Membership Policy

This is the Membership Policy of the Digital Square Peer Review Committee. The Peer Review Committee Membership Policy, Conflict of Interest and Recusal Policy, and Peer Review Committee Membership Application and Selection Process of the Digital Square Peer Review Committee has been approved by the Governing Board. Any substantive changes to the policies require board approval.

Purpose

The purpose of this Membership Policy (this “Policy”) is to delineate the criteria for membership on the Peer Review Committee (the “PRC”) of Digital Square. This Policy also outlines conflicts of interest and recusal, which may arise as part of the PRC participation in the Digital Square Notices. This Policy includes information on the composition of the PRC, roles and responsibilities of PRC Members, an overview of the voting process, commitment and collaboration requirements of members, and terms of membership.

Roles and Responsibilities of the Peer Review Committee

The PRC plays a critical role as technical experts who assess the technical and programmatic appropriateness of submitted concept notes and applications through Digital Square Notices. The PRC provides feedback, which helps the Digital Square Governing Board to prioritize investments in high-quality digital health products and services. The PRC is not a governing body, and its recommendations to the Governing Board are non-binding. Digital Square will create an investment package recommendation of the highly-scored applications for the Governing Board based on the funding round objectives, donor priorities, and Digital Square vision. The Governing Board makes the final decision on the allocation and funding of the applications in the Notice. In some cases, the donor will determine the funding. More information on the funding scenarios can be found here.

The PRC is encouraged to be an advocate for Digital Square and promote, as appropriate, participation and engagement in the Digital Square Notices. PRC Members are also encouraged to offer feedback on concept notes and applications s during the concept note and application co-creation phases.

PRC Members are required to review fully submitted applications against the Prioritization Framework. Highly rated applications aligned with the Prioritization Framework will be shared with the Governing Board. To facilitate the PRC review of applications, Digital Square will assign applications to PRC Members in groups for review. For each application reviewed, the PRC Member must submit a review form that provides feedback aligning with the Prioritization Framework domains which include impact, cost, technology, and probability of success. The PRC Member must also assign green-, amber-, or red-lit status for the full application. A green-lit application meets all criteria for investment through the Digital Square Notice. The application demonstrates a global good that aligns with country priorities, can adapt to different countries and contexts, and will scale easily across countries. An amber-lit application meets at least one of the criteria for selection for investment, but a potential risk has been identified and will need to be addressed by the submitters of the application through the Digital Square Notice. A red-lit application does not meet any of the criteria for investment through the Digital Square Notice, or there is high-risk identified in the application’s ability to meet its objectives.

Composition

The PRC comprises a diverse set of the foremost leaders and thinkers in digital health technology including country governments, donor organizations, implementing organizations, technology vendors, and other constituencies. The PRC does not have a limit on the number of Members. Seats are allocated to individual members who are experts in the digital health field. There is no term limit. Digital Square’s goal is for the PRC to be made up of a group of well-rounded members with technical expertise, experience implementing global goods with governments, health workers and clients in countries, and/or individuals who serve as investors in global digital health including global goods. Members must meet the following membership criteria:

• Are recognized as experts in global health informatics, information technology, software development, and/or interoperability.
• Have expertise in regional and global digital health systems.
• Are willing to comply with required participation as described in the governance documents.

Commitment and Collaboration

The success of cocreation and collaboration for Notices through the Open Application Process (OAP) platform is dependent on active participation of PRC Members and adherence to the expectations outlined in this document. PRC Members must agree with the roles and responsibilities outlined in this Policy via membership agreements.

PRC Members must ensure availability and commitment to contributing time to participate in the Notice process, and review and score each application that is assigned to them. To ensure that the PRC Members are aware of the level of commitment for each Notice, Digital Square will provide details on the number of expected applications that the PRC will be asked to review.

During the PRC Review Phase, PRC Members commit to reviewing, providing feedback, and scoring applications using the Digital Square Feedback Forms by the proposed deadlines. PRC Members commit to supporting Digital Square in reviewing, providing feedback, and voting for all of the applications in their assigned group. While it will vary by Notice, it is anticipated that PRC engagement during each Notice which occur over a three- to four-month time frame, and will range from two to five business days. Ad hoc meetings, reading days, and virtual communication will be called for as needed.

PRC Members are requested to advocate for Digital Square and promote Notice announcements among their networks. PRC Members should have the willingness and commitment to engage in discussion of ideas and dialogue with concept note and application submitters through the OAP&P. They should also have a willingness to share honest and unbiased feedback and review of the applications with Digital Square.

Finally, PRC Members must demonstrate the ability, commitment, and enthusiasm to act as an ambassador and advocate for the Principles for Digital Development. The Principles of Digital Development are a set of living guidance intended to help practitioners succeed in applying digital technologies to development programs. Subject to their respective roles, PRC Members will act in good faith in the best interests of the development of digital health global goods.

Term

Term Length

There is no maximum term length for PRC membership; however, representatives should plan to participate for a minimum of one year for continuity. Membership will be reviewed on an annual basis. Membership agreements will also be updated annually, as appropriate, to correspond with changes in the member organization or terms of reference.

Termination

A PRC Member who does not fulfill his/her responsibilities as described in this Policy or misses two consecutive Notice application review processes will be removed from the PRC at the discretion of the Digital Square contacts.

Resignation

An individual may resign by providing written notice to the Digital Square contacts

Digital Square Contacts

• Carl Leitner, PRC Chair and Deputy Director cleitner@path.org.
• Amanda BenDor, Global Goods Community Manager abendor@path.org.
• Jackie Clark, Project Administrator jclark@path.org.