Awarded to Empyrean Digital Limited

Start date: Thursday 1 July 2021
Value: £3,250,000
Company size: SME

Intellectual Property Office

IPO Transformation Client Side Programme Support

26 Incomplete applications

23 SME, 3 large

44 Completed applications

37 SME, 7 large

• Published: Wednesday 3 March 2021
• Deadline for asking questions: Wednesday 10 March 2021 at 11:59pm GMT
• Closing date for applications: Wednesday 17 March 2021 at 11:59pm GMT

Overview

• Summary of the work: Co-ordinate multiple workstream to meet transformation vision and objectives; ; Provide PMO Support of behalf of IPO's Programme Manager including Planning & Reporting; ; Knowledge transfer to ensure staff are upskilled and the programme is delivered to time/cost/quality; ; Client side support becomes a trusted go-between within the IPO Strategic Deliver partner relationship
• Latest start date: Tuesday 25 May 2021
• Expected contract length: 2 years with option to extend for 6 months
• Location: Wales
• Organisation the work is for: Intellectual Property Office
• Budget range: Up to £3.4 million

About the work

• Why the work is being done: The IPO is undergoing an organisation wide Transformation Programme. The existing rights-based services and operating model are being replaced with a new, integrated, OneIPO way of working. Patents, Trademarks and Designs will be unified under a set of new Services and presented to users via an authenticated user account. IPO are looking for an embedded Client Side Programme Support to assist in the undertaking of IPO transformation Programme covering capabilities such as Leadership Support, PMO, Technical Support, Service Owner Support, Business Support, general programme support and strategic level stakeholder management and engagement.
• Problem to be solved: To support IPOs transformation programme, it is envisaged that the client side programme support partner will form part of a blended team and bring valuable expertise and experience within the capability areas listed above in order to deliver outcomes which will ensure the programme is delivered efficiently and in line with IPOs overarching investment case.; The role of the Client Side Support should be that they act as a trusted intermediary ensuring collaborative relationship between SDP and client
• Who the users are and what they need to do: IPO Transformation Programme is the user alongside wider IPO stakeholders such as Programme Board. The Client Side Partner is required to deliver outcomes which support deliverables produced by the Strategic Delivery Partner whilst playing an integrated assurance role within the Programme.
• Any work that’s already been done: A mobilisation project to prepare the IPO transformation has been running internally and has identified our legal obligation/constraints, defined the OneIPO vision and produced a high level target end state for the organisation. However, work to date has avoided making assumptions on detailed user needs and has not produced service designs beyond high level blueprints. We have also engaged in a baselining exercise to ensure that existing technology and business process information is up to date and collated into a knowledge management hub. Work is also currently underway to procure a strategic delivery partner to work within the blended team.
• Existing team: The supplier will be working within a blended team with IPO staff and the Strategic Delivery Partner.; ; The IPO staff is made up of permanent and augmented resources.
• Current phase: Discovery

Work setup

• Address where the work will take place: Intellectual Property Office, Cardiff Road, Newport, NP10 8QQ.; ; Supplier resources will work as part of a blended delivery team, working remotely but using IPO supplied equipment, Monday-Friday usual office hours. More flexibility may be arranged by mutual agreement after an initial onboarding process.
• Working arrangements: Supplier resources will work as part of a blended delivery team, working remotely but using IPO supplied equipment, Monday-Friday usual office hours. More flexibility may be arranged by mutual agreement after an initial onboarding process. We expect team(s) to reflect the roles and capabilities listed in the Essential Skills section. Team(s) will work in the Agile delivery methodology, or 'Waterfall', or in a hybrid of both disciplines.
• Security clearance: Given the nature of the work, SC clearance is required for all Consultants. IPO is able to support the SC Clearance process if necessary.

Additional information

Skills and experience

Buyers will use the essential and nice-to-have skills and experience to help them evaluate suppliers’ technical competence.

• Essential skills and experience:
  • Previous experience of delivering and supporting complex transformation programmes within government (encompassing IT enabled change alongside complex organisation and process re-design)
  • Experience of delivering complex projects / programmes in-line with GDS service design principles
  • Demonstrable experience of providing client-side support within transformation programmes
  • Demonstrable experience of working and leading blended teams made up of an eco-system of suppliers
  • Proven track record within client-side support role of delivering effective outcomes to time, cost and quality
  • Demonstrable experience of successful knowledge transfer against a variety of skill sets
  • Proven ability to build and manage relationships with senior stakeholders
  • Experience of maintaining programme alignment to existing governance model
  • Experience of developing Service Owner capability within an large organisation
• Nice-to-have skills and experience:
  • Experience of tailoring delivery approaches in line with performance
  • Designing programme governance models

How suppliers will be evaluated

All suppliers will be asked to provide a written proposal.

