Licensed use of animals in science copy

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done The use of animals in experiments and testing is regulated under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Licences for establishments, projects and individuals are managed by the Home Office, in England, Scotland and Wales. The contract for the existing animal science licensing software is due to expire in August 2018. The Home Office is looking for a suitable digital replacement that enables the Home Office to meet its regulatory obligations under the Act and fully meets user needs. Problem to Be Solved The digital solution must facilitate end-to-end licence management for establishment, personal and project licences. Establishment licences reflect the facilities of the establishment. Personal licences reflect the qualifications of the individual. Complex project proposals are assessed before a decision on a project licence is made. These proposals require the remote collaboration between several parties. All licences require regular updates. Historic, current and future data must be secure, but accessible to relevant parties to help ensure compliance. The solution must be available to all users by August 2018. Meaning work must successfully be assessed at end of alpha and private beta phases. Who Are the Users Licence applicants/holders work at universities and bioscience companies across the UK in pharmaceutical development, academic research and safety testing. Various named officers within establishments have roles in the application and management of licences. In 2016: • there were 2,631 active project licences, 542 new project licences and 1,012 amendments • there were 16,178 active personal licences, 3,424 new personal licences and 591 amendments • here were 167 active establishment licences, 3 new establishment licences and 159 amendments. Home Office staff assess and process applications, inspect establishments and respond to Parliamentary questions and FOIs. Early Market Engagement Not applicable Work Already Done A detailed discovery identifying user needs and exploring pain points has been carried out internally. Research took place at several establishments around the UK. The work resulted in the identification of 5 alphas, which will be explored in the next phase of work by the chosen supplier. Existing Team The team that worked on the discovery is now allocated to other projects, but available for consultation. The team from the Home Office that will work alongside the chosen supplier includes a product manager, a service owner and subject matter experts are available. Some liaising with the incumbent supplier may be required. Access to inspectors and end users for research will be arranged. Current Phase Alpha Work Location There’s flexibility with location, but close cooperation and some co-locating will be necessary. The Animal Science Regulation Unit is based in London and Croydon. Contextual research is essential, so travel to the various universities and companies around the UK will be required. The working arrangements will be reviewed and adjusted to find the style that’s most suitable. Working Arrangments The team must use agile methodologies, with regular stand ups and show and tells. Contextual research should be recorded and stored securely so the research assets can be given to the Home Office. User research must be carried out in accordance with the Market Research Society’s code of conduct (https://www.mrs.org.uk/standards/code_of_conduct ) . Security Clearance All contractors working on the project will need to undergo a CTC security check. Additional T&Cs Home Office travel and subsistence policy Exit Activities Ethical Wall Skills & Experience Accessibility and assisted digital: You must have experience building, or demonstrable knowledge of how to build, inclusive services that everyone can use Multidisciplinary team: You must have the necessary, skilled professionals required to fill all roles within the delivery team Prototyping and usability testing: You must take a user-centred approach to iterative design Data—led decisions: You must make design and build decisions based on understanding of data rather than opinions Nice to Haves Government delivery: experience of (or detailed understanding of) successfully designing, testing and building digital services for government Government service design: experience (or detailed understanding of) using the digital service manual and design patterns, following the technology code of practice and style guide Agile phase and service assessments: experience taking digital services though alpha and beta assessments No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria Approach and methodology (25%) How the approach or solution meets the requirement (20%) Identification of risks and dependencies (5%) Team structure and capabilities (10%) Cultural Fit Criteria Willingness to fully integrate with Home Office staff to form a single team, with clear, unified objectives (2%) Ability to work openly together, honestly tracking progress, sharing problems, and glad to learn from the valuable mistakes we make along the way (4%) Open-minded, collaborative approach to problem solving, showing recognition in the value of everyone’s contributions (4%) Unafraid to challenge the status quo, a desire to get to the nub of the problem, an appreciation of how legacy services can sometimes differ from the intended solution (4%) Demonstrable evidence-based approach to decision making; using insight from user testing to influence designs, rather than it being used to validate assumptions (3%) Sensitivity towards spending taxpayers’ money and ensuring value (3%) Payment Approach Time and materials Assessment Method Written proposal Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 20% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers Budget range