Discovery into how MHCLG manages public, parliamentary and other correspondence

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done MHCLG receives around 40,000 pieces of correspondence each year. The department must reply to the correspondence in a timely fashion to meet legal, political and service quality commitments. MHCLG currently uses a case management system to handle correspondence and the contract will end on 5 January 2020. MHCLG needs to understand the user needs and challenges faced by users corresponding with us and staff who respond. The discovery findings will inform our future approach to handling correspondence. Correspondence includes ministerial, inter-departmental and official correspondence; Freedom of Information requests (FOIs); Subject Access requests (SARs); complaints; and Parliamentary questions. Problem to Be Solved Increase staff effectiveness who use a system for handling correspondence by better meeting their needs. Improve the efficiency of MHCLG’s process for handling correspondence. Improve the public journey for those corresponding with MHCLG. The current system is used by 2,000 MHCLG users, who vary in experience with the system. A handful of people use it daily to record, manage and allocate work to colleagues throughout the department. Most users access the system infrequently to contribute their expertise as part of a response. For external requester/correspondent, I need assurance that I shall receive a cleared draft sent in an accessible format. Who Are the Users The hypotheses we would like to test are: AS AN expert user who manages correspondence I NEED to track, manage, monitor, assign, respond to correspondence SO THAT I can get the information I need to provide a timely response. AS THE correspondence team manager I NEED detailed metrics on our performance and visibility of items close to the deadline SO THAT I can manage the team’s workload ensuring we’re meeting our legal and political obligations. AS A response contributor I NEED to access, edit and collaborate with internal users on a response SO THAT our response is accurate and timely. Early Market Engagement None Work Already Done None to date. Existing Team The successful supplier will work closely with an MHCLG project manager (as service owner) from the Department's Ministerial Group. Current Phase Discovery Work Location We expect the successful supplier to work regularly with MHCLG in 2 Marsham Street, London. The supplier may work 1-2 days off site. MHCLG will not fund travel within London, but will fund necessary travel outside of London. Working Arrangments The supplier is expected to work onsite alongside existing teams for at least 3 days a week. We would prefer the team to be co-located in 2 Marsham Street but expect travel for user research and other activities. We expect the supplier to work using agile methodology. The supplier will also be expected to work openly. Security Clearance CTC or above is desirable as staff won’t need escorting on site. There is no requirement for supplier personnel to be security cleared. BPSS clearance will be required to access MHCLG's ICT systems. Please make it clear whether staff have CTC security clearance or not when submitting responses. Additional T&Cs All materials/outputs derived from the contract shall be the property of MHCLG. GDPR requirements shall be discussed and agreed with the preferred supplier at the appropriate time. Skills & Experience With examples, provide evidence of their experience of delivering discoveries in line within the Government Service Manual. With examples, provide evidence of their experience of recruiting users for research. With examples, provide evidence of their experience of delivering user-centred solutions to problems. With examples, provide evidence of their experience of conducting business analysis on an existing service. With examples, provide evidence of meeting skill requirements based on the anticipated composition of the team. Nice to Haves No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria Understanding user needs Approach and methodology Team structure Estimated timeframes for the work Technical solutions Cultural Fit Criteria Be transparent and collaborative when making decisions Challenge the status quo Care deeply about users Share knowledge and experience with other organisations Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Written proposal Case study Work history Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 45% Cultural fit 15% Price 40% Questions from Suppliers Budget range budget range for this requirement is between £35,000 to £50,000