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DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

COLLEGE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES

UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

Staff Profile

team

Dr Honest Kimaro

  • senior lecturer

  • +255758392001
  • honestck@udsm.ac.tz

Dr Honest Kimaro

About me
I am a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering of the College of Information and Communication Technologies (CoICT), University of Dar es Salaam. Generally, my main research and consultancy areas are Information Systems (IS) Management and Digital Innovation for Development. My specific areas of focus are: IS implementation for sustainable impact, IS design for data use, integrated information infrastructure, digital innovation management, health informatics, and IT-enabled Business process engineering.

I hold a PhD in Information Systems from the University Oslo, Norway obtained in 2006. My PhD study was undertaken after having completed a Master of Science in Technical informatics from the Technical University of Delft in the Netherlands in 2001.  Essentially, this was an intensive practical based MSc program that gave me an opportunity to work for a period of one year at the Philips Research laboratory Eindhoven, the Netherlands as an intern in the project to develop flexible techniques for visualization of XML documents, whose ingenious efforts resulted into US patent application (see details ttps://patents.google.com/patent/US20030037303A1/en). Earlier on, I had successful completed a Bachelor of Science (Computer Science) at the University of Dar es Salaam in 1998, and thereafter worked for a year at the UDSM University Computing Centre, before getting a competitive NUFFIC scholarship to proceed with the master studies in the Netherlands.

Leadership/ Management Roles
Since 2007, I have been involved in various management roles, teaching, training, supervision, research and innovation activities in Tanzania which in turn have resulted in the establishment of different programmes and multi-partner donor-funded projects.

From 2015 to 2020, I served as the Head of Department Computer Science and Engineering (2015-2020) in which among many other things that were achieved include establishments of the undergraduate projects innovation hub (Youth for Change Innovation Hub (Y4C) at CoICT under UNICEF support, and a new BSc programme in Business Information Technology. During this period, I also oversaw the establishment of various master’s programmes, some in collaboration with external partners such as MSc in Health Informatics (with the University of Oslo), MSc in Computer and IT Systems (with KTH in Sweden), MSc in Information Systems Management, and recently MSc in Data Science in order to address the national demands for advanced capacity in these fields.

Teaching Responsibilities and Supervision of Research Students
Currently, I teach various courses for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes such as:

  1. Systems Analysis and Design,
  2. Computer Business Communication,
  3. Business Process Management,
  4. Information Systems Management
  5. Project Monitoring & Evaluation.

Besides, I have been supervising a number of postgraduate students (MSc and PhD), most of whom have completed their studies to date.

Research and Consultancy Projects
On research and consultancy aspects, over the past 15 years, I have initiated and coordinated various collaborative large projects at the University of Dar sea Salaam in collaboration with local, national and international partners (such as Global Funds, UNICEF, University of Oslo, NORAD, CDC, Bill and Melinda Gates, SIDA, USAID, and different NGOs) whose implementations have resulted into having great impacts in the country. Some of the selected implemented projects are geared towards strengthening the Health Information System (HIS) in Tanzania while working closely with Tanzania’ Ministry of Health, the main partner and beneficiary) as elaborated below:

  • The District Health Information Software (DHIS2) used for routine health data reporting systems to meet changing and growing needs of the country’s health system to improve health outcome. DHIS2 as a national data warehouse (www.dhis.moh.go.tz) is fully institutionalized at all levels of health systems and integrated with vertical programmes (such as TB, Malaria, HIV, and EPI) and is used by Tanzania’s Ministry of Health and its various stakeholders.

  • The Human Resources Health Information System (HRHIS web-based system) is used by the Health Sector of Tanzania for collecting, processing, and disseminating data and information on human resources for health.

  • The case-based TB and leprosy electronic system using DHIS2 environment (https://etl.moh.go.tz) to facilitate the collection of individual case data from all health facilities and analysis at all levels, and thus, strengthening the TB and Leprosy surveillance system.

  • The mobile electronic Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response System (e-IDSR) utilizing mobile USSD technology that is linked with DHIS2, used for timely reporting of infectious diseases in the country.

  • The National Health Portal (https://hmisportal.moh.go.tz) that is linked with the DHIS2, is used to extend the dissemination of health information to all stakeholders and the public.

I currently coordinating a large research and innovation team (including various software developers and systems analysts) comprising of more than 20+ experts at UDSM, with whom we have continued to provide timely technical support to our implementing partners (the Government of Tanzania being the main partner and beneficiary) and to facilitate implementation of other various digital solutions including Agricultural Routine Data System (ARDS) and Hospital Management Information System (HoMIS) as well as integration and interoperability of their related data systems.

Awards
Generally, these tirelessly efforts have resulted in some honorary awards and various (journal, conference proceedings, MSc dissertations, and PhD thesis) publications in the areas of information systems, health informatics, and computer science over the past 15 years.

  1. Our Project for designing a Road Safety integration management system to protect communities and property attained the FIRST overall winner of the University of Dar ES Salaam 2016 Research Week Exhibitions for being the best project at the university.