• How many suppliers to evaluate: 4
• Proposal criteria:
  • Case study of previous experience of embedded client-side support - 10%
  • Delivery approach and methodology - 12%
  • Onboarding and Implementation Plan - 8%
  • Team structure, role by role competency - 10%
  • Risk mitigation strategy - 5%
  • Through life contract management & reporting approach - 5%
• Cultural fit criteria:
  • Has an inclusive approach to engaging with internal stakeholders that will support project success - 3%
  • Will work transparently, and collaboratively as one team with our organisation and other suppliers - 3%
  • Will share their approach, knowledge transfer and experience with other team members and seek actionable feedback - 6%
  • Has experience of working with Government or other highly regulated departments - 2%
  • Has evidence of how the supplier integrates with an existing team, while taking ownership of problems and resolving issues - 2%
  • Can demonstrate how it will openly share work and outputs iteratively throughout the project for IPO consideration and challenge - 2%
  • Has a sound methodology and approach for working with and respecting a client's existing governance and decision making processes - 2%
• Payment approach: Fixed price
• Additional assessment methods:
  • Case study
  • Work history
  • Reference
  • Presentation
• Evaluation weighting:

  Technical competence

  50%

  Cultural fit

  20%

  Price

  30%

Questions asked by suppliers

• 1. Is this a new piece of work or is there an incumbent?: An incumbent is currently undertaking this role however the scope of work is different within the time period offered for tender. The supplier will be required to undertake deliverables and milestones specific to the Programme delivery dates at the point of award.
• 2. Please can the authority confirm what they mean by “technical support”? For example, are they looking for internal expertise for solution assurance/governance or internal technical support, or somewhere in between?: Technical support is someone that can provide technical oversight across all workstreams from support teams to develop a solutions whilst making sure the technical approach within each workstream knits together to form one cohesive technical approach to transformation.
• 3. What is expected in presentation?: Suppliers that are requested to submit a proposal will have the opportunity to complete a Supplier Presentation to the IPO team. Please note this is only applicable to suppliers that are taken forward to written proposal stage.
• 4. If a bidder was successful, would this preclude them from bidding for the TECHNOLOGY SERVICES 2 AGREEMENT (RM3804)?: This competition is undertaken through Digital Marketplace DOS framework. IPO are not using Technology Services 2 Framework for this competition. Should your organisation wish to bid through Technology Services 2 for other opportunities, they may continue to do so. This particular requirement is competed through the DOS framework. If a supplier is successfully awarded the Client Side Partner opportunity via DOS, they will be precluded from bidding and acting as a Strategic Delivery Partner for IPO which is currently being run via TS2.
• 5. Please can you confirm the IR35 status for this opportunity, is it inside or outside?: This required is inside IR35 and all suppliers and contractors must ensure that they comply with all IR35 regulations. The contract is for outcomes and not individual resources.
• 6. Do consultants require SC prior to contract commencement?: It is preferable that SC clearance is obtained ahead of contract commencement but is possible for a supplier to commence with basic DBS and vetting via IPO staff members.
• 7. Is there any chance you could expand on what this question means (maybe with an example) so that we can make sure the experience we share is the most relevant? – Experience of maintaining programme alignment to existing governance model.: Ensuring Transformation workstreams follow the mandated governance structures that exist to support: -; ; 1. Project / programme delivery; 2. Service operational governance; 3. Technical (IT/Data) governance
• 8. Can you confirm who the incumbent is please?: Empyrean Digital
• 9. Question 5 relating to IR35, you have stated that the work falls within IR35 however you are looking for an outcome based service. Could you clarify you do want an outcome based service, as the service will fall automatically outside of IR35 for IPO.: This opportunity is outcomes based deliverables and IPO expects that all supply chain staff/contractors/resources are complaint with IR35 rules.
• 10. How many resources do you require?: Supplier will be paid on an outcomes basis therefore expectation is the supplier will estimate what resources are required to deliver the outcomes defined that sit within a complex, large and strategic transformation programme.
• 11. Please define Business Support requirement.: Multi skilled roles providing critical support to tackle areas of increased complexity that would benefit from IPO inherent knowledge base.
• 12. What level of PMO support is required?: Supplier will be paid on an outcomes basis therefore expectation is the supplier will estimate what resources are required to deliver the outcomes defined that sit within a complex, large and strategic transformation programme. Responsible for the overall maintenance and control of the programme management plans, including reporting, budget & risk.
