Website development, user experience and design

Tender description

Summary of the work IICSA requires Website Services capability ranging from Design through to User experience testing and Development to help deliver an effective and accessible website in line with the Inquiry's mission. This includes embracing a culture of collaborative working that leads to successful outcomes, meets user needs and represents value for money. Expected Contract Length 2 Years Latest start date Monday 9 October 2017 Why the Work is Being Done IICSA runs a website to showcase its ongoing activities, invite people to join in our work and present specific events such as public hearings. The website is at the centre of a busy communication strategy. As such, the website is very dynamic. A variety of changes are introduced regularly that require design, development, testing and user experience testing as part of the validation process. Problem to Be Solved IICSA needs suppliers to deliver outcomes based on user needs, Digital Service Standards and public sector websites guidelines. The full range of Design, Development and User Experience Testing will be needed throughout a 24 month pipeline of work that includes : 1. develop, deploy code and control access to all parts including the CMS 2. maintain, support and keep up to date all underpinning technology and associated security 3. manage quarterly user research and make recommendations 4. maintain the style guide and provide wireframes, illustrations and functionalities for approval 5. assist the Inquiry for other requests as necessary Who Are the Users As a Website manager, I need to understand what users want from the website so that we can make their visit not only effective (i.e they get what they need) but also accessible and pleasant (i.e they do not have any access issues and can navigate intuitively). As a Website Project manager, I need to rely on expertise to design and develop website features so that we can showcase the Inquiry's activity and information in the best possible and most accessible manner. Work Already Done The website has been live for over 2 years and can be viewed at www.iicsa.org.uk Some user research has recently been conducted We are working to a roadmap of planned work over the coming year Existing Team The main contact from IICSA will be the webmaster Typically, the interactions will involve the web editor, a business analyst, a project manager and a tester. All resources appointed by IICSA to work with supplier on the website. Current Phase Live Skills & Experience • Proven track record of developing and maintaining websites content using Drupal • Proven track record of developing and maintaining websites applications using Python • Proven track record of developing and maintaining websites applications using Google Apps engine • Demonstrate strict code control and adherence to formal release process • Proven ability to manage access control to Content Management System • Proven ability to design a website according to user needs • Proven ability to apply maintenance and security patches on an agreed timetable • Proven ability to scope, run and manage user research sessions (including participants recruitment and logistics management) and to provide written recommendations leading to successful website redesign/creation • Proven ability to ensure the design and functionality of the website meets Level AA of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (2.0) • Proven ability to create websites that are usable for people with low digital skills • Track record of developing and maintaining website meeting wide compatibility needs on multiple platforms and browsers • Follow Government guidance https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/technology/designing-for-different-browsers-and-devices#browsers-to-test-in • Proven ability to develop "secure by design" Nice to Haves • Proven track record in making use of analytical reports to make recommendations about user experience and website design • Commitment to provide support out of normal office hours on request (with sufficient advance notice) • Proven track record in marketing and brand management • Proven ability in providing content translation in Welsh • Proven ability to provide pro-active recommendations to improve website behaviour (best practice, SEO, etc.) • Experience of assisting with Social Media management • Experience of assisting with gathering and prioritising requirements • Proven ability to provide designs, imagery and illustrations based on user needs and feedback • Proven ability in audiovisual media management/creation • Commitment to production of a Service Level Agreement setting out availability and response times (for both development of site and ongoing support) • Experience in producing supporting branded material (for instance PDF, reports, templates, etc) Work Location No specific location, can work remotely. Working Arrangments IICSA works primarily in an agile environment. For this reason, the supplier is expected to join a daily stand up call with the client. IICSA also works digitally and remotely, it is therefore anticipated that most discussions will be held by virtual mechanisms (call, video conference, instant messaging, ...) Security Clearance Developers and administrators will need SC, other individuals will need CTC Additional T&Cs The Authority reserves the right to request a different pricing methodology on an outcome-by-outcome basis. The Authority will make it known to the Supplier before the commencement of work how the Supplier should price. The optional pricing methodologies