  2. On 20th May 2015, our project received a Golden Certificate, a Trophy, and 5000 USD awards being the FIRST overall winner of the University of Dar ES Salaam Research Week Exhibition 2015 for Design and Implementation of Tanzania’s National e-health Integrated Architecture (DHIS2).

  3. On 25th October 2012, our Project received a Golden Certificate Award from the University of Dar es Salaam in recognition of outstanding achievement in the development of the Human Resources Health Information System (HRHIS) for the Health Sector of Tanzania during the climax of UDSM Golden 50th Anniversary Celebrations.

Selected Publication

  1. Laitinen, A Koivu, A. Nykänen, P., Kimaro, H (2020). Healthcare Workers’ eHealth Competences in Private Health Centres in Urban Tanzania. Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries. Vol. 14(1)

  2. Mahundi, M., Nielsen, P. and Kimaro, H. (2019). The social and technical conditions enabling innovations in information infrastructures: A case study from public health in Tanzania. African Journal of Science, Technology, Innovation and Development, 11: 7,795-

  3. Mukaa, E., Kimaro, H., Kiwanuka, A., and Igira, F. (2017). Challenges and Strategies for Standardizing Information Systems for Integrated TB/HIV Services in Tanzania: A Case Study of Kinondoni Municipality. Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries 79, 1, 1-11

  4. Nyella, E and Kimaro, H (2016). HIS Standardization in Developing Countries: Use of Boundary Objects to Enable Multiple Translations. The African Journal of Information Systems, Vol.8(1). 

  5. Kimaro, H.C, Mvungi, N.H, Kundaeli, H.N, Ndyetabura, Y. H. (2016). Challenges in the Management of Road Safety in Tanzania: The Need for an Integration Framework. Huria: Journal of the Open University of Tanzania, Vol 22, No 1 ; https://www.ajol.info/index.php/huria/article/view/152630/142220

  6. Kiwanuka, A., Kimaro, H. and Senyoni, W (2015). Analysis of the acceptance process of district health information systems (DHIS) for vertical health programmes: a case study of TB, HIV/AIDS and Malaria Programmes in Tanzania. Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries 70, 8, 1-14
  1. Bakar A. D, Kimaro, H, Abu Bakar M. S. (2014). Adoption of Free Open Source Geographic Information System Solution for Health Sector in Zanzibar Tanzania. Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries. Vol. 8(1). Accessible at: http://www.jhidc.org/index.php/jhidc/article/view/110

  2. Kagaruki, G.B , Kimaro, H. C., Mboera, L. G (2013). Factors Affecting Utilization of Evidence Based Health Information System for Effective Supply Chain of Essential Medicine in Tanzania: A Case Study from Mbeya Region. Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries. Vol. 7(1). Available at jhidc.org

  3. Kimaro, H. C., Mengiste, S. A., Aanestad, M., (2008). Redesigning Health Information Systems in Developing Countries: the Need for Local Flexibility and Distributed Control. Journal of Public Administration and Development. Dev. 28, 18–29.

  4. Kimaro, H. C., & Titlestad, O. H. (2008). Challenges of user participation in the design of a computer based system: the possibility of participatory customization in low-income countries [Electronic Version]. Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries, 2, 1- 9 from http://www.jhidc.org/index.php/jhidc/issue/view/4.

  5. Kimaro, H. C. and Sahay, S. (2007). An Institutional Perspective on the Process of Decentralization of Health Information Systems: Case Study from Tanzania. Journal of Information Technology for Development, Vol. 13 (4) 363–390.
  6. Kimaro, H. C., & Nhampossa, J. L. (2007). The challenges of sustainability of health information systems in developing countries: comparative case studies of Mozambique and Tanzania [Electronic Version]. Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries, 1(1), 1-10 from http://www.jhidc.org/index.php/jhidc/article/view/3.

  7. Kimaro, H. C. (2006). Strategies for developing human resource capacity to support sustainability of ICT based health information systems: A Case study from Tanzania. The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries; 26(2):1-23

  8. Kimaro, H. C. and Twaakyondo, H. H. (2005). Analyzing the hindrance to the use of information and technologies for improving efficiency of health care delivery system in Tanzania, Tanzania Health Research Bulletin; 7(3):189-197

  9. Kimaro, H. C. and Nhampossa, J. L (2005). Analyzing the problem of unsustainable Health Information Systems in Less-Developed Economies: Case studies from Tanzania and Mozambique. Journal of Information Technology for Development; 11(3):273-298

  10. Kimaro, H. C. and Nhampossa, J. L (2005). Analyzing the problem of unsustainable Health Information Systems in Less-Developed Economies: Case studies from Tanzania and Mozambique. Journal of Information Technology for Development; 11(3):273-298

Contacts Information
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
University of Dar es Salaam
CoICT Kijitonyama Campus, Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road
P.O. Box 33335, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
E-mail: honestck@udsm.ac.tz
Mobile: +255 (0) 758 392 001