Business and management consultancy and related services

Tender description

Support required to provide economic, regulatory, strategic and technical advice or assurance as an independent third party. The purpose will be to input to economic, regulatory, strategic and technical activity on an advisory/consultation basis as SME or provide assurance as an independent third party – to be risk assessed and defined for each engagement. For example: — check alignment of processes or outputs to Regulatory requirements, — undertake technical assessment of processes/procedures, — interpreting and advising on regulatory models and guidance, — undertake business performance modelling. The scope, aim, timeframes and objectives are to be defined at a project level for each engagement/work package. Outputs should be provided in the form of a report listing findings and recommendations, preferably including a summary letter addressed to the Board that can be shared externally. For the year end non-financial assurance, we would want the scope to include: — risk based review aligning to company’s strategy requirements including Company Monitoring Framework and Regulatory Accounts Guidance. — assurance over our non-financial Performance Commitments (PCs) and Outcome Delivery Incentives (ODIs) as defined in our Final Determination: —— review of processes, —— review of data, —— review relevant internal and external audit findings as an input, — assurance over other appropriate inputs to Ofwat Annual Performance Report as outlined in their Regulatory Accounts guidance. — written outputs would be required to enable management response and inform the Board/Regulator. For business planning (all areas will require understanding of Regulatory requirements). Strategic assurer: — help us understand the way that Ofwat will assess the contents of the business plan, — Strategic review of assurance provisions; areas of the plan/outputs over which we require assurance, — advise as we draft and co-ordinate the wholesale, retail and appointee aspects of the plan, — review and comment on updated and new sections of the plan at specific milestones, — identify areas that could be improved to better align with Ofwat’s requirements and expectations, —— the advice will enable our Management team to understand options/risks/issues and support decision making, — written outputs would be required to enable management response and inform the Board/Regulator, — support defining PCs/ODIs in the approach to the new AMP (eg CMEX/DMEX). Technical assurer: — independent external technical assurance to provide comfort to our Regulator and Board that our Business plan is high quality and well evidenced, — technical assurance assessing the evidence within the Business Plan against Ofwat’s requirements, — review systems and data providing supporting information for the above, — integrate other Regulatory Requirements which share common areas with Ofwat’s planning approach (eg WRMP), — support to define PCs/ODIs in the approach to the new AMP (eg CMEX/DMEX). Economic assurer: — help us understand Ofwat economic regulation models, econometric models and cost models, — assess our economic models, econometric models and cost models fitness for purpose and robustness, — assess our economic models, econometric models and cost model inputs, — advise on economic and regulatory trends, — advise on real price effects and inflationary impacts and approached. General technical assurer: — independent technical assurance or advice over wholesale water and wastewater operations, — independent technical assurance or advice over retail operations.