Fully Open Source Government Licensing System for Public Access

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done Deadline for implementation (go-live) is the end of December 2017. GDS guidelines state it must use "fully open source" code. Our current licensing system (LAWS) is legacy, bespoke and cannot be upgraded. It will also be out of support from Defra IBM by 31st January 2018 hence our current deadline. We are transferring our IT infrastructure from Defra IBM to the Home Office as a separate project but the licensing system will need to be hosted by the new supplier. We will also require support and maintenance for the period of a contract. Problem to Be Solved Our current system is due to be transferred away from it's current infrastructure and it is also a bespoke legacy system that cannot be upgraded. We need a new licensing system for potential labour providers and employees/users to access. It needs to be user friendly with less information to complete so users only need to complete what is necessary for their circumstances. It also needs to be "fully open source" so it can grow/change with requirements and we are not locked into any contracts. It also needs to be a Public Register to display the published list of licenses. Who Are the Users As a potential employer of labour workers I need to be able to apply for a licence that shows any labour workers I am appropriately registered. As a potential labourer/user I need to be able to see if a potential employer is registered correctly and I will be safe working for them. Early Market Engagement Specific users were asked to complete a survey. The main feedback was the following: The system needs to be more user friendly There needs to be a separation of pages so users only need to complete what is relevant to them and their circumstances The search engine needs to be user friendly and work correctly The terminology needs to be far more easily understood to allow people with English as a second language to complete the required fields There needs to be information provided by hovering over certain fields showing a "?" or "info" to help users more effectively The users internally to the organisation need to be able to amend any templates/letters easily The users internally need to be able to automate or email the letters The licensing system needs to link to other government websites so they can complete all requirements in one session or find relevant information Work Already Done The user research/user stories/product backlog have already been researched and documented. The project plan has already been written with open dates to be added once a supplier has been appointed. The "key" team members have been identified. Existing Team There is a Delivery Manager who is a contractor specifically hired to implement this project. This person has a great deal of experience and works to Agile methodologies as per the GDS guidelines. The Delivery Manager will serve as the main contact but be able to bring people in such as the "Product Owner", "User", Exec Team etc. as and when is required without disrupting the small team unnecessarily. We will all need to work to the Home Office and particularly GDS guidelines. Current Phase Discovery Work Location The office is located in Nottingham centre very near the main train station where rooms accommodating several people offering white boards, conference equipment, projectors etc. are available. Travel to the suppliers site by the project team will also be possible for specific requirements as and when necessary. Meetings can take place at either our offices or the suppliers offices depending on meeting room and attendee availability. Working Arrangments Initial face-to-face team meetings are key for the success of the project. The project must work to Agile methodologies as per GDS guidelines. Internal executives require a Prince2 project plan, which has already been written by the Delivery Manager so both that and the Agile plan will be updated as the project progresses. Sprints can be a mixture of both face-to-face meetings and video conference calls depending on requirements at any given time. Security Clearance The level of security clearance required is at SC level. We are not able to organise security clearance for any suppliers staff so it is mandatory that any team members supplied already have or can obtain SC clearance. Additional T&Cs Suppliers must offer "fully open source" code as per GDS guidelines. This is to ensure that we are not "locked-in" to any supplier or product. The solution must be a Public Register to display the published list of licenses. The system needs to link into other Government sites (e.g. GOV.UK Pay, GOV.UK Notify, GOV.UK Verify etc.) If "fully open source" code is already available to be re-used for any part of this project then that will help. Skills & Experience Have security cleared team members Work to Agile methodologies Offer a "Fully Open Source" Solution Be willing to travel to customer site in Nottingham Skills in developing Government licensing systems with dependencies linked Provide similar government organisations references Must provide support and maintenance on a contract basis Nice to Haves Provide evidence of meeting deadlines for implementation No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria "Fully Open Source" Solution Agile Approach and Methodology Agile Approach to Meet Users Needs Agile Approach to Meet Our Organisations Requirements Timeframe is to have a fully working solution in place by the end of December 2017 How Risks and Dependencies are Identified and What Approaches are Offered to Manage Them What is the Team Structure Value for Money Security Cleared Team Members Data Can Only Reside in the UK Must Provide Support and Maintenance on a Contract Basis Cultural Fit Criteria Work as a Team with our Organisation and Other Government Departments Be Transparent and Collaborative When Making Decisions Have a "No-Blame" Culture and Encourage People to Learn from their Mistakes Take Responsibility for Their Work Share Knowledge and Experience with other Team Members Be Comfortable Standing Up for The Chosen Methodology Can Work with Clients with Low Technical Expertise Be Comfortable with Open Conversations Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Written proposal Case study Work history Reference Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 15% Price 25% Questions from Suppliers Budget range