Support with front-end software development

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done This work directly relates to the West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority's "Third Platform" programme - several inter-related projects with the common aim of modernising key services. Specifically, this work relates to our "Mobile First" stream - and will contribute to the Authority's vision of 90% of all front-line data collection being undertaken on mobile devices by May 2018. Ultimately, this work will enable us to benefit from modern technology to improve the processes associated with our core purpose of making the West Midlands safer, stronger and healthier. Problem to Be Solved Today's modern Fire Service has an increasing need to collect timely, relevant and often critical data from its front-line teams... yet the time operational personnel spend with a PC is time spent away from the communities they serve. We require talented and experienced front-end developers to develop a robust web-app which will allow our employees to interact with an existing REST API. This fully-responsive SPA will offer Auth0-based authentication, dynamic form-rendering, search page and to-do list. We have already have a POC - we require assistance to build a production-ready MVP that we can easily extend through new components. Who Are the Users This work is to produce a common front-end to a universal data-collection and workflow SaaS. As such, it will be used by almost all of our employees. Some examples: As an operational firefighter I need to submit data as efficiently as possible, so that I can concentrate on front-line service delivery. As a Hydrant Technician I need to be able to quickly access the state of nearby hydrants so I can make more effective use of my time. As a Fire Safety officer I need to complete my assessments and enact any necessary prosecution workflows in a timely manner. Early Market Engagement We sought early validation of our timescale-estimates from a supplier that undertook a code review of the server-side (Node.js) component of the project. Based on the feedback received, it is considered that 3 months for 3 front-end developers to develop the required MVP SPA is a realistic expectation. Work Already Done For this third iteration of our data-collection platform, we recently completed some 3+ years' worth of research and prototyping. Using JSON Schema to dynamically render form content is the predominant focus of this work. The prototype SPA currently uses Schemaform.io and AngularJS V1.6. We now believe React to be a more appropriate framework for our needs (we may consider Angular V2+, Vue.js or equivalent). Therefore we're looking to incorporate something akin (perhaps extending) React-jsonschema-form. We have recently been accepted on the Auth0 Open Source Programme and will continue using the Auth0 authentication SDK (also proven in our prototype). Existing Team West Midlands Fire Service has its own internal development team of 10 developers (predominantly Java/Spring/JSP/RDBMS skills). The successful supplier will work with team's Software Architect, Development Team Leader and Principal Developers. A critical factor of this work is, that on its completion, the in-house team have will be left with the necessary assets and understanding to evolve and continue the web-app independently. Current Phase Alpha Work Location We are based at: West Midlands Fire Service Headquarters 99 Vauxhall Road Birmingham B7 4HW Working Arrangments Given the nature of this project (and our team's established working practices) an MVP + Agile + TDD approach is considered the most appropriate way to deliver this work. Monthly face-to-face meetings and continual releases are favoured - along with an initial on-site presence of at least 10 days. We use Github (public and private repos) for our source control and Travis-CI.org for testing. Security Clearance West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority complies with Her Majesty’s Government Security Policy Framework. Compliance with Baseline Personnel Security Standard should be undertaken as a minimum. Suppliers will need to agree to terms as defined by the Authority related to the Data Protection Act 1998 and management of information. Additional T&Cs At all stages of development West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority will retain all Intellectual Property Rights to code and other assets produced as part of this work. West Midlands Fire and Rescue Authority reserve the right to offer code and assets produced as part of this work under an open source arrangement - most likely by adding an MIT license and publishing a public repository via the WMFS Github organisation. Skills & Experience Demonstrate deep and expert-level knowledge/experience with a modern front-end framework especially React (or Angular V2+, Vue or equivalent) to solve a complex UX problem Demonstrate experience incorporating the Auth0 SDK Be able to deliver modern, performant, user-centred and innovative data collection UX - via a SPA Demonstrate excellent use of build-chain technologies to minimise development overheads - package managers, CSS pre-compilers, linters, minification tools etc. Be able to produce consistently high-quality, modular code for non-trivial problems, to agreed timescales Be able to leave the codebase in such a way that our in-house team can easily continue and evolve it after this work is complete Demonstrate design principals that will maximise codebase reuse and minimise friction when porting to native mobile apps (Android, iOS and Windows) Must demonstrate expertise in designing modular, easily extended, component-orientated front-ends Demonstrate deep experience implementing fully-responsive UI capabilities Nice to Haves Demonstrate active Open Source contributions / activity (e.g. Github contributions, blogs etc.) Experience of offline-first technologies such as PouchDB or equivalent Have published apps to iTunes, Google Play etc. To have worked with other Public Sector (especially Local Government or emergency service) organisations Experience designing UX for challenging "in the field" environments Demonstrate experience with building apps for Windows devices Experience with dynamic form libraries (preferably JSON Schema-based) such as SchemaForm.io, react-schema-form or equivalent Experience building cross platform desktop apps with JavaScript, HTML etc. via open source technology such as Electron.js or equivalent Demonstrable experience with the Mapbox SDK No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria Length and depth of experience with React (or comparable front-end framework such as Angular 2+, Vue) and related technologies Experience and success with similar projects Size of team and ability to deliver to budget / timescales Estimated timeframe for work Value for money Ability to deliver quality, extensible software that embraces industry best practices Cultural Fit Criteria Work as a team with our organisation and other suppliers 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 Challenge the status quo Be comfortable standing up for their discipline Have a strong Open Source ethos Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Written proposal Case study Work history Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 50% Cultural fit 5% Price 45% Questions from Suppliers Budget range in the region of £100,000.