Dynamics Development Service - DfE

Tender description

Summary of the work Dynamics 365 delivery capability from Discovery to live Beta. With flexibility on delivery options to allow the delivery route to be chosen, either embedded within an internal delivery team or providing the full delivery capability. The requirement is open to both inside and outside IR35 suppliers. Expected Contract Length 1yr + (Potential 12months Extension) Latest start date Tuesday 15 February 2022 Budget Range Up to £1.2 million PA Why the Work is Being Done DfE is looking for a Dynamics 365 partner to work with the Infrastructure and Platform (IP) division to put in place a contract that can call off Dynamics technical and delivery capability to deliver Agile, Government Digital service (GDS) aligned services through: Discovery, Alpha and Beta phases. We need capacity from suppliers that is both inside and outside IR35 to increase delivery capacity as embedded developers within internal teams or deliver whole solutions independently depending on the project requirements and timescales. Microsoft Dynamics is the Departments strategic technology choice for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) functionality. Over the last 4yrs we have moved most of the Departments CRM’s into the D365 Microsoft Dynamics SaaS solution. We have 25 D365 systems within the Department. There have been various programmes of work to ensure a standardised technology which should allow the sharing of data across systems utilising the same platform. SDT within IP division supports 11 separate CRM applications across a wide range of business areas and technologies including Apprenticeships, Schools Capital, STA and Department for Education. This contract is mainly to work with the SDT, but there may be requirements to work with other teams within the Department following the same principles Problem to Be Solved The Solution Delivery Team have taken over support for a number of applications of various size and complexities. They are supported by SDT as a team, and we also have a wider Community of Practise (CoP) looking at how we align standards across the Department. What we need from a partner is the ability to work with The Department, to follow our standards to build larger changes, and/or full systems / products. This could involve providing a full team, or having a technical staff member embedded into our existing delivery teams to increase capacity and our ability to deliver. Who Are the Users A large number of internal staff use our CRMs. There are also various external users of these systems. Including school leaders, school administrative staff, local authorities and Multi-academy Trust leads. Who access these systems for allocations to grants and funding. Apprenticeships Services providers who are engaging with the Department Early Market Engagement N/A Work Already Done These Dynamics systems are at various levels of maturity and need substantial development or additional functions. We do also occasionally have new systems where we will follow a discovery phase before build. Existing Team We have an existing team in place who support, build and deliver Dynamics systems from start to finish. Using an Agile methodologies and aligning services to GDS service design. For projects where we are adding capacity to the SDT we will provide the TA, BA, DM, PM and some development capacity. For a project being delivered by the supplier in full, there will be single point of contact from a Product Manager, Technical Architect and Lead Developer but a full delivery team will be provided by the supplier, to be agreed when we kick off the project. Current Phase Live Skills & Experience • Agile delivery capability- experience of agile working, work with internal teams to prioritise work, create product backlogs, backlogs, sprint plans, leading / contribute to agile ceremonies as required. • Experience of working with product owners and internal delivery teams to build, test and deliver quality Dynamics solutions. Working with and feeding into internal communities of practise. • Microsoft Gold Partner with experience of Microsoft products and solutions that support the delivery of D365 solutions. Including Azure, Azure Dev-Ops, Power platform and SharePoint online. • Experience of developing secure MS Dynamics 365 solutions in an enterprise environment • Experience gathering technical and user requirements through workshops and other methods. Creating user stories and working within a defined and agreed set of standards • Experience of building test strategies that align with internal standards utilising industry best practise. • Proven capability of delivering against the GDS service standards (or equivalent standards) where required Nice to Haves • Demonstrable evidence of incorporating latest technologies to enhance product specifications, resulting in increased functionality and improved user experience • Demonstrate a level of value added where they have worked with internal teams to help improve services and systems • Capable and happy to mentor and develop the technical skillset of the internal team and to handover activities as required. Work Location Manchester, Coventry, Sheffield and Nottingham (covering areas in North West England, Yorkshire and Humber, East Midlands, West Midlands and