A discovery phase to understand user needs for financial support and assistance

Tender description

Summary of the work A discovery phase to understand user needs for joining up financial support and assistance through a digital service. Expected Contract Length 3 months Latest start date Monday 8 January 2018 Budget Range £40,000 - £50,000 excluding VAT Why the Work is Being Done We have developed a beta service to help tenants manage their rent. Now we want to understand the opportunities to extend this to help people proactively manage their finances. The introduction of Universal Credit in July next year may increase users’ need for financial support Problem to Be Solved The Council provides a range of different services to people at risk of indebtedness, including: Financial advice and support to tenants and residents Tailored support to sustain residents in their tenancy Support and signposting for residents moving out of temporary accommodation Housing options and advice for those at risk of homelessness Help and support to get into training and employment However, this support is currently delivered within each service rather than joined-up around the needs of residents. We want to understand how we can bring together our services around the needs of users at risk of indebtedness. Who Are the Users As a resident I need to know how much money I owe the Council so I can manage my bills As a resident I need to reduce my bills so that I can manage my money As a resident I need help saving money so that I can prepare for Universal Credit As a resident I need to find services I’m entitled to so that I get support As a resident I need to know how to access cheaper loans so that I don't pay high fees As a resident in debt I need a clear action plan Work Already Done The Rent Accounts app has been used by 5,500 tenants in the first few weeks. It’s currently being expanded to leaseholders so that they can also check their balance, see their statement and make a payment. In addition, the Council has conducted work to predict indebtedness of council tenants, and developed a single view of debt across its major services. Existing Team The team that developed Rent Accounts, including the product owner, are available to assist. In addition, the teams that support financial inclusion, resident sustainment and ‘move on’ from temporary accommodation can assist. However, we imagine that the Discovery phase will help determine what skills are necessary to further develop the proposition. Current Phase Discovery Skills & Experience • Provide a multi-disciplinary team, including user research, service design and front-end developer • Adopt user-centred design and Agile approaches, consistent with the govenrment’s service design manual • Have experience of redesigning a digital service to meet the needs of users • Understand how to meet the needs of a range of users, including those lacking digital skills • Be agnostic of any particular software, enabling us to consider a range of options to meet user needs • Share their work freely and openly with the Council and the wider community • Be able to meet the Local Government Digital Service Standard Nice to Haves • Promote user-centred design and Agile across the Council • Work with a Hackney-based apprentice Work Location Hackney Council offices in Mare Street, E8 Working Arrangments We would expect the supplier to work onsite for the majority of the engagement, enabling them to share their work and test propositions with residents. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria • Understanding of user needs from the service • Understanding of the policy context • Clarity of the approach • Experience from an analogous project • Team structure, including skills, experiences and relevance of individuals • Identification of risks and plan to mitigate them Cultural Fit Criteria • Work as a team with our organisation and other suppliers • Be transparent and collaborative when making decisions • Share knowledge and experience with team members and the wider service Payment Approach Capped time and materials Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 5% Price 35% Questions from Suppliers 1. Is their an incumbent supplier in place currently? If so, will they also be applying for the role? We do not currently provide this digital service - so not incumbent supplier exists. The Rent Accounts service referenced was built in-house. 2. What is the technology stack behind the existing Rent Accounts app? The presentation layer was built on Outsystems and the data layer was built on Dynamics 365. 3. Is there a view that the new software would enhance the existing application or exist separately? We're open to four outcomes from the discovery phase:- redeveloping the existing app on new technology to support additional user needs- redeveloping the existing app on the current technology to support additional user needs- developing separate services on new technology to support additional user needs- taking no further action because there aren't any user needs 4. In the nice-to-have skills you have asked for "Work with a Hackney-based apprentice". Please could you expand on this as this does not seem like a skill or experience. Are you asking the supplier to be able to work with a Hackney-based apprentice as part of this Discovery? You are right - we should have put this in the 'cultural fit' category. We're hoping to encourage suppliers who work with apprentices; to encourage working with Hackney-based apprentices (for example through https://hackney.gov.uk/hackney100); and encourage the involvement of Hackney apprentices on this project.