Pre Employment Management Platform - Discovery

Tender description

Summary of the work HEE Widening Access and Participation Team require a discovery to understand how under 18's access pre-employment opportunities, work experience and work-related learning in the NHS with particular focus on user research, mapping user journey's and user story requirements from each user groups perspective Expected Contract Length 6-8 Weeks Latest start date Monday 26 September 2022 Budget Range The maximum financial envelope for this procurement is £100,000.00 (Inclusive of VAT) Any bids received above this amount will be rejected. Why the Work is Being Done "In September 2020, Health Education England (HEE) undertook a discovery to explore the NHS work experience landscape, and this resulted in The HEE Future of HealthCare Work Experience: Discovery Report (2021). This discovery made several recommendations for improving NHS work experience and option A recommended that HEE pursues the development of an end-to-end digital service to coordinate work experience. This work also supports HEE Business Plan 2021/22 objective: To help reduce health inequalities, we will widen access to health careers for under-represented groups and develop a ‘what works’ evidence base. We must increase diversity of the health and care workforce, widening access and participation and provide equity of digital services to all Health and Care employers by providing a central digital end-to-end mechanism to advertise and supply pre-employment provision, which champions accessible, fair, equitable and transparent processes and minimise the administrative burden on staff. Furthermore, as per the Laura Wade-Gery’s 2021 report on putting data, digital and tech at the heart of transforming the NHS we need to ensure that we are putting digital at the heart of everything we do. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/putting-data-digital-and-tech-at-the-heart-of-transforming-the-nhs/putting-data-digital-and-tech-at-the-heart-of-transforming-the-nhs?utm_campaign=A%20message%20from%20our%20Chief%20Executive%20-%2012%20July%202022&utm_source=emailCampaign&utm_content=&utm_medium=email Problem to Be Solved The 2021 discovery report was not specific into the user needs of this centralised web based pre employment management platform and we now require a full discovery (following the GDS Service Standard) into this recommendation to validate the user needs, to identify challenges our users face, their expectations, their constraints and the areas we should prioritise when progressing the service into alpha and beyond. We require the full discovery to confirm the specifications required including; a Pre-employment management platform which will allow people to search, find and apply for pre employment opportunties, for employers to promote, attract and processes pre employment opportunities, to provide equity of digital resources and to increase capacity to deliver and diversify the workforce. Who Are the Users As part of our initial discovery, a set or user stories were developed. Employers - 1.As an employer I want to search, filter, and compare pre-employment schemes available to me so that I may ‘enrol’ my organisation or department. 2.As an employer I want to publish and promote pre-employment opportunities to potential applicants so that they may apply. 3.As an employer I want to process applications quickly and easily so that I may appoint in a timely manner. 4.As an employer I want to generate reports of applicant data so that I can seek efficiencies or measure effectiveness of schemes. 5.As an employer I want to publish/deliver online, offline and hybrid learning so that I may help prepare potential applicants for a future as part of the NHS workforce. Young people - 1 I want to search, filter and compare pre-employment opportunities so that I may apply. 2. I want a simple application process and onboarding so that I may be appointed quickly and easily. 3. I want to access to inspirational online, offline and hybrid learning and information so that I build the skills, knowledge, and capabilities for joining the NHS in the future. Early Market Engagement As part of our initial discovery a number of workshops were conducted into the current landscape of work experience within the NHS and their users, and the outcomes of these will be shared with the successful supplier. Work Already Done https://healtheducationengland.sharepoint.com/Comms/Digital/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2FComms%2FDigital%2FShared%20Documents%2Fhee%2Enhs%2Euk%20documents%2FWebsite%20files%2FWEX%20Final%20Discovery%20Reports%2FHEE%5FDiscoveryReportv12%2Epdf&parent=%2FComms%2FDigital%2FShared%20Documents%2Fhee%2Enhs%2Euk%20documents%2FWebsite%20files%2FWEX%20Final%20Discovery%20Reports&p=true&ga=1 Existing Team The NHS Widening Access & Participation team is made up of National Programme Managers and careers professionals with experience of delivering and developing programmes but have limited technical expertise and have not done a large scale discovery report before. The team will be working in partnership with HEE's Digital Team. The team have a range of experience including running discoveries. Current Phase Discovery Skills & Experience • Demonstrate your team's experience of conducting discovery, including how you conduct user research and your methodologies, in accordance with GDS/CDDO and GOV.UK service standards. • Demonstrate experience in building a strong understanding of technological constraints, existing contracts, legislation and other existing processes within and organisation. • Provide evidence of expertise in accessibility, specifically WCAG compliance • Provide evidence of capabilities to engage with users via quantitative and qualitative user research and testing throughout the development process, including running user research workshops. • Experience of using fully agile working practices Nice to Haves • Demonstrate experience of health sector digital service provision • Work collaboratively, sharing knowledge and experience. • Provide experience of leading in project governance and delivery. • Provide evidence of building relationships quickly. • Demonstrate delivery of similar projects. • Have strong quantitative and qualitative user research experience. • Be experienced in business process mapping skills. • Experience of using decision-making logs to guide technical design. Work Location Most of the NHS Widening Access & Participation