Building an MVP for foster carer applications

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done We completed a discovery phase to understand the potential for digital to support the recruitment and retention of foster carers. Now we'd like to develop an MVP to support applications, through a diagnosis tool and online application process. Problem to Be Solved Hackney recruits fewer foster carers than neighbouring boroughs, leading to worse outcomes for young people and higher costs for the Council. The current application process is entirely paper-based. A number of people initiate an application process but do not complete it, and the council has little visibility of why this happens. Moreover, people who are not eligible are not signposted towards other forms of volunteering. An online diagnosis tool and application form can support a higher quality customer experience and provide more useful advice to prospective foster carers. Who Are the Users As a potential applicant, I need to: - know whether I'm eligible to be a foster carer so that I can plan accordingly - develop my application over time, so that I can provide everything required - be signposted to other volunteering opportunities so that I can develop suitable experience - know what to expect from the process, so that they have time to prepare - know what to expect from fostering for Hackney Council, so that they can decide who to become a foster carer with Early Market Engagement Work Already Done The Discovery phase was run with support from FutureGov. The findings from the discovery phase are available here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1o6xBXgTqZhe6b6XjfDfE2u6c_DmVjTP3 Existing Team 2 members of the fostering team, supported by the team manager 1 ICT project manager who is responsible for the management of the social care application, Mosaic. Current Phase Discovery Work Location Hackney Service Centre, 1 Hillman Street, E8 1DY and the Hackney Works hub in Woodberry Down Working Arrangments We would prefer a team onsite for 3 days a week, most weeks in order to engage with ICT and Hackney Works colleagues and build broader engagement with the style of working (eg through show and tells). Security Clearance Additional T&Cs Skills & Experience Have knowledge of user needs for the service Have experience of working to the GDS service design manual Combine user research, service design and developer expertise Work to user-centered, iterative, Agile principles Have experience designing services for a wide range of digital skills and confidence Consume from and present to Hackney’s emerging API layer Understand how to meet the needs of a diverse range of users Have developed a service to meet the Digital Service Standard (either local or central government) Experience of a similar project Nice to Haves Employ a care leaver Promote user-centred design and Agile across the Council No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria Understanding of user needs from the service Clarity of approach How the approach or solution meets user needs How they’ve identified risks and dependencies and offered approaches to manage them Team structure, including skills, experiences and relevance of individuals 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 team members and the wider service Work openly Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Written proposal Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 7% Price 33% Questions from Suppliers Budget range £20-40,000 excluding vat and expenses.