SMART Base
0.2.0 - ci-build

SMART Base, published by WHO. This guide is not an authorized publication; it is the continuous build for version 0.2.0 built by the FHIR (HL7® FHIR® Standard) CI Build. This version is based on the current content of https://github.com/WorldHealthOrganization/smart-base/tree/main and changes regularly. See the Directory of published versions
Built from commit d97caff5.

Authoring Process

Authoring Process

The SMART Guidelines authoring lifecycle encompasses DAK development, L3 FHIR authoring, quality control, translation, and publication. This process is defined as a BPMN 2.0 collaboration diagram with swimlanes for each authoring persona.

The process is based on the WHO SMART IG Starter Kit guidance.

Lifecycle Overview

Phase 1          Phase 2a         Phase 2b        Phase 3       Phase 4
PLANNING    →    L2 DAK      →    L3 FHIR    →    QUALITY   →   PUBLICATION
                 AUTHORING        AUTHORING       CONTROL
Programme        Business         FHIR            QC            Publication
Manager          Analyst          Modeller        Reviewer      Manager
                 Clinical SME     Terminologist   Translator
                 Technical Officer

Phase 1: Planning (Programme Manager)

  1. Scoping — Define DAK purpose, target audience, and gaps
  2. Form team — Assemble DAK development team (<10 people), define RASCI matrix
  3. Establish process — Select Agile/Scrum methodology and project tooling
  4. Gather source documents — Collect WHO guidelines, registers, policy documents
  5. Plan timeline — Draft project roadmap, create backlog, set sprint cadence
  6. Plan consultations — Schedule SME consultation format and frequency
  7. Assign work — Begin sprint cycle

Phase 2a: L2 DAK Authoring (Business Analyst, iterative)

The L2 authoring follows an iterative sprint cycle of Fill → Validate → Incorporate:

  1. Review L1 source documents for current sprint scope
  2. Identify health interventions and recommendations (Component 1)
  3. Author generic personas (Component 2)
  4. Author user scenarios (Component 3)
  5. Author BPMN business processes (Component 4)
  6. For each business process:
    • Draft detailed workflow annotations
    • Define core data elements (Component 5)
    • Develop decision-support logic (Component 6)
    • Develop scheduling logic (Component 7)
    • List indicators and metrics (Component 8)
    • Define functional/non-functional requirements (Component 9)
  7. Streamline all DAK components for cross-component consistency
  8. Validate with SMEs (Clinical SME review)
  9. Incorporate feedback and begin next sprint

Clinical Review (Clinical SME)

  • Validate DAK components against L1 recommendations
  • Ground-truth with field practice (country visits, facility interviews)
  • Provide clinical feedback and identify gaps

Phase 2b: L3 FHIR Authoring (FHIR Modeller)

  1. Verify L2 input availability and consistency
  2. Set up IG repository from smart-ig-empty template
  3. Author L3 artifacts in recommended sequence:
    • Logical Models → Profiles → Questionnaires → StructureMaps
    • CodeSystems, ValueSets, ConceptMaps (with Terminologist)
    • CQL (decision logic, scheduling, indicators)
    • PlanDefinitions (processes, decision tables)
    • ActorDefinitions (reusing Commons repository)
    • Measures, Requirements, Scenarios, Tests
  4. Run IG Publisher build and fix issues iteratively

Terminology Management (Terminologist, concurrent with L3)

  • Review terminology bindings and code systems
  • Map concepts to WHO Commons dictionary
  • Map to ICD-11, SNOMED CT, LOINC
  • Onboard new concepts through governance process

Phase 3: Quality Control (QC Reviewer)

  1. Review QA report (qa.html) from IG Publisher
  2. Review checklist items across L1, L2, L3, L4, Global sections
  3. Validate artifact conformance to CRMI profiles
  4. Test L3 functionality (StructureMaps, CQL, Measures)
  5. Decision gate: Publication ready?
    • No: Report issues to FHIR Modeller for resolution → re-review
    • Yes: Approve for publication
  6. Review translated content for completeness

Translation (Translator, concurrent with QC)

  • Translate narrative and resource metadata
  • Create example resources per UN language
  • Submit translations for QC review

Phase 4: Publication (Publication Manager)

  1. Review changes since last release, determine version number
  2. Optionally create release-candidate branch
  3. Update IG status — status=active, version=X.Y.Z, releaseLabel=release
  4. Create publication-request.json
  5. Run final build and verify
  6. Create GitHub release and tag (vX.Y.Z) — triggers automated workflow
  7. Verify automated publication succeeded (sitepreview)
  8. Request WHO team to update smart.who.int
  9. Reset main to draft, update version for next cycle

BPMN Process Diagram

​The formal BPMN 2.0 process diagram is available at: SGAuthoring.DAKLifecycle.bpmn

This diagram models the full lifecycle as a collaboration with swimlanes for each authoring persona, including message flows between participants for handoffs (e.g. Business Analyst → Clinical SME for validation, QC Reviewer → Publication Manager for approval).