Collectorplan Digitalisation

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done Collectorplan is a service operated by the Arts Council of Wales. It assists UK residents to buy original works of art and crafts by living artists through offering Interest-free credit loans (from £50 to a maximum of £5,000). Info here: http://collectorplan.arts.wales The service is still very paper-based. Collectorplan has three main strategic aims in support of the arts economy in Wales: - Support artists to sell their artwork and create an income for these artists - Support galleries in Wales to operate as successful businesses - Support individuals to purchase artwork who may not without the scheme Problem to Be Solved The loan application process is not efficient, and the two main barriers to digitalising have been hardcopy signatures and credit checks. Galleries (50+) still need to print and sign application forms and post them to ACW to process. In turn ACW staff then input data to run necessary credit checks and upload the accounts and direct debits. We currently process over 1000 loans a year. We seek recommendations on how to make Collectorplan loan process paperless including costings for necessary hardware and software and, if so, what process would need to be put in place to create such a facility. Who Are the Users As a gallery I need to submit applications as quickly as possible to sell the artworks so that good customer service is likely to retain customers. As a buyer, I want to be able to use Collectorplan quickly to take home the artwork as near to immediately as possible and have a good experience. As ACW, we want to manage the scheme with minimal manual labour and duplication so that it is as cost effective (and data rich) as possible so we can best run the scheme to meet strategic aims Early Market Engagement We currently have over 50 galleries that offer Collectorplan. We have data on the loans that these galleries have secured. We hold the database of individuals that have taken out loans and have some feedback. We also have information from these galleries on what their current set up is - if they have wifi and computer/laptop/tablet access FoH. We have also had a previous attempt at digitizing (by in-house ICT team) in 2012 but it did not solve the issue of having to print out and sign application so was not implemented. Work Already Done We carried out a business review of Collectorplan in 2013/14 which recommended that we continue to manage the scheme in-house (including providing the financing) as this was the most economical way to deliver a (bilingual) service in Wales. The review made a series of recommendations on how to improve the scheme, with further automation being one. We have analysis of loans going back 5+ years. We also have detailed qualitative feedback from galleries and those that manage the scheme on the current constraints and possibilities they've identified. Existing Team The current scheme is run in house with elements of delivery across a number of roles. The 'frontline' is a coordinator who processes loan applications, credit checks, sets up direct debit, runs internal financial checks and maintains records and communicates with applicant. Another coordinator is the first point for non-finance (e.g contact for galleries wanting to join / monitoring). It is overseen by a steering group with management representation from both the finance and non-finance/ developmental side. Current Phase Discovery Work Location Cardiff, or Colwyn Bay offices for inception meetings. Would expect to spend some time in Cardiff to speak to staff but development could be done remotely. To be discussed Working Arrangments To be discussed Security Clearance Additional T&Cs There may be additional added in consultation with provider. Skills & Experience Have experience of redesigning 'paperbased' services to be fully digital. Have experience designing services that have multiple retail points Have experience designing services for users with low digital literacy Have experience designing financial/retail services Have experience of designing to integrate with existing systems and allocated human resources Have experience creating bilingual services (such as English/Welsh) Nice to Haves Have experience of working in arts/culture settings Have experience of working with public sector organisations No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria Approach and methodology How have they identified risks and dependencies and offered approaches to manage them Team structure Value for money Cultural Fit Criteria Work closely with our team to understand the task and develop solutions Work closely with the different end users to meet their needs Communicate regularly and clearly Understand the context and resources available to implement a new service Understand that Wales is a bilingual nation Payment Approach Fixed price Assessment Method Written proposal Case study Work history Reference Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 40% Cultural fit 20% Price 40% Questions from Suppliers Budget range