MHCLG - Housing Complaints Resolution Service (Discovery)

Tender description

Summary of the work The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is looking to conduct a discovery into how users in the housing market experience access to redress for their housing complaints. Expected Contract Length 6-8 Weeks Latest start date Friday 20 March 2020 Budget Range £60,000 - £80,000 (VAT Inclusive) Why the Work is Being Done The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is looking to conduct a discovery into how users in the housing market experience access to redress for their housing complaints. Problem to Be Solved The current fragmented system of redress provision in housing has led to different levels of service and protection across different parts of the market and confusion about where to go to seek help. We would like this discovery phase work to further clarify the problem we are trying to solve, develop our understanding of the needs of users in different tenures when they are seeking redress, and inform how a new approach should be shaped to most effectively reduce confusion and simplify access. Who Are the Users All residents will need first to take the complaint through their respective housing service provider’s complaint process. If unresolved, all residents will then need to identify where to go in order to escalate their complaint for dispute resolution or adjudication and understand how they go about pursuing redress. Currently, the route will vary depending on the type of tenure and who is the other party in the dispute. Specific consumers include: • tenants of a social landlord • individuals applying for social housing or for help with homelessness • leaseholders living in a property where the freeholder does not employ a property agent. • a customer of an estate agent, both as a buyer or seller • a tenant of a private landlord • a buyer of a new build home Early Market Engagement Not Applicable Work Already Done The Housing Redress Team at MHCLG has conducted initial research. This includes a consultation in which we asked for views on the option of developing a single access point (or portal) for streamlining redress. In the response to Strengthening Consumer Redress in the Housing Market Government committed to working with redress schemes to develop a single user interface, simplifying access for consumers seeking redress. Government has also committed to addressing the gaps in access to redress through legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows and to developing better and more consistent standards of dispute resolution across all sectors of housing. Existing Team The successful supplier will liaise with an MHCLG project manager in the Department's Digital Directorate and will be expected to work closely with the Redress Reform Working Group and MHCLG Redress Reform team, reporting progress into a directorate project board. The supplier will also be required to engage with other departmental subject matter experts including policy leads for New Build, the Private Rented Sector, Leasehold Reform and Building Safety Current Phase Discovery Skills & Experience • Evidence of delivering to meet the Technology Code of Practice and the Government/Digital Service Standard • Experience of conducting user research • Experience of having delivered user-centred web-design • Evidence of meeting skill requirements based on the anticipated composition of the team Nice to Haves Provide evidence of delivering similar types of projects; Work Location All work will be delivered from the MHCLG office located at 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF. Travel/expenses to the primary site in 2 Marsham Street cannot be reimbursed by MHCLG. 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. Expenses shall be paid for all travel outside the M25 area. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria • Understanding of user needs • Approach and methodology • Team structure • Timescales to deliver the project • Technical solution • Flexible approach from supplier • Evidence of arranging and managing participants, ensuring their attendance at the research Cultural Fit Criteria • Provide details (with specific examples) of where you have worked with Public Sector organisations • Demonstrate (with specific examples) how you work with internal and external stakeholders, especially vulnerable individuals. • Demonstrate (with specific examples) how you take responsibility for delivering to clients requirements • Explain (with specific examples) how you are able to manage difficult stakeholders Payment Approach Time and materials Assessment Method • Case study • Work history • Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 45% Cultural fit 15% Price 40% Questions from Suppliers 1. For companies that are not based in London would there be potential for video conferencing to be used to keep costs of travel/stay down instead of 3 days on-site per week? We would prefer for the teams to be co-located during the majority of the delivery. However video conferencing could be used on occasions. 2. Could you clarify whether SC is an acceptable alternative to CTC clearance? Yes 3. Does MHCLG support an "Ask it Once" policy with suppliers to reduce the compliance burden related to pre-qualification? If so, will public.tiscreport.org be used for non-financial compliance checks (payment practices reporting, modern slavery act, gender pay gap etc) for this tender? Internal compliance checks shall be carried out at the appropriate stage to ensure suppliers viable for this procurement. 4. Does Hackney Council support an "Ask it Once" policy with suppliers to reduce the compliance burden related to pre-qualification? If so, will public.tiscreport.org be used for non-financial compliance checks (payment practices reporting, modern slavery act, gender pay gap etc) for this tender? Please see our response to Question 3. 5. Looking at the likely activities required in this phase, aside from the first and final week or fortnight, we anticipate most of our team would work primarily from our offices to optimise our time to deliver.We would, however, implement effective collaboration platforms to enable the team and MHCLG colleagues to work together and communicate on a daily basis.Subject to further detail in our proposal (if shortlisted), might this arrangement be acceptable? Please see our response to Question 1. 6. Initial research is mentioned in the requirement. Would suppliers have access to this research at the supplier presentation stage. Consultation on strengthening consumer address. A link to this document is attached (below). https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/773161/Strengthening_Consumer_Redress_in_the_Housing_Market_Response.pdf 7. You ask for delivered centred web design in your requirements – Is this a Developer or someone to help develop website. What do you mean by this? We would not expect any developer time included within this Discovery. We expect the successful supplier to investigate the problem, identify user needs and opportunities for improvement. This follows Service Manual guidance on the discovery phase (https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/agile-delivery/how-the-discovery-phase-works). 8. Is there any particular technology related to user research? No, not in terms of how research is conducted or recorded. 9. Focus Groups already set up or will these be set up? These will need to be set up. MHCLG has links with many key stakeholders and some user groups. We’re also content for user research recruitment agencies to be used. 10. Shape and size of MHCLG team – could you outline? The MHCLG Housing Redress policy team will act as the service owner and have daily contact with the discovery team. MHCLG Digital will provide support and oversight of the discovery work. 11. Team done this project before? If so, what was good and what need developing? The MHCLG Housing Redress policy team have not. However, MHCLG Digital have supported a number of DOS discovery projects. We’ve found co-located teams work best as they bring expertise into the department, which policy and digital are able to work with and learn from. 12. Length of contract – finished and completed by then – future work within this. This procurement is for the discovery phase only. We’ll use the findings of the discovery to help us understand what next steps to take. Possibilities include: no further work needed; no digital service needed; or the creation of a new digital service through alpha and beta stages. 13. With the requirement being centred around housing, do suppliers need to have a definitive housing background? No. The key aspect to this Discovery is to understand how consumers experience the housing redress ecosystem.