Content design and strategy capability

Tender description

Summary of the work We are looking for Content Design and Delivery Management capability, to work alongside our in-house digital team, to deliver content that meets user needs. The contract will support gaps across the digital team until March 2022 with a possibility of some further work until March 2023. Expected Contract Length 18 months with a possible extension 6 months Latest start date Monday 1 November 2021 Budget Range The indicative budget against the requirements for this capability being £100,000 (excluding VAT). Scope could expand or contract. Each Statement of Work will outline the work and budget, suppliers will need to provide costs to enable tracking. Natural Resources Wales do not commit to a minimum spend at this point but do commit to a maximum spend of £200,000. Why the Work is Being Done We are looking for Content Design and Delivery Management capability, to work alongside our in-house digital team, to deliver content that meets user needs. The contract will support gaps across the digital team until March 2022 with a possibility of some further work until March 2023. Problem to Be Solved We have several Content Designers in the team, but we are looking for extra capacity, to help us accelerate the creation of better content, and embed better content practice in the organisation. We are also likely to need a Delivery Manager to help manage the work. Statements of Work will specify outcomes and problems to be solved An example of a potential problem to be solved is creating new content for the forestry section of our website. There are several needs underpinning this: increasing woodland creation in Wales and working with partners. Another problem area could be to help present data and evidence to the public and specialist audiences in an accessible way. Who Are the Users Audiences will vary by problem/outcome, but our core audiences tend to be: schools, businesses, landowners, farmers, policy specialists. One example of what these users need to do is find the information they need to be able to plant trees – as an individual, as a large-scale business, or policy maker. Work Already Done • We have started to embed content design as a discipline in the organisation. • Work done with a previous supplier (March 2021) to review current ways of working and a produce a draft content strategy and recommendations we wish to build on. • A deep dive with a broad range of stakeholders involved in providing information on planting trees. • Produced and published data and evidence as interactive reports. Existing Team You will work with our in-house content designer, user researcher and policy teams. The successful supplier may be expected to collaborate or work with other suppliers who are providing capabilities as part of a team. Current Phase Live Skills & Experience • Demonstrate your experience in researching user needs around content and accessibility. • Demonstrate your experience of creating user-focused content that supports needs, journeys and behaviours of users. • Proven content design experience and paired/collaborative writing experience. • Demonstrate experience of analytics and evaluation, including the use of Google Analytics and interpreting relevant data. • Demonstrate evidence of developing content that includes displaying designing data, charts and interactive content as part of a user journey. • Experience of working in partnership with both in-house teams and other suppliers to achieve a shared outcome • Demonstrate an understanding of the public sector accessibility regulations. • Recent examples of delivery managing content discoveries • Proven experience using a range of agile tools and techniques • Demonstrable experience of challenging and removing barriers to content design • Demonstrable negotiation skills Nice to Haves • Professional-level fluency in Welsh language • Demonstrable experience of working in the open • Demonstrable experience of working in the Welsh Public Sector Work Location For the duration of restrictions on movement due to COVID-19, all teams are expected to work and collaborate remotely Working Arrangments A Statement of Work will be completed, which will identify expected working arrangements, and outline the outcomes and deliverables expected for each engagement. Expenses will not form part of the cost unless the Statement of Work specifies non-remote working (e.g. for user research activity). Security Clearance Natural Resources Wales requires all supplier staff to have baseline personnel security standard clearance (BPSS). There may be a requirement for some of the work to require security clearance checks, where this is needed it will be detailed in the Statement of Work. Additional T&Cs For each Statement of Work issued under this contract, the supplier is obligated to undertake the relevant security and criminal checks as determined by Natural Resources Wales, with the Buyer having sole discretion over the acceptance of Supplier Staff who will be performing the activities in the Statement of Work. Suppliers must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) May 2018; the Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018, the Law Enforcement Directive and any subsequent amendments/changes to date. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Your proposed team and their roles [this must be the team that attends the interview] • Your proposed approach and timelines • Your approach to capturing user needs and content design • How you will manage a complex communications and engagement environment • How you will create understanding and alignment with senior leaders and stakeholders • Your understanding of the Welsh political and social landscape • Risks, dependencies and mitigations Cultural Fit Criteria • Working as a team with our organisation and other suppliers • Being transparent and collaborative when making decisions • Sharing your work frequently, openly, honestly • Challenging the status quo and preconceptions • Provide evidence of your company's approach to diversity and inclusion • Experience of collaboration with multiple organisational stakeholders with the aim to achieve a single objective. • Experience of transferring knowledge to permanent staff within a client organisation. • Evidence of integrating into a partner organisation's existing ways of working ensuring a healthy working culture. Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method • Case study • Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 20% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers 1. Can I clarify what you mean by this ‘Evidence of Demonstrable experience of working in the open’ – are you referring to examples where we have delivered or produced work outdoors? We’re looking of examples of communicating in the open (with users and a wider audience) about teams are doing and learning when developing a service. More info in the Digital Service Standards - Digital Public Service Wales (gov.wales) 2. How do you anticipate the capability to be fulfilled, I.e. a full-time content strategist and a full-time delivery manager, or part-time or ad-hoc support? It may differ, depending on the specifics of the work package. There may be times we’ll need a full time content designer, and a full-time delivery manager and other times that part time. 3. Is NRW working to GDS standards? NRW are looking to start working to the new Digital Service Standards - Digital Public Service Wales (gov.wales) 4. Is content produced in English and translated to Welsh as a separate process? This is currently the practice. But we’re keen to look at developing Welsh content earlier, so that content design principles are also considered when developing content in Welsh. 5. Has any accessibility testing been done to date? Yes. We have carried out full-site tests, and do some testing in house on an on-going bases. We published a statement, and update on our work on accessibility. Natural Resources Wales / Accessibility improvements 6. Do you have a content management system in place, if so is it bespoke or off-the-shelf (which one if the is the case)? Yes. We have Umbraco CMS 7. How do you currently measure the effectiveness of NRW website? We use analytical and feedback tools on the site, and look at customer calls and email data and set up interviews with users when required. 8. Is content produced in English and translated to Welsh as a separate process? This is currently the practice. But we’re keen to look at developing Welsh content earlier, so that content design principles are also considered when developing content in Welsh. 9. Do you have a content management system in place, if so is it bespoke or off-the-shelf (which one if the is the case)? Yes. Umbraco CMS