Abstract
This thesis explores two aspects of the development and implementation of a generic configurational software platform - the localisation or adaptation of such a platform to a specific local context, and the evolutionary developments taking place in such a platform. It further explores how these two aspects mutually influence each other. The study undertaken as part of this thesis work falls under the umbrella of HISP research. The Health Information Systems Programme (HISP), is a global network of several loosely connected nodes, working on multiple projects around the world to build, implement, support and improve Health Information Systems (HIS) based a generic software platform, the DHIS 2. This thesis investigates the aspects of adaptation, generic development and their mutual interplay through a qualitative and pariticipatory case study of two different HISP projects targeting DHIS 2 implementations in the West Bank and Gaza in Palestine. These two implementation efforts were based on the DHIS 2 Tracker, a module for collecting, analysing and tracking data on individuals over time. In addition to explore the aspects of adaptation and generic development, the thesis provides an historical account of the evolution of the DHIS 2 Tracker module to give a broader view of the software's biography. The major technical and organisational factors influencing the adaptation of DHIS 2 in Palestine are highlighted. It is further shown how the adaptation of DHIS 2 in Palestine has influenced developments in the generic DHIS 2 platform, partly through generification of functionality originally needed for a specific use case. Lastly it is shown how improvements in the generic platform may accommodate further adaptations through configuration.