Land Registry - Local Land Charges Register Service Beta

Tender description

Summary of the work The supplier is to work with the Land Registry in-house team to develop and deliver the Beta LLC Register Service in accordance with the LR defined product backlog. The LLC Register Service must pass a GDS Digital Service Standard assessment for Beta. Expected Contract Length 12 months, on the basis that the estimated development timetable for the Beta service is 10 months Latest start date 01/10/2016 Budget Range Estimated supplier effort to deliver Beta service - 2720 person days. 2 supplier teams delivering the Beta service between October 2016 - June 2017. [Initial estimate to deliver entire service (Alpha and Beta): 8624 days; Alpha: 1968 days (2 Land Registry teams); Beta: 3936 days (3 Land Registry teams) and 2720 days (2 supplier teams).] Estimates subject to change through Alpha and story backlog refinement. Suppliers should bid on the basis of two fully functional teams to deliver the Beta service. Where value-add options assist the delivery of a cohesive service please provide details and associated costs. Why the Work is Being Done An LLC is a restriction or prohibition on land which binds successive owners and occupiers. The LLC Programme will deliver a single LLC Register Service for England (the inclusion of the LLC Registers in Wales will be subject to a further business case), implementing the powers granted to Land Registry under the Infrastructure Act 2015. The scope of the Programme is to take the 326 English Local Authorities registers and replace them with a single digital register, resulting in Land Registry becoming the sole registering authority and official search provider for LLCs. Problem to Be Solved Land Registry is currently building the LLC Register Service Alpha product. Land Registry requires from the supplier additional expertise and resources to transform the Alpha Service into a robust Public Beta, including: A single source of LLC information with standardised data format, turnaround time, and price of searches; An Environmental Information Regulation route for searching LLC information; An Open Data publication mechanism; Alignment with Government thinking on Open Registers and Platforms; An API allowing existing Local Authority software suppliers to integrate with the LLC Register Service; A paid-for “LLC1” Search Service provided through existing Land Registry digital service channels. Who Are the Users LLC Officers - to register, cancel or vary records to maintain the LLC Register Service; Originating Authorities (body by whom the LLC is brought into existence or by whom it is enforceable, most often a local authority but there are many other non-local authority originating authorities) - to register, cancel or vary records to maintain the LLC Register; Conveyancers and third parties including solicitors, volume conveyancers, search intermediaries, private search companies - to obtain LLC information as part of the conveyancing process; Citizens – to view LLCs affecting property; Public Sector - to access LLC data for internal policy development. Early Market Engagement Land Registry has held a series of market briefing sessions during 2015-16; including the LLC Programme National event in Nottingham (4th November 2015). Through these events the Programme articulated its intentions and timetable; covering Land Registry as an organisation, its digital capability, the LLC Register Service concept and prototype findings, other major procurements within the Programme including the Planning and Delivery Partner and Digitisation and Migration requirements. Land Registry has engaged with Crown Commercial Service during the development of its requirements. Work Already Done LLC Register Service Prototype completed; LLC Register Service Alpha – in development by Land Registry personnel; User groups have been formed and engaged; User needs analysis, persona mapping, digital inclusion assessment, user story backlog for Alpha with additional stories for Beta development; Initial technical architecture, including technology choices iterated during Alpha development; Government Open Registers concept explored and implemented; Data model data defined and iterated; Data quality standards under development; Development tool chain, including build and deployment technology defined and exercised; Developed in-house capability, available to work alongside the chosen supplier. Existing Team Land Registry has two Alpha agile development teams (16 staff) working under the direction of a single Scrum Master. The Alpha teams include User Researchers, Business Analysts, Developers, Web Operations, Designers, Architects, Testers, a Product Owner and a Product Manager. For the Beta development, Land Registry will provide three in-house development teams, to work with the supplier to complete delivery of the product backlog to an agreed minimum viable product. The supplier will work with a subset of Land Registry’s in-house team to enable effective knowledge transfer, ensuring that service can be maintained by Land Registry staff after Beta delivery. Current Phase Alpha Skills & Experience • Proven track record of having successfully delivered digital services to support critical government services that scale to meet demands - 2% • Experience of working with the GDS Standard and Design Manual - 2% • Extensive experience leading Agile Scrum teams, working within a scaled Agile working environment - 2% • Extensive User Research capability including experience in identifying Assisted Digital user needs and producing appropriate support mechanisms - 2% • Experience in working with Open Source technologies - 1% • Experience in working with data quality standards, spatial data, and spatial database technologies - 1% • Experience in applying appropriate security measures to digital services - 1 % Nice to Haves • Understanding of Open Registers within Government - 1% • A track record of passing GDS Standard