Quality assurance analysts (testers) for digital apprenticeship service (SFADAS10)

Tender description

Summary of the work Provide a flexible team of quality assurance analysts (5 to 10 testers) to work on agile projects which deliver specific products/transformations via multi-disciplinary, skilled digital teams. You’ll be adept at ensuring the quality of the digital service by testing it manually and writing automated tests covering a range of conditions. Expected Contract Length 2 years but may be shorter depending on progress towards delivering the strands of work. Latest start date 31/08/2016 Why the Work is Being Done BIS and the SFA are delivering a new digital apprenticeship service. The service vision is “Empowering employers to build skills through quality apprenticeships”. Currently apprenticeship funding is allocated and paid directly to training providers. Therefore employers will take control of government funding for apprenticeships. The policy intent is to drive up the quality and quantity of apprenticeships. We have completed a number of discovery and alpha stages for some components the service. The first strand will go live in August 2016. The services being procured are expected to deliver the remaining strands of work by April 2017. Problem to Be Solved Often employers don't know they have the option to choose from a range of providers, or that government will fund training for their apprentices. Employers need to be able to: 1) hire apprentices; 2) choose the right type of training for their apprentices; 3) find a suitable training provider; 4) understand what funding is available, including the apprenticeship levy, where that applies to them; and 5) manage their training costs. Who Are the Users 1) As a citizen I need to improve my employment prospects so that I can start a career and earn money. 2) As an employer I need to employ an apprentice so I can improve the skills of my workforce, and get support for my business. 3) As a training provider for apprenticeships I need to ensure employers choose my services so my business is viable. 4) As SFA I need to manage levy payment and funding to training providers and ensure growth in apprenticeships for the benefit of the economy. Work Already Done We have completed a series of discovery and alpha phases for the various strands of work within the service. Two strands of work are currently in the beta phase. Existing Team The supplier will be working with civil servants and multiple suppliers across various strands of work for delivery of the service. Current Phase Beta Skills & Experience • Provide a team with at least 5 years demonstrable experience in Agile (preferably Scrum and/or Kanban). • Demonstrable experience of defining or breaking down user stories and acceptance criteria using test design techniques, thereby statically testing the solution at the time. • Demonstrable experience of helping developers in generating comprehensive unit tests and pair with them as appropriate. • Focus on understanding what makes a solution or approach valuable to the people using it. Using quality characteristics such as functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability and portability. • Demonstrable experience of using a risk based approach to testing. • Demonstrable experience of Test-Driven Development (TDD), Behaviour Driven Development (BDD) and Continuous Integration (CI) and some of the tools that are used. • At least 3 years’ experience of Test Automation in an Agile environment, including setting up and using frameworks which include Specflow/Cucumber and Selenium. • Proven experience in API testing within Agile sprints. • Proven experience of accessibility testing within sprints and presenting findings back to the team. • Proven experience of performance testing web based applications and presenting findings back to the team. • Produce Test Approaches and Sprint Test Plans collaboratively with the team and suppliers, owning the documentation and managing its completion. • Demonstrable experience of Non-Functional requirements, definition and testing. • Demonstrable experience in exploratory testing techniques and knowing the difference between ad hoc testing and exploratory. • Confident in explaining decisions to stakeholders who don’t understand agile, user needs or user-centred design and delivery. Nice to Haves • Strong understanding of the Government Digital Service’s Design Principles and Digital Service Standard • Knowledge of the FE and skills sector, in particular apprenticeships • Experience of open source and cloud technologies. • Passed certified Agile Tester course. • ISEB foundation and practitioner qualified. • Experience of working on a Azure platforms. • Experienced in using the following tools, Sortsite, OWASP Zed Attack Proxy (ZAP), and visual studio. • Able to coach other civil servants on agile testing practices. Work Location Skills Funding Agency, Cheylesmore House, 5 Quinton Road, Coventry CV1 2WT, with occasional travel to other locations nationwide. Working Arrangments Onsite full-time 5 days a week co-located with the rest of the team at the SFA offices in Coventry. Occasional travel to other BIS or SFA (or partner organisation) offices may be required, subject to SFA travel and subsistence policy. This programme is being delivered using agile methodologies. Successful application of agile principles and techniques requires that the teams are co-located and able to work directly with colleagues representing digital delivery, operational and policy requirements. Security Clearance The successful supplier must be able to demonstrate that all proposed team members have been subject to Baseline Personnel Security Standards checks as set out in the SFA Baseline Security Policy 2014. Additional T&Cs Standard DOS framework and call-off terms and conditions. Day rates should be inclusive of any costs of travelling to and working from the base location. The cost of travel to other locations while performing SFA work will be covered as per the SFA travel and subsistence policy and will need to be invoiced by the supplier with supporting receipts. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 4 Proposal Criteria • Demonstrate the supplier’s experience and knowledge of agile testing and blended skilled Quality Assurance testers (QA). • Demonstrate the supplier’s experience and knowledge test automation within CI pipeline. • Demonstrate the suppliers experience and knowledge of exploratory testing • Provide examples of how the supplier has worked with delivery teams in a QA role • Demonstrate how the supplier contributes to building an effective multidisciplinary team • Demonstrate the supplier’s approach to incorporating user needs and government needs into the product backlog and prioritises work effectively and efficiently • Demonstrate how the supplier actively promotes understanding and acceptance of agile, user-centred delivery • Demonstrate how the supplier has worked in a multi-team environment with multiple product owners collaborating to deliver a broader service Cultural Fit Criteria • Demonstrate commitment to excellence and improvement, for example through seeking actionable feedback, setting targets etc. • Show a commitment to ensuring a team understands the user need over simply delivering work • Transparent and collaborative when making decisions and recommendations • Have a no-blame culture and encourage people to learn from their mistakes • Demonstrate courage (for example, express controversial views, confront reality, make tough decisions, question actions inconsistent with group behaviours, candid about progress/estimates) • Demonstrate vulnerability (for example, declare uncertainty, fear, recognise mistakes, apologise, acknowledge weaknesses) • Demonstrate responsibility (for example, act like a leader, serve your team, provide solutions to problems, engage in external/internal environments, seek the best for the organisation beyond your team) • Demonstrate simplicity (for example, take simple steps to goals, do less but better, mitigate failures, talk straight with respect) • Demonstrate excellence (for example, seek actionable feedback, set challenging targets, know users, deliver cost effective high level customer satisfaction) • Demonstrate enthusiasm (for example, bring whole self to work, celebrate success, share passion and energy with others, optimistic) Payment Approach Time and materials Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 20% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers 1. Hello, We need a clarification on the below statement: "Provide a flexible team of quality assurance analysts (5 to 10 testers)" Are all these requirements based in UK /onsite ? OR there will be some offshore component. (The URL says the location as Coventry, UK.) The flexible team of testers is required to work onsite full-time 5 days a week co-located with the rest of the team at the SFA offices in Coventry UK. There is no off-shore component. 2. Are all individual resources expected to fulfill ALL items in the JD ? Or is it a mix of requirements for the group of resources? We expect each individual QA analyst to have all the essential skills. 3. Are you looking for automation or manual testers...Please clarify We are looking for a blended skillset so the individual QA analyst should have all the essential skills (including automation and the ability to undertake exploratory/manual testing). 4. Do you expect this opportunity to fall under the proposed changes to off payroll working within the Public Sector, and will you be deducting tax at source? https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/off-payroll-working-in-the-public-sector-reform-of-the-intermediaries-legislation Apologies, but we have not been able to obtain a definitive answer to this. It is a consultation. We would expect to comply with legislation, should it lead to such an outcome.