WP1828: Global Digital Marketplace alpha - implementing open contracting data in procurement systems

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done Discovery work was undertaken between February and June 2019 to understand the maturity of in-scope governments (national and sub-national) in terms of Open Contracting Data. The discovery identified opportunities and gaps, which have been reviewed with in-country stakeholders to define specific opportunities to support the implementation of the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) in procurement systems. Opportunities to provide strategic and technical support to OCDS implementation in new and existing procurement platforms are emerging and we expect this piece of work to include up to 8 stakeholders (national and subnational) across 4 countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico and South Africa). Problem to Be Solved The Open Data Barometer Global Report fourth edition found that data needed for civil society to hold governments to account (e.g. data on budget/spending/contracting/company registers) is often: - missing - hard to find - highly opaque - the least open - not machine-readable Although governments’ procurement and contracting data may be available online, poor data quality makes it hard to use and derive value from. The Barometer found that for contract data available online, quality on implementation was relatively low: - 12% available for bulk download - 16% open-licensed - 28% machine-readable The implementation of the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS) in transactional procurement systems is crucial to address this gap in data availability, quality and interoperability. In the discovery on other nations’ open contracting data capabilities, we found that for 4 of the 5 countries currently in scope for the programme, the publication level of their procurement data to OCDS is basic, with one in-scope country being intermediate, while their rating according to the Open Contracting Partnership’s 5-star approach varied between 1 and 3 stars. Who Are the Users As a citizen, I need to know my government is being fair, open, transparent when deciding how taxpayers’ money should be spent, so that I trust they’re delivering better public services. As a supplier to government, I need to know that buyers are evaluating me fairly and without discrimination during procurements, so that I trust they’re stimulating competitive markets. As a researcher or journalist, I need to easily analyse bulk datasets on government procurement and contracting, so that I can hold institutions to account for decisions that affect public spending. Early Market Engagement Please see the following document for general background information regarding the Global Digital Marketplace Programme: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YctSv-mjbY9gTZyNLu5IMtklFNJz8iiE7Nx8AzxD3WA/edit GDS engaged with the market in August 2019, details of which (including what was discussed) have been published as a GDS blog post titled ‘Engaging UK suppliers in the Global Digital Marketplace Programme alpha phase’ https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2019/08/12/engaging-uk-suppliers-in-the-global-digital-marketplace-programme-alpha-phase/ Work Already Done Discovery work was undertaken between February and June 2019 to understand the maturity of in-scope governments (national and sub-national) in terms of Open Contracting Data. Deliverables included an OCDS Alignment Report that shows how aligned each of the in-scope country’s procurement systems are to the Open Contracting Data Standard (OCDS). It shows where OCDS will be effective and where gaps might lie. Existing Team The core Global Digital Marketplace team consists of: - Director - Head of Delivery - Head of Product - Head of Business Ops - Regional Product Managers - Regional Delivery Managers - Skills and Capabilities Lead - Standards and Assurance Lead - Subnational Government and Technology Sector Engagement Lead - Commercial Expert The successful supplier will also be expected to align and where appropriate collaborate with other suppliers for the programme, commissioned under WP1823 (discovery of national and subnational governments) and WP1824 (ICT commissioning guidelines and associated KPIs), as advertised on the Digital Marketplace. Current Phase Alpha Work Location Address where the work will take place - The Government Digital Service is based in the White Chapel Building, 10 Whitechapel High Street, London, E1 8QS. The supplier will be able to work remotely and will not have to be based in this office as the work will require international travel. Working Arrangments As these outcomes are likely to be achieved by providing strategic and technical support to national and sub-national governments across the world, GDS anticipates that this work will be predominantly carried out remotely. Some in-country visits may be required. Expenses will be capped at the Cabinet Office subsistence guidance for international travel. GDS will share with the successful supplier, details of in-country stakeholders from national and subnational governments and non-government organisations, as well as findings from our discovery work. Any contact with the GDS team will take place remotely or at the White Chapel Building. Security Clearance Security Check (SC) minimum Additional T&Cs "All expenses must be pre-agreed with between the parties and must comply with the Cabinet Office (CO) Travel and Subsistence (T&S) Policy." "All vendors are obliged to provide sufficient guarantees to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures so that the processing meets the requirements of GDPR and ensures the protection of the rights of data subjects. For further information please see the Information Commissioner's Office website:https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-reform/overview-of-the-gdpr/" Skills & Experience Have an in-depth understanding of open data standards in government contexts (e.g. supporting more open and transparent government, the benefits case, civil society use cases, etc) Have an in-depth understanding of open data principles and research, user-centred research, and associated methods, tools and techniques that support these Have technical knowledge to support the implementation of the Open Contracting Data Standard in digital procurement systems Ability to communicate with stakeholders clearly and regularly, and advocate for user needs and content design principles Experience working with civil society organisations or non-government organisations to advocate open data standards, open government, or government transparency and integrity Experience working with a diverse international audience Nice to Haves Experience of developing services that align to the Government Design Principles, Digital Service Standard and Service Manual Experience working with local or national governments No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria Technical expertise Delivery approach and methodology Supplier innovation Strong stakeholder engagement and outcomes Value for money Team structure Estimated timeframes for the work Cultural Fit Criteria Collaborates closely with colleagues to meet user needs Transparent and collaborative when making decisions Works with GDS in a self-starting fashion Has policies, procedures or working practices and ethos that supports gender equality and social inclusion Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 10% Price 30% Questions from Suppliers No questions have been answered yet Budget range £237,058+ vat (expenses budget is excluded from this figure) as this contract spans two financial reporting years, the successful supplier is requested to invoice up to £182,640 including vat and all travel expenses incurred, before the end of the 2019/20 financial year. this forecasted figure may be updated when the call-off contract is finalised.