Assessments at Alpha, Beta, and Live phases - 1% • Experience of working successfully with UK Local Authorities and Local Authority software suppliers - 1% • Understanding of Government open data policies - 1% Work Location Supplier will work alongside the in-house LLC Register Service Development Team in Plymouth (PL6 5WS). Members of the supplier’s team may be required to attend meetings on an ad-hoc basis at key LLC Programme locations in Land Registry offices at Croydon (CR0 2AQ) and Nottingham (NG1 7AU) at the discretion of the Land Registry. Land Registry may give the option for the supplier to undertake pre-agreed aspects of the Register Service Beta development from its own offices. Land Registry may require (at its discretion) additional travel for the supplier to meet with users across England to undertake user research. Working Arrangments Land Registry will lead the delivery of the LLC Register Service – both the Alpha and Beta; reinforced through the utilisation of a single product backlog. Supplier responsibilities include: optimising use of the supplier's teams, tracking and reporting costs and responsibility for sprint deliverables. Land Registry will act as the primary contact point, and will provide users through its existing relationships. The supplier must follow Land Registry IT and security procedures and policies in relation to access, data and equipment use. Security Clearance Land Registry requires all supplier staff working on the LLC Register Service to have Baseline Personnel Security Standard clearance. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/365602/HMG_Baseline_Personnel_Security_Standard.pdf Additional T&Cs The suppliers should price the overall Call-Off Contract value using the Time & Materials Charging method. However, during the Call-Off Contract period, Land Registry intends to issue multiple SOWs (each of which will be priced using the Capped Time and Materials method). Any claims for Travel and Subsistence will be made in accordance with Land Registry’s Travel and Subsistence Policy. Clause 13.8 of the Call-Off Contract terms and conditions will not apply. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Proposed approach and methodology - 8% • Proposed team structure - including CVs of key members - 4% • Similar contract examples, case studies and references - 4% • Team scalability, flexibility, deployment time, and pause capability - 2% • Experience in web development technologies: Python development, PostgreSQL + PostGIS database technologies, containerization technologies including Docker, cloud technology, e.g. Amazon AWS, Heroku, Redhat Open Shift, Skyscape OpenStack - 2% • Experience with map products and GIS tooling, e.g. OpenStreetMap, MasterMap, LeafletJS, OpenLayers - 2% Cultural Fit Criteria Proposed approach for working as part of a 5-team structure with Land Registry team working from a single product backlog - 10% Payment Approach Time and materials Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 45% Cultural fit 10% Price 45% Questions from Suppliers 1. Please can you confirm the timetable for the procurement process, covering: • When shortlisted suppliers are announced • Closing date for written proposals • Target dates for presentations Land Registry timetable for procurement is as follows:4th July 2016: requirements published to Digital Marketplace.17th July 2016: respond to Q/A’s and close opportunity.29th July 2016: 5 suppliers shortlisted. 1st to 22nd August 2016: shortlisted suppliers provide written proposal, presentation – with proposed supplier’s team present, case study, reference. Presentations take place final week (w/c 15th August).2nd September 2016: evaluation and selection of preferred supplier complete1st October 2016: supplier onboarded (subject to approvals) 2. Do you have all the required spend approvals for this service, to allow commencement of work on award of contract? We have BIS, Cabinet Office, and HM Treasury spend approval to commence procurement. We are required to seek approval from Cabinet Office and HM Treasury prior to contract award. Additionally, we must pass a GDS Service Standard Assessment for our Alpha product before contract award. 3. Can you confirm if there are two stages to the written response: 1. Provision of evidence of listed capabilities (100 words) plus three case studies for long-listed suppliers 2. A separate full proposal stage for the five shortlisted suppliers Or, is there a single stage ? Can you confirm timelines accordingly please. There are two stages (long and short listing) but a single proposal submission. Written proposals are required at long list stage and must be submitted before the application closes on 17 July. Written proposals will not be opened until after shortlisting has occurred. Timelines remain as in answer to question 1. 4. We would assume a “fully functional” Agile team includes a Scrum Master per team rather than one Scrum Master covering multiple teams, but note this is not the case for the current two teams within the Land Registry. Could you please detail the Scrum Master to Team model that you would prefer, and if you are expecting our development teams to work with a Land Registry Scrum Master and not one of our own. We are anticipating that the Land Registry Scrum Master will cover the three internal teams, with the supplier providing a single Scrum Master for the two supplier teams. We are expecting the 5 team total to operate against a single product backlog and have frequent interactions between the two Scrum Masters via a “Scrum of Scrums”. This is our preference but we are also open to your suggestions and experience in operating Agile at scale. 