Digital service for planning viability assessments - discovery

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done The National Planning Policy Framework requires that new developments provide a minimum of 35% affordable housing 'subject to viability'. Viability assessments can be a source of disagreement between developers and councils, particularly around the calculation of viability. Initial research has identified the need for - standardising the collection of data which forms the viability assessments - building intelligence around that data, and data available from other sources for benchmarking, to create greater clarity for developers and councils in assessing viability - speeding up the assessment process and reducing reliance on consultants Problem to Be Solved Demand for affordable housing is high and growing, and councils need to be able to secure affordable homes in new developments. The data provided by developers during an assessment is not provided in a standardised format and the rules are open to interpretation. Councils find it difficult to assess and, where appropriate, challenge viability assessments. Planning applications can be delayed, reducing certainty and clarity for both developers and councils. Who Are the Users As an Applicant, I need to have clarity on the data and information required for viability so that I can reduce cost and delay in the development process As a Planning Officer, I need to be able to assess viability based on standard data and benchmark so that the right decisions can be made As a Resident, I need appropriate amounts of affordable homes to be created in the borough so that there is a continuing diverse supply of housing in my neighbourhood Early Market Engagement Work Already Done Existing Team Head of Service Planning Officer Digital Change and Innovation Manager Business Analyst UX Manager Current Phase Not started Work Location 160 Tooley Street, London and other London locations as appropriate Working Arrangments The work should be conducted in a collaborative and open way, working closely in a joint team with council officers and other interested stakeholders, including developers. Security Clearance Additional T&Cs Skills & Experience Provide a multi-disciplinary team, including user research, service design, front-end and back-end developers Demonstrate a track-record of user-centred design and Agile approaches Have delivered a service that’s been assessed against a government service standard Experience of developing design patterns that can be re-used for other services Be agnostic of any particular software, enabling us to consider a range of options to meet user needs Have delivered a service that integrates data from multiple sources, internal and external Nice to Haves Have knowledge of the planning system Have knowledge of property development processes No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria Approach and methodology How the approach or solution meets user needs How the approach or solution meets your organisation’s policy or goal Experience from a similar project How they’ve identified risks and dependencies and offered approaches to manage them Team structure, including skills and experience of individuals Value for money 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 other team members Can work with clients with low technical expertise Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Written proposal Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 5% Price 35% Questions from Suppliers Budget range