are as follows: - Fixed Price - Time and materials - Capped time and materials No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Outline your approach to development and coding • Outline your approach to maintaining and supporting the technology listed in essential skills • Outline your approach to running and managing user research • Outline your approach to collaborating with the Inquiry and in particular maintaining the design guidelines • Outline your approach to working with the Inquiry on ad-hoc projects, including when urgent requests come in. • Provide an overview of your end to end development lifecycle including design, code control, testing, release management, etc. • Please outline the core teams, including CV's, for each of the DOS capabilities. Costs for the core teams should be provided in the pricing schedule Cultural Fit Criteria • Work as a team with our organisation and other suppliers as necessary • Be transparent and collaborative when making decisions • Experience of working using appropriate project methodology (such as Agile for instance joining daily stand-up calls) • Be able to pro-actively provide advice based on industry best practice as well as applicable regulations • Behave professionally and strive for excellence • Be solution focused rather than commercially minded ("fix first, negotiate price later" attitude) • Adhere to processes and always seeks approval from Inquiry before effecting any changes • Track record of delivering project to time, quality and budgetary constraints and standards Payment Approach Capped time and materials Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 55% Cultural fit 15% Price 30% Questions from Suppliers 1. Are you looking to build the website on a particular CMS? Your essential requirements ask for experience with Drupal, Python, Google Apps engine. The CMS is Drupal. Python and App Engine are needed for a specific application which is accessed via the website. 2. We don't currently have SC or CTC security clearance. Could we apply for it during the procurement process and still apply? No, we will not sponsor clearance until you have been awarded the contract. 3. Can you please confirm the expected budget for this work? Evaluation of the price element of this tender will be based on a rate card and work should be billed in-line with the rate card throughout the lifetime of the contract. There will be a maximum value assigned to the contract but the spend will be determined on a ‘project-by-project’ basis. 4. “The existing website has been in place for two years” - Could you please clarify if you are actually seeking a new (replacement) website build or just appointing a new partner to offer support and on-going change/maintenance service for the current site? We are not looking for a new website build. 5. If a new build, can you say what you want to achieve from the new site that is not part of this site? Not a new build 6. Will there be a supplier call to discuss requirements and if so, when will this be? No supplier call is planned. We welcome any and all questions until Thursday 24th August. We will answer these on a rolling basis. 7. What date do you expect to receive proposals and what date do you expect to appoint the new supplier? Closing date for essential skills: 31st AugustThe following dates are subject to change:Shortlisting: 4th SeptemberWritten proposal: 14th SeptemberPresentations: 20-22nd SeptemberNew supplier appointed: w/c 2nd Oct 8. Will the project be divided up into Discovery-Alpha-Beta-Production stages as per GDS guidelines? Yes, we will seek to follow the GDS guidelines for particular individual projects and significant new functionality. 9. Could you please confirm that you are seeking a service that provides incident support as well as on-going change? Yes, though most incidents are CMS, code or user access related. Hosting is managed elsewhere, but liaison with hosting suppliers is expected. 10. “Assist the Inquiry for other requests as necessary” - What does IICSA mean by this and what is the scope of other requests? We can’t be specific at this time as requirements don’t exist. It could range from providing advice on accessibility to providing assistance in recommending solutions for new software to be included in the stack in response to a particular business need. 11. “Maintain, support and keep up to date all underpinning technology and associated security” - What are the underpinning technologies, e.g. cloud platforms? What support SLAs do you require for these technologies? This primarily relates to Drupal maintenance and security updates, as well as those of the modules in use. Hosting is not part of this contract. 12. Regarding change, what is your estimate of monthly time required to develop and deploy changes based on your current run rate? In the region of 2.5 FTE individuals each month, spread over a variety of roles. 13. We assume that content production is not required and that this will come from the in-house web team? Or will you require assistance from time to time, e.g. with GIFs, banner images, infographics, etc.? Assistance from time to time. This would be something occasional and would be an item as described in question 10, but is certainly something we’ve asked for in the past. 14. Could you please specify the number of website pages for the site? 52 published basic content pages, and several other types including 1500 document nodes, 100+ video pages (youtube embeds, not site-hosted). Approx 50 other pages of varying types. 15. Is there an incumbent? Can you say why you are not renewing with them? There is an incumbent. The current contract does not allow for an extension. 