5. Is it correct to assume that this procurement is seeking the provision of suitably skilled resource(s) only? And that Land Registry will be responsible for the provision of tools, any associated software licenses as well as platforms and environments? Yes, the assumption is correct. We will be providing tools, software licences, platforms and environments. Suppliers should provide equipment to their teams to develop on. We use Apple MacBooks, Linux and Microsoft Windows laptops connected to development environments via VPNs. If your proposition includes reuse of proprietary or existing technology patterns and components that would radically increase the speed of delivery we are interested in you adding this to your proposal, including any arrangements surrounding IPR and associated licences. 6. The notification lists a number of roles within the existing team structure, are you seeking resources against all or some of these roles (i.e. will you require additional Product Owners and Product Managers or will these be filled by internal resource)? We have a preference for the supplier to provide a Product Owner per team with a single Scrum Master managing the two teams. If you have an alternative proposition or preference then please provide details. 7. Are you seeking one resource per role per team or other (i.e. 1 x Business Analyst per team, therefore 2 x Business Analysts in total OR 2 x Business Analysts per team, therefore 4 x Business Analysts in total)? We are interested in your proposal based on experience of delivering digital services. We use Business Analysts and User Researchers in our Agile delivery structure for defining User Needs. For our Alpha, we have two Business Analysts and two User Researchers spread across the two teams. 8. Is there any flexibility in the work location (i.e. can the additional teams work out of LR’s Nottingham or Croydon Offices or even supplier offices with virtual stand up sessions via VC)? We are flexible to location preferences. We require a presence in Plymouth working alongside our development teams. We expect that for cost-effectiveness, suppliers will have a preference for some off-site working. Please detail how you have worked with other clients and how this would work with our team structure. We have User Researchers and Business Analysts based in Peterborough, a Local Authority Engagement Team hub and programme presence in Nottingham, and a senior management and programme presence in Croydon. We use Google Hangouts for Daily Standup, GotoMeeting for Show and Tell, Slack for team communication, and Skype for internal calls. 9. What are the technical skills requirements for each resource? We have based our resource requirements around Government Digital Service (GDS) roles.Although not a direct match, these are approximate skill requirements.https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/the-team/recruitment/job-descriptions.html 10. Is there a role description available for each role outlining essential and desired skills as well as responsibilities? We have based our resource requirements around Government Digital Service (GDS) roles.Although not a direct match, these are approximate skill requirements.https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/the-team/recruitment/job-descriptions.html 11. What is the anticipated timeframe for each sprint (i.e. 2 / 3 weeks)? We are operating on 2 week sprint cycles 12. Will Land Registry select a single supplier for the provision of resources for both teams or could this be separated and awarded to two or more? We are selecting a single supplier to award this contract to 13. Can a copy of the Data Model from the Alpha be made available please The Local Land Charges data model that we have developed to support our Register service implementation is here. NB. We are iterating this model frequently and it is subject to change. This is provided only to give guidance about how we are structuring charges following the Register specification published by GDS https://openregister.github.io/specification/http://blog.landregistry.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Land-Registry_Local-Land-Charges_Register-Services-Data-model_July-16.pdf 14. Please describe the scope of the Alpha The LLC Register Service Alpha focuses on the register implementation, the digital interface (API), with a particular focus on the users in Local Authorities and the Local Authority Software Suppliers.The Beta includes continuing to iterate these aspects but also covers all other areas shown in the linked diagram. The exact split of work between supplier and Land Registry teams is to be agreed but is likely that the supplier will take responsibility for assisting with the Register, API, UI, and Open Data interface.http://blog.landregistry.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Land-Registry_Local-Land-Charges_Register-Scope.pdf 15. Please can you provide the LLC Programme Structure http://blog.landregistry.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Land-Registry_Local-Land-Charges_Programme-structure_July-16.pdf 16. Please can you describe what has been delivered as part of the Alpha The following timeline shows what features we have delivered, and intend to deliver for the rest of the Alpha development. NB. This is subject to change.http://blog.landregistry.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Land-Registry_Local-Land-Charges_Register-Services-Timeline_July-16.pdf 17. I thought the deadline date was Monday 18th July and not the 17th. Can you clarify please. The closing date for submission is Monday 18th July 2016, NOT 17th as stated in answer 1. Apologies for the confusion. 18. Please can you clarify your answer to question 3, "Written proposals are required at long list stage and must be submitted before the application closes" as this contradicts the answer for question 1. Written proposals are ONLY required if you are shortlisted. They are not required for the initial stage, i.e. before 18 July. Apologies for the confusion. 19. The percentages given in the supplier evaluation only add up to 92% please can you clarify what the remaining 8% will be used for? A bullet point is missing from the Proposal Criteria:• On-site presentation of above – maximum of 1 hour - 8%