Digitally enabled assessments- service line

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done Reception-Baseline-Assessment(RBA) is an assessment that’s taken when pupils enter school (Reception age4/5), to create a baseline, where progress at the end of Key Stage 2(age10/11) can be measured and reported in school performance tables. RBA is a suitable assessment to be digitally enabled. The DfE agreed that RBA should be conducted where results are considered reliable and consistent. After a scoping exercise, the team is in a position to begin a Discovery Phase. The aim is that a development team will design/build and manage a digital service with the in-house Test Development team as they go through the Development cycle. Problem to Be Solved By 1st September 2022 we must have a digital service in place to deliver the Reception baseline assessment (RBA) to at least 99% of primary pupils entering school. We need digitally enabled assessments which fit within a digitally literate world so that we can offer, valid adaptive, secure assessments. The solution should, where possible deliver better value for money, achieved through better design and processes; creating efficiencies for schools and STA. The service must be flexible to ensure that the assessments built onto the platform are adaptive, valid and have increased security. Who Are the Users a)STA users need a service which can: be used to collate and cleanse registered pupil data, receive reliable assessment data timely from schools; input assessment content; verify registrations, mark-assessments, download data; return results. b)School users need a service that is reliable, simple to use; ability to register pupils with minimum burden; timely and securely administer assessments; send data to STA including head-teacher assurances at the end of each assessment cycle; option to record and receive results data. C) Pupils need a service which hosts an engaging and reliable assessment, where the digital element doesn’t affect the ability to be assessed. Early Market Engagement Work Already Done Existing Team The current (Digital enabled assessments and testing) team includes a product owner and assistant. The supplier will be expected to work with the wider STA and Department, and a wide group of stakeholders up to director level. Current Phase Not started Work Location Coventry (Cheylesmore House) Address 5 Quinton Road, Coventry, CV1 2WT Working Arrangments Co-located with the team in Coventry to maximise opportunity for engagement with DfE users and stakeholders. Travel to other DfE sites and schools to meet users is expected but must be in line with the DfE travel & subsistence policy. Expenses must be included in the contract sum, there will be no separate budget for expenses. We will operate using agile methodology including daily stand ups, sprint planning, sprints, retrospectives and show and tells. Face to face attendance at all Show and Tells is expected. There is some flexibility for remote arrangements. Security Clearance Additional T&Cs By issuing this invitation, the Department is not bound in any way and does not have to accept any tender. The Department also reserves the right at its sole discretion to award a contract for the Discovery stage only. The framework operates on a statement of work (SOW), if the final SOW for Discovery is complete, and a decision is taken not to proceed to Alpha, the contract can be terminated. Additional contractual clauses expected include: GDPR, Departmental Security Standards (for departmental data) & clauses on issued property and use of premises. Skills & Experience Work to GDS service standards. Use Agile methodologies Have significant experience of conducting user research & usability testing sessions (face to face and remote) based on a robust methodology. Have experience of recruitment of user research participants (including users with accessibility and assisted digital needs). Have experience of analysis of existing research, analytics and insight to ensure good understanding of users and their needs. Have experience of delivering high quality content and information architecture design for complex user journeys across multiple touchpoints, that meets user needs. Have experience & capability of creating plans for Alpha and Beta from both a design and technical perspective. Nice to Haves No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 8 Proposal Criteria Evidence experience in delivering evidence-based research to inform a user-centred design, focused on user needs, end-to-end user journeys, motivations and goals Example with demonstrable evidence of managing and delivering discovery and alpha projects, meeting all requirements and successfully delivering outcomes within specified timescales. Propose a team structure and approach to achieve project aims whilst working with in-house teams with limited Agile experience and how you plan to share knowledge to develop their capability. Proposed workable and flexible approach to co-location of the team with DfE. Demonstrable evidence of working successfully with users in the school/education landscape or in similar public services contexts. Cultural Fit Criteria Provide an example where the supplier has worked collaboratively in a multi-disciplinary team with other service providers (5%). Provide an example of where applying agile core values has enabled timely delivery of a product (5%). Provide an example of how you would quickly join the team and understand user needs, to maintain continuity between existing discovery work and alpha (5%). Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Written proposal Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 65% Cultural fit 15% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers Budget range please budget for each phase seperately- but for up to 6 weeks for discovery and 12 for alpha.