OUR APPROACH
By acting as a trusted, accountable, and evidence-informed partner, IHSTS helps ensure health innovations deliver measurable, lasting impact across care settings and communities.
How We Identify priorities
IHSTS focuses on system-level challenges where innovation can strengthen community care and improve outcomes. Priorities are identified through:
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Analysis of population health needs, service utilization, and inequities
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Alignment with broader health system priorities, including Ministry of Health directions, health authority strategies, and community-identified needs
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Input from patients, caregivers, clinicians, and community organizations
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Review of evidence, data, and emerging best practices
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Assessment of readiness, feasibility, and potential for system impact
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Only initiatives that address a clearly defined gap and demonstrate strong alignment move forward.
Our Design → Develop → Deliver Model
All IHSTS initiatives follow a structured three-phase model designed to reduce risk, build evidence, and support sustainability from the start.
Design
Defining the right problems to solve, with the right partners, from the start.
Develop
Testing, refining, and proving solutions in real-world conditions.
Deliver
Moving beyond ideas and pilots to lasting, system-embedded solutions.
Design - Identify & Align
The Design phase ensures the right problems are being addressed with the right partners.
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Key activities include:​
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System gap and needs analysis
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Environmental scans and evidence reviews
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Stakeholder mapping and partner readiness assessment
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Co-design with patients, caregivers, clinicians, and community organizations
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Definition of outcomes, equity considerations, and system value
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Early sustainability, scale, and funding considerations
What success looks like:
Clear, evidence-based concepts with defined outcomes, strong partner commitment, alignment with system priorities, and early feasibility confirmed.
Develop - Implement & Evaluate
In the Develop phase, ideas are tested and refined in real-world conditions.
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Key activities include:
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Pilot design and implementation planning
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Governance and partnership agreements
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Workflow design and change management
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Data collection, outcome measurement, and performance tracking
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Rapid-cycle testing and iterative improvement
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Economic, feasibility, and equity assessments
What success looks like:
Demonstrated effectiveness, operational fit, measurable benefits for patients and the system, and readiness for scale or integration.
Deliver - Integrate & Scale-Up
The Deliver phase focuses on sustainability and long-term impact.
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Key activities include:
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Transition planning from pilot to sustained operations
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Integration with health system or community delivery structures
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Funding model development and resource planning
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Policy, accountability, and governance alignment
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Workforce training and capacity building
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Knowledge transfer and operational handover
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Scale-up across regions or populations
What success looks like:
System-embedded programs with stable funding, clear accountability, transferable learning, and sustained improvements in outcomes and performance.
Continuous Learning
Learning and evaluation are embedded across all phases.
IHSTS:
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Tracks outcomes, equity, and system value using clear indicators
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Uses data and partner feedback to inform continuous improvement
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Synthesizes insights across initiatives to strengthen system learning
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Shares practical knowledge through briefs, tools, and case examples
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Applies lessons learned to inform future Design initiatives
This ensures transparency, accountability, and ongoing innovation capacity.
Decision Gates & What Does Not Move Forward
Not all initiatives advance through every phase. Projects may pause or stop if they:
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Do not demonstrate measurable benefit or equity impact
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Lack partner readiness or system alignment
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Are not feasible or sustainable at scale
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Duplicate existing services without added value
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This disciplined approach protects public and partner investment and ensures focus on initiatives with the greatest potential for lasting impact.
Managing Risk & Ensuring System Value
IHSTS actively manages risk by:
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Building evaluation and learning into every phase
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Aligning initiatives with system priorities and operational realities
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Addressing sustainability and scale early
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Using clear governance and accountability structures
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Success is defined not by activity, but by durable improvements in care, outcomes, and system performance.