• 13. Are the capabilities listed in the work summary an exhaustive list or are there other roles required?: The capabilities listed are what the programme needs know, ideally IPO would like a flexible model where this resource balance can be changed in discussion with the client side support partner
• 14. Can you clarify the definition of Service Owner capability?: IPO are establishing a new Service Owner operating model, to do this we need to support some of our existing SO community by providing advice & support to make this model operational.
• 15. Would you be able to confirm that this work will continue to be remotely based regardless of lifting of Covid restrictions?: We are currently expectation this to be a hybrid model once restrictions are lifted and it is safe to do so, whilst the work will be predominantly done remotely there may be occasions where the whole team are required in support workshops / meetings etc in a face to face environment.
• 16. Do all of the case studies/evidence need to be with Public Sector organisations, or can they be with private organisations?: Publication of the DOS advert is the first stage of evaluations. Suppliers will be further down selected for a written proposal. The Case Study refers to the written proposal phase not the initial DOS advert.
• 17. Can you clarify who you are referring to when talking about performance (in the ‘Nice-to-have skills’)- Is it the performance of a Consultant in how they are performing rather than project specific?: The Nice to have skills section and experience section relates to the organisation as opposed to individuals.
• 18. What is the scale of this delivery- how many roles are required?: Supplier will be paid on an outcomes basis therefore expectation is the supplier will estimate what resources are required to deliver the outcomes defined that sit within a complex, large and strategic transformation programme
• 19. It is not clear from the information provided in the portal how the evaluation criteria relate to the evidence submission process. Is there to be a second stage following a reduction in the number of applicants? If so, then what are the evaluation criteria for this first stage? If not, please clarify how the evaluation criteria will be related by the buyer to the evidence submitted in the form requested. Please indicate if there are to be other further stages and if so what part of the submission should be included at what stage.: This is a two stage process. Suppliers submit a response to the Skills and Experience section. These responses will be evaluated and down selected to 4 suppliers. A written proposal is then requested for the 4 suppliers that will be evaluated on as per the criteria set out in Proposal Criteria and Cultural Fit breakdown. The initial advert responses are scored between 0 to 3. Please refer to the scoring guide in the link: - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/how-to-score-digital-outcomes-and-specialists-suppliers.
• 20. What principles and approach is the programme following? Agile or Waterfall: Hybrid approach
• 21. Could you please clarify the emphasis of question 1 – is it familiarity with GDS Service design principles or delivering complex projects / programmes?: Both we have to deliver a programme that is large, complex and will require creating new services under GDS service assessments.
• 22. Could you please clarify what is meant by the question ‘Experience of tailoring delivery approaches in line with performance’ perhaps with an example if possible to ensure a response is being pitched correctly.: Intent here is the client side support will be experienced enough to ramp up areas of their engagement or tailor their approach against areas within the programme that need it.
• 23. For the requirement ‘Demonstrable experience of successful knowledge transfer against a variety of skill sets’ are your expectations of knowledge transfer inclusive of, or discrete from, capability development?: There is a direct relationship between KT and capability uplift, if KT is done successfully then capability will be uplifted.
• 24. Could you please confirm if the budget range of ‘Up to £3.4 million’ is inclusive or exclusive of VAT?: Inc VAT.
• 25. Can you confirm if the the following nice-to-have refers to change / project delivery performance or operational / BAU performance (or both)? “Experience of tailoring delivery approaches in line with performance”.: The intent here is the client side support will be experienced enough to ramp up areas of their engagement or tailor their approach against areas within the programme that need it.
• 26. Can you expand on the following questions and provide clarity on how the buyer’s requirements differ for each?1) Demonstrable experience of providing client-side support within transformation programmes2) Proven track record within client-side support role of delivering effective outcomes to time, cost and quality: A vendor may wish to reference examples outside of transformation programmes that would enable their response to show how they have delivered outcomes to Time, Cost and Quality.
• 27. If the contract is outcome based and it is up to the supplier to identify what resources are required to achieve those outcomes, it would seem to logically follow that this sits outside of IR35.Will IPO consider revisiting their evaluation of the work as inside IR35, perhaps at full proposal stage?: As previously clarified this requirement is for outcomes and not individuals. This requirement therefore falls outside of IR35 however, the IPO expects the selected supplier comply with IR35 regulations for their supply chain/staff/contractors/workforce.