Build and implement a new digital platform & user-centred design consultancy for Dorsetforyou.gov.uk

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done Replace dorsetforyou.gov.uk on budget by 30 June 2017 with a website designed around the user, using the latest digital thinking and technologies in order to maximise satisfaction and uptake. To secure a digital platform that provides the enabling technology for the site but also our broader digital ambition to put the customer and digital first. The solution must be flexible enough to meet the needs of standard council services, traded services, partnerships and extranets. The design and implementation will be Agile and in-line with our user-centred design principles (GDS based) in order to provide the best possible user experience. Problem to Be Solved 1. Content – there is too much and not all of it user-centred or high quality (in part because editing is devolved to 180 people across the partnership). 2.Design and navigation – website is old-fashioned, not responsive and content can be hard to find. It doesn’t support those requiring distinct branding such as traded services. 3.Personalisation – there is some localisation of content to postcode but no ability to personalise content to an individual’s interests. 4. Transactions – online services are developed by all partners using various technologies, standards and enablers (e.g. payments) leading to inconsistent user experiences and inefficiencies. Who Are the Users As a resident/visitor I need information about council services and to submit requests, reports, applications and payments digitally rather than telephone or visit them. As a business owner, I need information to help me manage my business or help in setting up a new business. As a customer, I need information about traded services offered by councils such as leisure centres and country parks. These various groups will be summarised from now on as 'users'. Internally we need an efficient, cost effective system flexible enough to adapt to future requirements and deal with any future shape of local government. Early Market Engagement We engaged with GOSS (our existing supplier) and Agilisys in 2015 to get a feel for what additional functionality was available within their digital platform offerings. This led to discussion around whether we need functionality like customer accounts and CRM. We don't plan any further market engagement. Work Already Done We asked FutureGov in 2015 to work with us and make a number of recommendations around how we should progress our digital ambitions, including adopting a new vision and mission statement, design principles, new digital team structure and roles and moving to more of a centralised content model. Existing Team The main contacts will be in the central Dorsetforyou digital team of 8 staff (made up of a digital manager, content designers and UX designers) for the 18 month implementation project. They work for all seven partner councils. There is a project board that oversees the project with senior representatives from each partner council. There are also key staff from each partner council in business transformation, IT, communications and customer services that will be key project stakeholders, along with service managers in council services being re-designed. Current Phase Discovery Work Location Mainly in Dorchester, Dorset, but will likely include locations of other partner councils in Dorset, including Wareham, Wimborne and Christchurch. Working Arrangments The project should be managed using agile project management techniques to ensure the project is delivered to cost, time and quality requirements and to ensure we can embed iterative findings from user-centred design into page template designs and user journeys. At least three days a week should be on site in Dorchester to work closely with key contacts, build relationships with stakeholders, conduct user research with residents and work with key staff on UAT. There will also be a need for regular reporting and presentations to project board. Security Clearance BPSS security clearance. And possibly DBS if working on social care re-design with customers for example. Additional T&Cs All expenses, including travel itemised in total bid cost. Total cost over two years evaluated - initial development support (including 24 days development for iterative improvements). Breakdown costs showing costings for key elements. Shortlisted suppliers who meet all our essential criteria will be asked for a full written proposal including relevant case studies, work history and references. Up to five highest scoring suppliers will be invited for on-site presentation (between 19-23 September). They will be scored based on one third (33.3%) for written response (including case studies, work history and references) and two thirds (66.6%) for the presentation. Skills & Experience An ethos predicated to user-centred design with the capability to translate user research into user-focussed products. Outline how you'ld go about this and experience you have in this area (3%) At least two years experience of internal stakeholder engagement 1) with staff and councillors so they feel ownership 2) to inspire and engage other stakeholders (3%) At least two years experience of using responsive design to optimise UX on a range of devices including desktop, tablet and mobile (2%) At least two years experience and a proven track record in ensuring all digital services created are accessible - meeting WCAG 2.0 AA & mobile best practices (2%) Experience of working on similar-sized digital projects in local government in the last two years - give