the umbrella of digital public goods but specifically aim to advance SDG 3—which aspires to ensure good health and well-being—and endorse tools with mature communities and evidence of impact and scale.
More about the forthcoming interactive Guidebook tool
We are currently in the process of creating a dynamic, digital tool that will unlock the potential of the Guidebook. This interactive tool will provide a more engaging user experience and offer new filter and sorting functions that allow people to more effectively search for information within the tool. For example, if a user wants to learn about the global goods aligned with a particular software standard, they can apply a filter with specific criteria to narrow the scope of their search. We are currently developing and testing the tool through an iterative process with close partners, with a launch planned for later in 2023. Follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn to stay tuned for these new developments.
Digital Square stands behind the alignment of donors around scalable, sustainable, accessible, interoperable, and evidence-based digital public goods for health that meet country priorities. This Guidebook is endorsed by Bayer Foundation, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Digital Impact Alliance (DIAL), Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA), ELMA Philanthropies, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
About Digital Square: Digital Square is a PATH-led initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and a consortium of other partners. Since its inception in 2016, Digital Square has raised more than $100M from 15 investors to catalyze a range of digital health investments—working with ministries of health around the world to align adaptable, interoperable digital technologies with local health needs.
Digital Square’s coalitions, resources, and its portfolio of mature digital public goods for health (global goods) support large-scale, high-quality, sustainable implementations of digital health interventions. The Digital Square team brings together a robust and diverse skillset to play a leading role in digital health transformation efforts designed to help close the health equity gap around the world.