Code Bounties: Championing Local Development of iHRIS

In order to expand the global iHRIS development community, we are introducing a code bounty program. Code bounties are like the "microfinance" of the software development world. We break up the programming priorities into short-term development projects and offer small monetary awards, or bounties, to iHRIS developers to complete the work.

A country’s health information system is continually evolving. There is no solution that we can offer now that is "future-proof," as there will always be new requirements, systems, and technologies. The iHRIS software can adapt to these eventualities. But we must ensure there are people with the necessary skills and experience to make these adaptations where the software is being deployed.

Our software uses open source technologies and open standards, which puts the ability to customize, develop, and even document iHRIS in the hands of the people using the software. However, having the ability is not enough. Local developers need to be incentivized to contribute. Code bounties provide the incentive.

Our code bounty program helps us create a pool of iHRIS developers. As the skills of these developers increase, they can start offering their services directly to the Ministry of Health, faith-based organizations, professional councils, or other stakeholders.

All code bounties are posted on our blog, so follow us to make sure you see them. If you register as an iHRIS developer, you will be the first to learn about new code bounties via the iHRIS-developers mailing list.