examples (2%) At least two years experience of implementing intuitive content management systems enabling devolved web editing with granular access based on permissions, content approval workflow, appropriate security and audit trail (2%) At least two years experience of agile project management methodologies and providing high assurance around delivery (cost, timescales and quality of delivery) - give examples of similar work done (2%) At least two years experience of working with organisations to achieve significant cost savings through innovative digital transformation (1%) Implementing a low-risk, proven solution based on open standards, with most of the functionality available out-of-the-box, rather than needing significant development - can be proprietary or open-source (1%) At least two years experience of re-designing content for key services focussed on user need, significantly reducing the number of pages and writing ultra-concise, clear content (1%) At least two years experience of implementing responsive e-forms with an intuitive interface, allowing non-technical staff to create simple forms. Outline any workflow or process wizard type functionality (1%) At least two years experience of skills transfer, training, transitioning & support to key partner council staff (1%) Knowledge and skills in providing customer account functionality or alternative means of appropriate authentication, integration and personalisation. Functionality should be provided but we don't envisage implementing within this project (0.5%) Ability to produce an appropriate Global Experience Language to allow traded services & partnerships to be developed with different digital branding whilst sharing the same infrastructure and core functionality (0.5%) Able to provide a development environment to thoroughly test developments before putting them into the live environment (0.5%) Nice to Haves Provision of CRM or CRM 'light' functionality. We would like this functionality within the digital platform but don't envisage implementing within this project (1%) At least two years experience in process re-engineering and integration with back-office systems (1%) At least two years experience of developing services for users with low digital literacy (0.5%) No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria The proposed technical solution for the digital platform and outlining how we might use the same technologies to transform services, detailing what is available and what will need development (3%) Demonstrate, giving examples of previous work, how the proposed solution can support the digital transformation and service improvement agenda within our partner councils (3%) Demonstrate capabilities that provide the ability to achieve a seamless omni-channel customer journey across multiple service areas and different customer touchpoints, considering customer accounts / authentication (3%) How you would go about user-centred design with the capability to translate user research into user-focussed products, giving examples (3%) The proposed approach to designing flexible templates to meet different stakeholder / service needs (including traded services / partnership sites), grounded in user need with personalisation / localisation capabilities (3%) What experience you have of re-designing content for key council services, building on the improved design and user patterns of the new templates to maximise user experience (3%) Experience of building transactional services that integrate with back office systems, including designing workflow and integrating e-payment functionality (2%) What risks, issues and dependencies you foresee and what approaches you'd use to mitigate & manage them (2%) Estimated timeframes for the key milestones of the work (ensuring implementation by June 2017) and resources/roles that will be provided and those required from the partners (2%) The approach to implementation ensuring value is delivered early detailing the methods and tools that will be used, giving examples of where this approach has previously been used effectively (2%) Indicate whether all project deliverables will be supplied by your company. If aspects will be delivered by a partner, clearly state this and describe how this will be managed (2%) The support model, service levels and standards available and how fees will be staged. Explain how you would deliver ongoing iterative development of the solution based on user feedback (2%) Cultural Fit Criteria Case studies – to demonstrate how you have worked well with other organisations (5%) Effective stakeholder engagement, including how they will work with the central Dorsetforyou digital team (1%) Skills and knowledge is transitioned to partners to ensure the solution is sustainable (1%) Ongoing engagement with the user base to develop the solution to support emerging needs over time (0.5%) Effective working relationship with the partners (0.5%) Focus on delivering value and benefit and user centred design (0.5%) Engaged with national and international standard setting work and technological advancements reflected in the solution (0.5%) Core company values and behaviours align with the partners (0.5%) Effective approach to working with other suppliers to deliver functionality and integration (0.5%) Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Written proposal Case study Work history Reference Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 55% Cultural fit 10% Price 35% Questions from Suppliers Budget range £150-250,000 in total for all our requirements (technology, build, implemention, user-centred design, project management, all overheads & expenses etc)