An online interview with the Director of Project Management Office, Eng. Ahmad Muhammad Al-Hedaithi, has been held on Sunday, 10th of March, 2013 (corresponding to 28th of Rabiee Al-Akhar, 1434H); in order to discuss some details and inquires on the MOH strategy of the project management domain. This service is reckoned one of the interactive e-participations in formulating policies and making decisions relevant to the health domain in the Kingdom.
Peace, Mercy and Blessings of Allah be upon you. I would like to thank you for giving us the opportunity to talk with the senior leaders in the ministry. I would be grateful if you kindly give us an overview of the department's activities and its most important projects?
Among the most important activities of the Project Management Office are as follows:
• Providing the senior leadership with periodic reports on the status of projects step by step.
• Setting standards for the Project Management, then disseminating them and following up their application.
• Training the project managers and following them up to ensure the quality of implementing the e-health programs and projects.
• Reducing the cost of implementing the projects by means of ensuring the non-overlapping within the various e-health projects.
• Implementing the e-health strategic plan by providing the necessary resources for fulfilling the programs and projects included in the plan.
As for the most important projects, they are: Hospital Information System (HIS), Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), that is to be added to the infrastructure programs and data centers.
Is there a vision and a mission for the department?
Yes, there is a vision and a mission for the Project Management Office, going in line with the vision and mission of Information Technology, and serving the strategic objectives of the Ministry.
What is the relationship between the Project Management Office and project managers?
The office trains the project managers on the approved international standards and tools needed in the tasks of the project management, and provide the informational and technical support in case there is a need for the project managers, as well as putting proposals forward to solve the problems and obstacles that may face the project at all stages of implementation until the completion and closure of the project.
And project managers, in turn, to submit periodic reports on the workflow of the projects under the office supervision; in order to ensure the availability of information on the progress of projects to inform the senior management.
Do you think that the projects are being implemented according to the preset criteria?
In most projects, yes, Allah be praised, they are implemented in accordance with the required specifications and standards. However, the deadlines of some projects might be postponed or brought forward, based on what is beneficial most.
Are the quotations offered by companies to be studied, or the company of earlier dealings with the Ministry is awarded any new project?
All e-health program projects pursue the government tendering systems, which could be briefly explained as follows:
At first, the tender brochure is put forward in the market, then submitted by the qualified contractors. After that, the submitted quotations are to be assessed financially and technically. Finally, the tender is awarded to the winning contractor.
Do the Health Affairs Directorates have a specified role in IT projects?
Yes, as the e-health strategic plan adopted all e-services to all MOH health facilities, including hospitals and primary care centers. And the directorates and the ministry’s office play the basic role of support to apply and activate these services.
Is training the IT employees inside and outside the Kingdom included among the MOH projects?
Due to the scarcity of competencies in the e-health domain, an integrated plan for promoting the human cadres has been developed. Those programs have been linked to these projects in coordination with the managers of e-health in the hospitals and directorates. That is to be added to the ongoing training; to upgrade the potentials and skills through the MOH training programs and scholarships.