16. Will the incumbent (or in-house team) provide support to the transition? How much time are they contracted to provide to the transition support? Will there be access to the incident history from the current ITSM? The incumbent will be available during the 1 month transition period between the new contract start date and the previous contract expiring. IICSA doesn’t currently use a full ITSM tool. We are in the process of deploying new service management regime. Any available information on existing and past incident will be communicated as part of the transition. 17. What documentation exists and will it be made available to the new supplier? All existing code, user research, style guides, design documents etc remain the property of the Inquiry and will be available. 18. What is the size of current incumbent team and breakdown of their skills? We will assess bids based on how bidders believe themselves able to meet our needs, rather than being based on the incumbent’s model. 19. Regarding customer service support, how many support tickets a month do you currently experience broken down by Incidents-Changes-Service Requests? Please provide the last 12 months data. We don’t use a formal support ticketing system for our website development. Issues are raised and tracked kanban style using Trello. This includes a mix of new requests and bug reports. We can’t provide a breakdown. 20. Do you need a first line Service desk or will IICSA provide the first line support? If so, what ITSM is used? We have our own internal Service Desk, currently using Zendesk. 21. Are you happy to use JIRA for project workflow? Jira will not be appropriate for the BAU day to day running of the website including bug reporting. 22. What support hours are required? Normal support hours are 8AM to 6PM, however during specific events we may want to extend in the evening 23. Do you use Google Analytics, and will the supplier be expected to maintain this? We use Google Analytics, and expect some limited assistance for items such as goal funnels etc. Regular day to day usage is in house. 24. What is your expected budget excluding VAT? The expected contract value is not being published at this time. Suppliers will be asked to complete a rate card which will be used to govern the contract. 25. Does the 9 Oct start date mean commencement of support and services, i.e. take over from incumbent, or the start of the transition? If the former, how much time has been budgeted for transition? This is the expected start of transition. It allows for 1 month of transition before the current contract expires. 26. “Manage quarterly research” - Who will be the likely target audience for this and how much time will you allocate to this for the supplier each quarter? We have defined personas. The ones we test with at any given time are dependant on any specific testing needs.Personas include:Victim/Survivor of child sexual abuseMember of the publicOrganisational employee (support worker)Org employee (legal)JournalistWe believe that the time allocated will be based on the numbers and complexity of testing and it would be for the supplier to provide an estimate based on the needs articulated by the Inquiry. 27. We are getting a "Page Not Found" for the following link in the "Essential Skills and Experience"? https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/technology/designing-for-different-browsers-and-devices#browsers-to-test-in The link is working. 28. Will accessibility testing be required as a separate item at a later date please? Functional/accessibility testing/UAT isn't part of the contract as it is performed in house. However, occasionally the Inquiry may commission accessibility or expert reviews of the site. 29. “Developers and administrators will need SC, other individuals will need CTC” - Could you please explain your approach to security? We do not understand why more than BPSS is required for developers working (off-site) on a public facing website. CTC is a six month process and relates to security tasks. Non-public data is classified as Official and Official Sensitive. Due to this classification SC & CTC is a mandatory requirement.SC clearance is for those individuals that have access to our official data, CTC for those who do not.By the nature of a developers and administrators role it is likely that they will be able to view official data and so SC clearance is required,Within IICSA BPSS is not a clearance that we recognise as being suitable for our systems even if they are publicly facing.Within IICSA CTC clearance does not take 6 months to be processed. 30. Presentations? Suppliers will be asked to present their solution either via google hangouts or in person on 20-22nd September. Suppliers will be asked to submit a written copy by Thursday 14th September. 31. Can you elaborate on what you mean by ‘secure by design’? We will seek to follow the guidelines for designing digital services as set out by the NCSC:https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/security-design-principles-digital-services-main 32. There is a ‘Must Have’ requirement for Python and Google Apps engine development. The mix of Drupal, Python and Google Apps Engine is a relatively mixed bag of expertise. I understand the bulk of the work is in Drupal, which is our area of expertise. Would you be open to your chosen partner finding and managing outsourced development for the Python and Google Apps Engine platforms? We would prefer the provider to be able to work with the whole stack of technologies that make up the Inquiry’s website.