Department for Infrastructure - New planning portal IT system – Discovery exercise

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done The objective of the planning system is to secure the orderly and consistent development of land whilst furthering sustainable development and improving well-being. The current Northern Ireland planning portal underpins and supports this objective. The contract for the current planning portal expires 31 March 2019. This Discovery exercise is needed to ascertain user requirements and options for a new planning portal IT system that will effectively serve the new two-tier planning system. The Discovery needs to be completed no later than the end of May 2017. Problem to Be Solved The contract for the current planning portal expires on 31 March 2019. Work needs to begin now on identifying user needs and options for any replacement portal IT system (for the Department, the 11 councils and the Regional Property Certificate Unit). Without an effective planning IT system, planning cannot operate efficiently and effectively. Who Are the Users As a council and Departmental member of staff I need to be able to: process planning applications and consents (including enforcement); see GIS maps and layers; run reports and monitor performance across the planning system. As a consultee I need to be able to input consultee responses to the planning system. As a planning agent and / or member of the public I need to be able to input and access planning applications online. As a member of council staff I need to be able to process property certificates for solicitors. Early Market Engagement Work Already Done A pre-discovery exercise was undertaken earlier in the year (report issued June 2016), which recommended that, in order for stakeholders to agree a way forward, councils and the Department should work collaboratively to complete a comprehensive Discovery exercise. Outputs from the pre-discovery exercise will be made available to bidders on request. Existing Team The provider will be expected to work closely with a team within the Department for Infrastructure and staff from both councils (including the Regional Property Certificate Unit) and the Department as product owners and subject matter experts. Current Phase Discovery Work Location The provider will be expected to work on a full time basis with business users and stakeholders, initially, in the Department for Infrastructure, Clarence Court, Adelaide Street, Belfast. The provider will be expected to travel as required across N. Ireland in order to conduct stakeholder consultations. Working Arrangments The Discovery team will be a cross-functional, multi-disciplinary team in order to produce a product backlog and user stories that will articulate the scope of requirements. The provider will also be required to contribute to the business case for development and implementation by providing costed delivery options and timeframe for development. The provider will be expected to work on a full time basis, 5 days a week. All necessary additional costs such as flights, day to day travel, subsistence and accommodation costs must be included to establish total cost of engagement. Security Clearance All staff will require basic security clearance before contract award. Additional T&Cs Any outputs from the Discovery exercise (e.g. reports, documentation etc.) will be considered to be the property of the Department for Infrastructure. Skills & Experience Demonstrable level of experience in delivery of successful Discovery outcomes to support complex service and technology needs, including undertaking service design (9%). Demonstrable experience of designing an overall delivery approach from solution architecture and service design (6%). Demonstrable experience of carrying out user research with a diverse mix of users and stakeholders (4%). Demonstrable experience of facilitating public service teams, particularly those with no experience of the Discovery process (3%). Nice to Haves Can demonstrate experience of planning-related IT projects. Experience of delivering similar Discovery projects that are under time and budget constraints. Demonstrates a clear understanding of the complexities of the NI planning environment and has experience of working within the NI planning environment or a similar environment. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 6 Proposal Criteria How the proposed solution will meet user requirements, including approach and methodologies (15%). Proposed deliverables, timeline with expected activities and outputs, and clearly defined roles and responsibilities (12%). How risks and interdependencies have been identified and how these will be managed (5%). Detail all costs (excl VAT) to meet the project requirements, including staff rates and days. Costs must include all travel and subsistence costs (40%). Cultural Fit Criteria How the team will work with staff and stakeholders at all levels. (2%) How the team will encourage a collaborative approach to problem-solving. (2%) How the team will share knowledge and experience with other team members (2%). Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Written proposal Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 54% Cultural fit 6% Price 40% Questions from Suppliers Budget range the budget for this procurement is estimated to be c.£200,000 (excl vat).