This opportunity is closed for applications

The deadline was Tuesday 3 May 2022

Department for Education

Project Titan: Enter Learning Data & Verified Credentials

7 Incomplete applications

7 SME, 0 large

15 Completed applications

10 SME, 5 large

• Published: Tuesday 19 April 2022
• Deadline for asking questions: Tuesday 26 April 2022 at 11:59pm GMT
• Closing date for applications: Tuesday 3 May 2022 at 11:59pm GMT

Overview

• Off-payroll (IR35) determination: Contracted out service: the off-payroll rules do not apply
• Summary of the work: Digital Development outcomes to GDS compliant digital services to modernise the way data is collected and shared across the education sector. To deliver professional data collection services that reduce burden on users. To support the delivery of this ambition we will continue to ensure our services are user-centred.
• Latest start date: Monday 20 June 2022
• Expected contract length: 2 years
• Location: West Midlands
• Organisation the work is for: Department for Education
• Budget range: These services are to be delivered over a contract period of 2 years with an indicative contract value of £4.7m for the full 2-year contract.; ; Each SOW will outline the work required, associated budget and payment approach, CTM, T&M etc. Suppliers will need to provide clear costs to enable tracking.; ; DfE does not commit to any minimum or maximum spend at this point.; ; A pricing template will be provided to shortlisted suppliers at proposal stage

About the work

• Why the work is being done: This is part of a wider programme of work to modernise the way that data is collected across all of the education sector, which is driven by the need to reduce the data collection burden & cost on providers and by the need to have better, more timely access to data / Business Intelligence within DfE and across the sector.; ; This requirement is for architecture, DevOps, Business Analysis, User Research, Content Design and UX Design services
• Problem to be solved: We need to develop two digital services to support Learner Enrolment (e.g. learners enrolling onto FE courses or apprenticeships) and to give learners access to their own educational records.; ; We want all training providers to have access to a free application that offers a simple process for Learner enrolment so that sector costs are reduced.; ; We want all learners to have access to their education history so that they have control over how and when this data is shared.
• Who the users are and what they need to do: As a provider I need to record my learner data so that I can create an ILR file to submit to the ESFA for payments to be calculated and made.; ; As a learner I need to view my ULN and education history so that I can use this when applying to college
• Early market engagement: N/A
• Any work that’s already been done: The discovery phase has started which includes user research, technology investigations and logical architecture designs. For the enrolment service we have iterated the design a number of times based on user research feedback, including navigation, data entry and how to display validation results. For the service to share learner details with students we have been working with Microsoft using their verified credentials technology and Authenticator app.
• Existing team: The existing team is comprised of multi-disciplinary agile delivery skills. This team is involved in service development for providing brand new digital services, going through the standard GDS phases. The current team size is approximately 20 with a skill mix of product owner, delivery managers, business analysts, user researchers, designers, developers, testers, devops engineers and architects. The team is co-located in Coventry and comprises of digital service suppliers and permanent staff.
• Current phase: Alpha

Work setup

• Address where the work will take place: The primary location is Cheylesmore House, Quinton Road, Coventry, CV1 2WT or remote working arrangements subject to agreements for in-office working which will comply with the relevant and prevailing Government guidance on restrictions to movement.; ; Primary location will be detailed in each Statement of Work (SoW).
• Working arrangements: Working arrangements, including required services and deliverables, will be contained within each statement of work. Day-to-day delivery will be governed by standard agile delivery techniques.; ; It is expected that services will predominantly sit outside IR35.
• Security clearance: DfE requires all supplier staff to have BPSS. Additional security requirements will be detailed in the Statement of Work. ; ; DfE may require Security Clearance (SC) for roles with privileged access to the digital services.; ; The successful supplier will be required to complete a supplier security assurance form.

Additional information

• Additional terms and conditions: Standard Framework and Call Off T&Cs apply. This contract will not attract expenses.; ; Contract and Vendor Management will form a key part of governance. Suppliers will be expected to co-operate in a manner that fosters healthy working relationships and quality delivery.; ; No parking is available on site.

