National Leadership Centre Data Catalyst

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done This is a combined data-discovery-and-alpha for the National Leadership Centre, which supports the most senior leaders across the public sector to work together to improve public services. The discovery (six-to-eight weeks, complete by November 2019) will map available data about public service leadership, identify gaps, and set out ways to bring it together as a service that include data access options. The alpha (three months, complete by end of March 2020) will develop multiple prototypes for a service using the data identified during discovery. An independent panel will help assess which prototypes proceed to beta products, to be procured separately. Problem to Be Solved We are seeking to understand the impact of public sector leaders on productivity and outcomes, but lack a comprehensive picture of data describing this. Whilst products such as the Institute for Government's Whitehall Monitor cover some aspects of civil service leadership, data about leadership across the wider public service landscape is not brought together in a similar way, making it hard to visualise, analyse or identify gaps in it. We want to test the assumption that bringing this data together using service design principles could help deliver actionable insights into the links between leadership and performance of public services. Who Are the Users “As a research expert, I need to know what data exists about public service leadership, so that I can analyse the relationship between leadership and effective public services.” “As an independent evaluation expert, I need to know what data exists about leadership of public services, so that I can design a robust evaluation of the National Leadership Centre.” “As a data specialist in the National Leadership Centre, I need to identify the strengths and gaps in data about public service leadership, to inform our own research and evaluation activities, and help prioritise what additional data collection and research to commission.” Early Market Engagement We know that data about public service leadership exists through channels such as: Within central government: People survey 360* feedback on SCS Wider public sector SOLACE Independent sources Whitehall Monitor International Civil Service Effectiveness (InCiSE) Index But this is an incomplete picture, with many public service organisations not represented, and gaps between and within these datasets. This discovery should build on and develop this landscape. Further, experience from other data-driven products in and around the public sector suggests we should bring data together through automated pipelines, and use service design principles to inform both the front-end and data infrastructure. This discovery-and-alpha should test this assumption. Work Already Done Existing Team The supplier will work with the Research and Evaluation Team at the National Leadership Centre, comprising: Head of Research and Evaluation Senior Data Advisor Research Associate We expect the supplier to collaborate with our team, and with relevant data experts across the public sector and in research institutions, whether as sub-contractors or in partnership. Current Phase Discovery Work Location The National Leadership Centre is based in London, with an office in Manchester. But we are keen to encourage suppliers from across the country so would welcome remote working. Working Arrangments We work in the open, using collaborative tools such as Google Docs and Trello - this helps ensure our work is visible to colleagues and partners. We are relatively flexible with the choice of tools but will expect suppliers to work openly and in collaboration with us, and with partners in academia and business. We expect the supplier to break up the project into sprints of an appropriate length. We are flexible about the cadence of planning meetings and retrospectives, but would expect regular check-ins during each sprint. Security Clearance We may require members of the supplier's team - and any sub-contractors - that directly handle sensitive data to have or be able to obtain SC security clearance. This is only likely to be during alpha. Additional T&Cs All data, analysis and insight from the project must be made available for onward use in research and evaluation - using open standards and accessible repositories. Appropriate safeguards must be in place to protect sensitive data, to be agreed with the Buyer. Skills & Experience Have experience conducting agile discoveries Have experience creating digital prototypes Have experience of working with data and people from central and local government, and the wider public sector Have an understanding of data infrastructure and data standards - and/or be able to collaborate with those who do Have experience of creating interactive digital products such as maps and data visualisations Nice to Haves Show evidence of collaborating with data experts in the public and academic sectors Have experience of working with data about leadership and organisational productivity, especially in the public sector No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria Technical approach Methods How you will define and meet user needs How you will balance user needs with the goals of the National Leadership Centre Estimated timeframes for delivering Discovery and Alpha phases, and approximate 'sprint' length in each Approach to risk management and to escalating and resolving blockers Team composition and structure Value for money Approach to ethics, sustainability, diversity and inclusion Cultural Fit Criteria Work in partnership with our team and with other collaborators Work in the open - publicly where possible, or openly within our team Be open to failure by learning from mistakes in a no-blame culture Share knowledge, skills and experience with other team members, training others in new skills where appropriate Challenge us when things don't look or feel right Work with diverse stakeholders with a range of technical skills, risk appetite and working cultures Be user-centred, and systems-oriented - understand how user needs fit with the wider system Be innovative, offering new ways of working and novel approaches to problems Co-create solutions, with our team and wider partners Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Written proposal Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 55% Cultural fit 15% Price 30% Questions from Suppliers Budget range up to £150,000