well as Remote Working) Working Arrangments This requirements will be a 5 day week Monday to Friday. Statements of work will help us to outline specifics about each engagement but they should follow similar structures. There will be engagement with the central development teams, an delivery will done via a Kanban or Agile structure. Whatever the delivery method we will expect attendance at the standard Agile ceremonies, which will be overseen by the Teams DM and PM. We also expect fully supplier led teams to be run in an agile or Kanban structure. Security Clearance The level of clearance for this requirement is an Enhanced DBS and BPSS, suppliers who do not currently have this will be expected have this upon contract start. (currently standard within ESFA). Suppliers will complete a Security Questionnaire to ensure they meet DfE standards e.g. cyber essentials Additional T&Cs Standard Framework and Call Off Terms and Conditions apply. Expenses must be pre-agreed and comply with DfE standard Travel and Subsistence policy. Primary work location stated in SoW will not attract expenses. Contract and Vendor Management will form a key part of governance. Suppliers will be expected to co-operate in a manner that fosters healthy working relationships and quality delivery. Suppliers must provide sufficient guarantees to meet GDPR requirements in line with Procurement Policy Note 03/17 Changes to Data Protection Legislation & GDPR No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Overall approach to Delivery Management including Agile delivery methodologies and multidisciplinary team working. • Dynamics 365 capacity and capability showing ability to follow guidelines and challenge where appropriate. • Proven delivery of D365 work, and ability to show best practise in their D365 delivery, focusing on effective calls on using out of the box and bespoke functions. • Commitment to security best practise and government standards • Evidence of delivery to GDS service standards or equivalent standards in other sectors. Cultural Fit Criteria • Having a delivery focus while supporting a growth culture • A culture of sharing best practise, challenging how things are done • Transparent decision making in all parts of delivery • Be willing to be flexible and build positive working relationships with the internals teams • How will your organisation support educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications. (e.g. Apprenticeships, Industry placements, Traineeships etc) (5%) • Describe how your organisation encourages diverse representation of under-represented groups in the workforce, e.g. Women, Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic, Disabled, LGBTQ and how you monitor and measure this (5%) Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method • Case study • Work history • Reference • Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 40% Cultural fit 20% Price 40% Questions from Suppliers 1. Who from your team will be scoring applications for this opportunity and what positions do they hold? Product Manager, Lead Dynamics Developer, Delivery team Lead from the incumbent delivery team and IT System Lead from one of our Dynamics systems. 2. Who is the incumbent and how long they have been the incumbent? The systems are supported by an in house team. The original programme was delivered by a team of contractors based within the Department. 3. 1. Can you please provide an anticipated timeline for this procurement that includes dates for:• Shortlisting Notification for Stage 2• Submission Deadline for Stage 2• Presentation2. Award Notification Advert 03/11/2021 – 17/12/2021Sift & Moderation by 06/01/2022Notify suppliers (in or out of shortlist/ invitation to stage 2) by 10/01/2022Proposal received from suppliers for stage 2 by 17/01/2022Interview & presentation Week Commencing 24/01/2022Moderation by 27/01/2022Preferred Supplier approval by Commercial Approval Board by 03/02/2022Notify suppliers by 07/02/2022Contract start date by 15/02/2022 4. Can you confirm if shortlisted suppliers will have the opportunity to present? Yes 5. 1) Please confirm who the evaluation will be (names and job titles).2) Is there already an incumbent supplier providing these services? If so, who are they, and how long have they been providing the services to you? 1) Product Manager, Lead Dynamics Developer, Delivery team Lead from the incumbent delivery team and IT System Lead from one of our Dynamics systems. Sorry we cannot provide names at this point in the process2) The systems are supported by an in house team. The original programme was delivered by a team of contractors based within the Department. 6. With reference to the capability questions will you accept a single client scenario, as per DOS guidelines, OR in 100 words, multiple client scenarios as proof of the depth of capability and experience? Whatever you feel best represents your organisations capability and experience. 7. Does the team need to be wholly based out of the UK or are you open to a nearshore setup ? Yes the team should to be based wholly in UK 8. Do you have an idea about the numbers per role for the target team ? Will depend entirely on what projects come up. It could be a couple of developers embedded within an internal delivery or a full scrum team to deliver a GDS compliant product.