Health Research Authority website redevelopment project - Alpha and Beta

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done The HRA’s website has existed in its current form for a number of years. Evidence from internal and external users is that the site is not fit for purpose. User research and feedback has told us that the website is difficult to navigate, content is hard to find and understand, and the site is information-dense. We want a contractor to carry out both the alpha and beta phases of development to support us in developing a new, fit-for purpose site; including technology selection, customisation, design and information architecture. Problem to Be Solved We want to create a new HRA website that meets the needs of our users and is future-proof, ensuring we are responsive to emerging technologies and trends, that we can build on to limit the need for future large-scale redevelopments. Our current website has grown organically as the HRA has taken on new services and responsibilities. It is dense and complex to navigate, holding around 400 pages and over 1,000 documents. The user journeys are unclear and result in a large number of unnecessary contacts by users via phone and email. Who Are the Users Our primary users are the UK/England health and social care research community, who need to find information quickly and easily in order to receive guidance to enable them to apply for and obtain approval for their research projects. As such the information needs to be set out simply with clearly defined ‘journeys’ for applicants. Other important users include stakeholders who need to find out information about what HRA is and its roles and responsibilities; journalists and others wanting news on HRA developments, and HRA staff, who need information to allow them to carry out their duties. Early Market Engagement Work Already Done The Discovery phase of the project has recently been completed, which has helped us to identify the issues and areas for improvement on our existing site (www.hra.nhs.uk). We will provide shortlisted suppliers with the summary findings from the Discovery phase. In line with the Digital Service Standard, we will be looking for the chosen supplier to support us with collecting further research and testing, where appropriate, to complement our existing findings so that we can create a final set of user needs that will be utilised throughout the project. Existing Team The supplier will be working with the in-house Product Delivery Manager and other members of the HRA’s Communications team. Current Phase Alpha Work Location The project team are based in Manchester and as such the majority of the work will take place here (Health Research Authority, 3rd Floor, Barlow House, 4 Minshull Street, Manchester, M1 3DZ), however meetings will take place in our London office too (Health Research Authority, Ground Floor, Skipton House, 80 London Road, London, SE1 6LH). Working Arrangments Reporting to the Product Delivery Manager, the supplier will work with a small internal team to deliver this project. We would like to have daily virtual scrum meetings to check progress as well as a mixture of face to face and virtual meetings to ensure that the project is on track, moving forward and resolving issues and over-coming barriers as they arise. Security Clearance Additional T&Cs Due to time constraints associated with this project we would like to see a proposal with a breakdown of costings for each of the phases (Alpha and Beta). To ensure the project continues to be effective, we would also like to include review and breakpoints into the contract between the Alpha and Beta phase. Skills & Experience Have experience developing websites for the public sector Extensive and proven experience of working on successful website development projects from design to delivery Good working knowledge of the Government Service Design Manual Exceptional audience and stakeholder research skills, including experience in how to target stakeholders Experience and practical knowledge of accessibility standards and trends Experience of planning and delivering projects utilising agile methodologies A strong foundation in user-centred design Experience of hosting and facilitating workshops with stakeholders both internally and externally to feed into the design and development of a content strategy and appropriate information architecture for the website The capability to build a platform accessible across all devices, on all browsers, integrated with Google analytics and SEO The ability to provide support and maintenance during and after the website has launched Experience of developing engaging and dynamic web templates and services that meet user needs Experience of developing clickable prototypes, testing and iterating the concept based on the needs of users Experience of articulating information such as user research and website analytics to audit and define key content and services Access to a multi-disciplinary team including: a delivery manager, user researchers, content designers, developers, technical architect and accessibility lead Nice to Haves Experience of working with a small organisation without extensive internal digital team No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria Technical solution Approach and methodology How the approach or solution meets user needs Estimated timeframes for work Value for money Cultural fit with the organisation. Cultural Fit Criteria Work as a team with our organisation, seeking to understand us and find a flexible way of working that takes into consideration restrictions of working with teams with conflicting priorities Be responsive to our needs and the challenges running a project with staff being located around the country Transparent and collaborative when making decisions Solution-focused, offering suggestions of how we might be able to resolve issues and challenges along the way Understanding of the values and culture of the HRA and the length of time for decision making Share knowledge and experience with other team members. Payment Approach Fixed price Assessment Method Written proposal Work history Reference Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 20% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers Budget range up to £60,000