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:
  • Proven evidence of successful development and delivery of digital products/services to a highly regulated standard, e.g. GDS or equivalent, over the full product lifecycle (e.g. discovery to Live).
  • Demonstratable experience in successfully delivering Interaction Design and Content Design Services working in an agile delivery, through designing and iterating service prototypes.
  • Demonstratable experience in successfully delivering architecture services through ensuring new and updated platforms, products, transactions and system architectures are robust, scalable, open and secure.
  • Proven experience in successfully delivering Business Analysis services working in an agile environment and to demonstrate experience of creating user stories, gathering, and documenting business requirements, and producing specifications.
  • Proven experience in User Research services working in an agile environment; producing UR plans, ensuring relevant samples of users are researched with a range of techniques being used.
  • Demonstrate evidence of successfully deploying strong communication skills with the ability to proactively manage stakeholders and tailor to the needs of audience by collaborating on decisions
  • Experience of successfully meeting GDS service standards or appropriate similar standards within complex digital programmes
  • Proven evidence of successfully designing and implementing scalable server-less cloud-based web applications using Microsoft Azure.
  • Proven evidence in successfully delivering software using modern engineering practices and Continuous Integration & Deployment in an Azure DevOps environment
• Nice-to-have skills and experience:
  • Experience of successfully delivering products/services within multi-strand digital programmes within a complex environment.
  • Experience of being able to effectively influence senior stakeholder decisions to successfully drive positive change or improvement of a service.
  • Experience of successfully identifying and delivering innovation to drive measurable improvements in digital programmes whilst also balancing risks.

How suppliers will be evaluated

All suppliers will be asked to provide a written proposal.

• How many suppliers to evaluate: 5
• Proposal criteria:
  • Demonstrate experience in successfully delivering digital products/services and understanding the challenges of implementing user centred design in an agile environment
  • Demonstrate evidence of successfully delivering digital products/services to Government digital service standards, or equivalent.
  • Demonstrate experience in agile methodologies to project delivery using various techniques
  • Demonstrable experience of successful collaboration with other suppliers in co-located or remote teams to deliver outcomes.
  • Demonstrate approach to knowledge and skills transfer for both joining a new programme and for exiting the programme to ensure successful handover.
  • Proven evidence of technical competence in a wide range of relevant technologies
  • Ability to successfully and promptly mobilise expertise to scale up teams and flex resource, when needed, and to respond to fluctuating requirements.
  • Ability to demonstrate good value for money for the UK taxpayer.
• Cultural fit criteria:
  • Experience of effectively working with different suppliers in a collaborative way to successfully deliver common outcomes
  • Social Value - Demonstrate action to identify and tackle inequality in employment, skills and pay in the contract workforce
  • Social Value - Support educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address digital skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications.
• Payment approach: Capped time and materials
• Additional assessment methods:
  • Case study
  • Work history
  • Reference
  • Presentation
• Evaluation weighting:

  Technical competence

  35%

  Cultural fit

  15%

  Price

  50%

Questions asked by suppliers

• 1. You mention that the existing team comprises digital service suppliers and permanent staff. Who are the external suppliers please?: There are a number of suppliers across the DfE who have contributed resources to support this programme. This is a new requirement and not a like-for-like replacement of existing resources.
• 2. Who from DfE will evaluate tenders please (names, job titles etc.)?: Applications will be evaluated by a panel of 3 individuals who work in the ESFA with both appropriate technical knowledge and an in-depth knowledge of the requirement.; ; We won't be disclosing the identities of our panel at this stage.
• 3. What pricing information is required and how is this to be presented and scored? Is it a rate card by SFIA level? Who is responsible for scoring and moderating the pricing section?: Bidders are expected to set their pricing across the levels as you see appropriate based on the roles set out in the GDS capability framework. A rate card template with instructions will be issued at Stage 2 to shortlisted suppliers.
• 4. The UK Digital Identity and Attribute Trust Framework currently in Beta phase accepts the use of a Personal Data Store under the control of the citizen as a repository for verified attributes and proofs of claim. Would this be an acceptable element of the architecture solution for this requirement: We are in discovery at present and there are no confirmed solutions yet. We are looking to develop an approach that is cost effective and works for our users, all options will be considered as we progress.
• 5. Who will be building the resulting solution created out of these specific statements of work in scope of this contract. Is it an existing delivery team or the subject of a future procurement: It is not clear at this stage as it depends on the solution. There is an existing service that will be replaced by what is being developed and how the resources who support this service will be used going forward is unclear at this time so we have staff who could be part of this approach going forward.
• 6. Will you be adopting a specific standard for verified credentials and mandating this or is this something you wish to discover as part of the contract. Examples are W3C verified credentials: We are working around W3C standards, Verifiable Credentials Data Model v1.1
• 7. Which part of the DFE is this working for?Is it for the ESFA?: ESFA
• 8. Can you confirm which supplier completed the discovery phase please?: There were multiple suppliers across the DfE who have contributed resources to support this programme alongside permanent staff
• 9. is there a link to the discovery information please?: The discovery information isn't publicly available but will be shared with the successful supplier