Ref KR1923 - Renewable Electricity Register (RER) Re-Write

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done Ofgem administers government renewable energy support schemes, including the Renewables Obligation (RO), Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin (REGO) and large scale Feed-in Tariff (ROOFIT). The existing IT system used to administer the RO, REGO and ROOFIT schemes was developed in 2006, and is therefore a legacy system. This work is to create a replacement system, delivering functional and non-functional improvements using modern product design principles. It needs to be robust and include auxiliary processes currently undertaken outside of the system. Problem to Be Solved The existing legacy system uses old technology stacks, some of which are in the end of life phase. High costs and resources are required in the support, updating and maintenance of the system, which are unsustainable. Many additional processes involved in the administration of the schemes are conducted outside of the system, via Excel or similar, which should be integrated into the replacement system. In addition, the user interface is clunky and not intuitive, and whilst the system allows Ofgem to administer the schemes correctly, the user experience is not positive. Who Are the Users External users include: • owners and operators of renewable energy installations (wind farms, hydro-dams, solar arrays), submitting and amending applications for accreditation and supporting data and evidence • agents of domestic participants • portfolio asset operators • electricity suppliers, submitting overall supply volumes and interacting with Ofgem regarding compliance with certain obligations • trade associations involved in renewables sector Internal users include staff: • reviewing and approving/rejecting applications/amendments • reviewing data submissions from external users • analysing statistics and data for audit and counter fraud purposes • capturing metrics for reporting • analysing late, erroneous, or suspect data Early Market Engagement No early market engagement has been carried out. Work Already Done Preliminary stages of the discovery phase have been completed, with high-level internal user requirements captured, and core user needs identified. User research will begin shortly, and we are expecting that a large amount of this research will have been completed by the start of this contract. Ofgem has administered these schemes since 2002, and therefore the relevant legislative frameworks are well known and documented internally, and the existing (legacy) system is in place as a benchmark to work from. Existing Team The existing internal team comprises; • Project Manager • Assistant Project Manager • Product Manager • Junior Product Manager • User Researcher (May – July 2019) This team will be joined by flexible resource to be allocated to the project as and when required; • Business Analyst • Tech lead • Developer x2 • QA tester • Lead Product Manager The team will be assisted by subject matter experts from the wider team, largely within the business, but also with technical expertise. The team is supported by a Senior Reporting Officer, senior management structure, and project steering group. Current Phase Discovery Work Location Ofgem: 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London E14 4PU or Commonwealth House, 32 Albion Street, Glasgow G1 1LH Working Arrangments The chosen supplier will work closely (co-located) with the Ofgem project team, Monday-Friday usual office hours, in either London or Glasgow as the project team are based cross-location. Working arrangements are relatively flexible, with the ability to work from home, or remotely on occasion and when appropriate. The project will use agile methodology: daily stand-ups, sprint planning, sprints, demos, retrospectives. The supplier will take a lead by being a role model in agile ways of working, and invest time in knowledge sharing and coaching to increase the capability of the Ofgem development team. Security Clearance Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance required. Additional T&Cs Ofgem shall have the right to terminate the Contract at any time, by giving 4 weeks written notice to the Supplier, and Ofgem’s liability thereto shall be for costs reasonably incurred by the Supplier up until the termination date. There will be a formal Break point at the end of each significant stage. All new ipr associated with the new Products/services or developed as a result of the Contract shall vest in the Authority. The Contractor shall define the terms under which any 3rd Party products are purchased and retained by the Authority. Skills & Experience Be capable of delivering the system rewrite using a multidisciplinary Agile team have a proven track record of delivery meeting GDS Service Standards Provide an example of database and web portal design and development that has led to proven improvements in one or more of: user engagement; user satisfaction; efficiencies; data security Provide an example using rapid development of prototypes created iteratively via user testing - based on Discovery findings to meet user needs demonstrate user research approaches alongside analysis of existing research to ensure the project meets the needs of all users Provide an example of your preferred approach to working in a co-sourced, cross-location delivery arrangement Demonstrate experience of up-skilling, coaching and knowledge transfer to team members, including internal staff to build capability within existing teams Provide evidence of managing similar scale data migration exercises successfully Demonstrate with example/s, experience of delivering projects of a similar type and scale to similar timescales Provide an example showing experience in delivering within a similar government environment Demonstrate the impact and effectiveness of their diversity and inclusion policies Demonstrate approach to continuous improvement Identify relevant quality standards and/or tests for a project of this nature Nice to Haves Demonstrate experience of developing automated tests, to reduce the need for manual testing Manage and proactively engage with complex internal stakeholder relationships to support digital transformation No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 6 Proposal Criteria Approach, methodology and timeline, taking into account user research, service design, system design, testing, and GDS alpha and beta assessment Identification of risks, dependencies, and offered approaches to manage them Approach to taking on our existing technical architecture, code base and technical recommendations How the approach or solution will meet user needs Approach to data migration from existing system to new system, and understanding of risks involved Relevant HM Government experience Team structure, including roles, resourcing levels, responsibility and availability Skills and experience of the team Approach to knowledge transfer Value for money and commercial risk Cultural Fit Criteria Demonstrate approach to engaging with internal senior stakeholders Demonstrate transparent, collaborative approach to work, sharing this with the project team and seeking actionable feedback Previous work in a co-located environment with a large number of stakeholders Take responsibility to challenge the status quo Seek to find improvements in all aspects of your work, including system design and processes Evidence your work with clients of different levels of technical expertise Work well in an Agile team, adhering to sprint ceremonies, and working collaboratively with teams outside of your immediate remit Have a demonstrable and effective approach to diversity and inclusion Have a demonstrable and effective approach to the contract management function Payment Approach Fixed price Assessment Method Written proposal Case study Work history Reference Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 50% Cultural fit 20% Price 30% Questions from Suppliers Budget range the budget range is £750k to a maximum budget ceiling of £1.1m. there is great pressure on ofgem to minimise and reduce expenditure, so demonstration of continuous improvement, optimisation and savings targets will be highly considered against each evaluation criterion.