Find support services website and associated database and API

Tender description

Summary of the work Develop a database, API, admin interface and Wordpress site based on the open source Hackney theme. Expected Contract Length 2 months Latest start date Wednesday 1 July 2020 Budget Range £80,000 + VAT Why the Work is Being Done Our aim is to signpost residents or those helping them (eg community navigators, customer service agents, frontline health and care staff) to a range of voluntary and community organisations that offer services, support and activities in their area that could be of benefit to them. The model we are following will allow organisations to update their own listings with light administrative oversight. The public-facing website will showcase the organisations listed and allow visitors to find the services they need easily. An existing 'directory of services' is likely being phased out within 12 months, however, we would like this new service to be live much earlier so that we can capitalise on the interest already generated in the beta version launched during Covid-19. Problem to Be Solved Existing directories of local health and care services are neither comprehensive nor up to date and are therefore not used extensively by residents or community navigators. We want to design a solution that enables organisations to keep their own listing information up to date, thus minimising overhead on the Council and empowering organisations to maintain relevance. There will need to be an element of validation by the Council to ensure requests to be included are suitable and bone fide. Existing 'directories' are out of date, however, staff sometimes create their own directories or crib sheets because they still need this information, resulting in silos and duplication of effort. This contributes to some organisations being over-subscribed while others are below capacity. Consequently, waiting lists grow and stress increases as residents go without help for longer. By creating an intuitive, user-friendly engaging front-end to the database, it is our hypothesis also that residents will feel more inclined to seek out support themselves and not have to rely on a third party. Who Are the Users There are three key users; - front-end users searching for information (eg residents, GPs) - back-end users submitting information (ie voluntary organisations) - content managers who are managing the information (eg Council admin) See doc here for full list of user needs: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x7Y2_Dyz6VXpFcv-DgB00TM9hjvp49TV-QUfhNWnoXw/edit?usp=sharing Early Market Engagement As this is a live service already, we have been contacting organisations to make sure they are submitting requests to be included in the service. We have been also engaging heavily with customer service agents, community navigators, GPs, wider frontline health and care workers and resident to make sure the service is publicised and used. Work Already Done A beta version is live that utilises a spreadsheet to power a map/list using a template provided by our GIS team. The map sits on a page within the Hackney website. This work was brought forward by Covid-19 and relies on organisations submitting a request for inclusion via a Google Form. Council staff verify the organisation and then manually transfer the information to a Google Sheet. Staff ring organisations to ensure information remains up to date. Find support services: https://hackney.gov.uk/find-support-services Google form: https://forms.gle/uoTEKEsJ6BrR3okx7 Existing Team 1x Delivery Manager 1x Product Owner 2x Content Editors/ Verifiers 1x User Researcher 2x GIS Team Leads with occasional front-end development assistance Current Phase Beta Skills & Experience • be able to create an API to Hackney standards • be able to architect a database • be familiar with Wordpress themes, plugins and standards • have experience of coding to accessibility standards • understand a DevOps approach • have front-end development skills including hmtl, js and react • have experience of Agile practices and development • be able to design an accessible and user-friendly interface Nice to Haves be familiar with GOV.UK design patterns Work Location Virtually (via G Suite) during lockdown and then at Hackney Council offices, 1 Hillman Street, E8 1DY Working Arrangments We expect the team to: - fit into our existing way of working, - share expertise and knowledge with the core project team, - operate within open source principles - document the work taking place We are delivering the programme using agile principles including: - Daily standups (30 mins, 5 days pw), - We communicate via Trello, Slack and Hangouts, document everything on G Suite - attend one GDS service assessment - Schedule and participate in agile ceremonies (sprint planning, sprints, retros) - Participate in regular weeknotes and show & tells No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • How the approach or solution meets user needs • Estimated timeframes for the work • Team structure • Technical solution Cultural Fit Criteria • Be transparent and collaborative when making decisions • Share knowledge and experience with other team members • Work as a team with our organisation and other suppliers • Follow the HackIT manifesto (on HackIT website) Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method • Case study • Work history • Reference Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 20% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers 1. All of the questions and answers are on this document. Please see https://docs.google.com/document/d/13OuKv5-K7gfS_UmMdiHlzdcWWCHVyQk4quKnTZcl75Q/edit?usp=sharing for questions and answers