team are Nationally based and are currently remote working with infrequent office-based working while HEE's Digital team are based in Birmingham. Most meetings will be done remotely but some face-to-face at crucial points in the project might be expected with London or Birmingham being the likely location. Working Arrangments Suppliers are requested to work from their own location, with potential visits to HEE’s offices in London or Birmingham. Additional T&Cs You will be required to comply with the GDS service standard - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-design-principles & NHS service standards - https://service-manual.nhs.uk/standards-and-technology/service-standard No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria • Demonstrate how your approach and methodology will fulfil the project brief? • Explain what your project plan will set out and how will this fulfil the required timeframes? • Demonstrate how you will ensure that your approach and solution meet user needs and HEE’s/wider NHS’s policies and goals? • Demonstrate how you will identify relevant stakeholders to participate in this discovery? • Demonstrate how you will effectively engage stakeholders? • Demonstrate previous experience of undertaking similar projects? • Provide details of the team and proposed team structure that would be working on this project? • Please complete and provide an initial risk register for potential risks to this discovery exercise Cultural Fit Criteria • Work as a team with HEE and other suppliers. We will seek evidence for an inclusive approach and a willingness to co-operate/collaborate, with practical mechanisms suggested to achieve this. • Be transparent/collaborative when making decisions. Cover the decision-making process, set out the role of the key team members and the mechanisms by which the processes will be adopted. • The proposal must show a realistic approach to developing solutions to meet user needs, using an existing backlog, capturing, prioritising new requirements and stories as work progresses. • Work with clients with low technical expertise. Supplier should explain how they bridge gaps between technical expertise of their team and the knowledge of the HEE team and stakeholders. • Consider equality and diversity in the recruitment and operation of your service Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method • Case study • Work history Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 15% Price 25% Questions from Suppliers 1. Is the brief correct that shortlisted suppliers will NOT be asked to attend/deliver a presentation? YES this is correct. 2. Why is the research only focussed on under 18s? Presumably, over 18s will also want to access pre-employment opportunities. Ctent will be available to all ages. We have focused on younger people because currently in HEE thats the area where there is nothing available therefore this is the priority area. We are waiting to hear whether the learning-hub will be opening up their adult-facing offer for open-access or not, at which point we will make further decisions, that-said, we expect the LMS to be able to build and offer content aimed at pre-employment groups which there is currently more guidance for, for us to follow. in-short we have a system that caters for adults we dont for young people 3. What are your timelines (if known) for a) notifying shortlisted providers, b) deadline for proposal submissions, c) notifying the successful supplier? a) anticipated 12/08/2022b) anticipated 26/08/2022c) anticipated 12/09/2022 4. Please can you advise whether the essential question 2 has been updated as my recollection was that the original question asked bidders to “Demonstrate experience in building a strong understanding of technological constraints, existing contracts, legislation and other existing processes within Heath Education England”. Please can you confirm it is now “any” organisation. Essential criteria as published. 5. We cannot access the Discovery Report (‘Any work that’s already been done’). Could you please make it available in a different format? Report available here https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/work-experience-pre-employment-activity 6. Could you please provide a the sharepoint link as none of us can open it, error appears.This is the link that isn’t seemingly working – https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/putting-data-digital-and-tech-at-the-heart-of-transforming-the-nhs/putting-data-digital-and-tech-at-the-heart-of-transforming-the-nhs?utm_campaign=A%20message%20from%20our%20Chief%20Executive%20-%2012%20July%202022&utm_source=emailCampaign&utm_content=&utm_medium=emailWe’d like to look into the background a little further. Report available at https://www.hee.nhs.uk/our-work/work-experience-pre-employment-activity 7. Can you describe or give specific examples of the sort of “decision-making logs” you are expecting to guide technical design? https://microsoft.github.io/code-with-engineering-playbook/design/design-reviews/decision-log/ 8. Can you expand on what you are looking for in the skill / experience: ‘Experience of using decision-making logs to guide technical design’? We are looking to see and understand the thought processes behind why certain technical design choices/decisions have been made over others. 9. Would suppliers be responsible for recruiting the under 18 users or would this be done via HEE? We presume that mentioned stakeholders are people internally at HEE? Yes, suppliers would be responsible for recruiting the under 18 users. Stakeholders are internal to HEE as well as healthcare employers. 10. Are you looking for this discovery to require a technical discovery (i.e. to include an assessment of development options) or to be platform agnostic? Yes, assessment of development options is required 11. Please can you advise who carried out the initial Discovery that is referenced in 2021 and whether they are still engaged. This information is available on the document. No, they are not still engaged. 12. 4. Are ‘employers’ also in scope for this discovery for research and validation of user needs? We ask because there are several example user needs for ‘employers’ given (e.g. ‘As an employer I want to search, filter, and compare pre-employment schemes available to me so that I may ‘enrol’ my organisation or department.’), but the summary only refers to ‘under 18s’ Yes, all users and connected internal departments need to be within the scope of the discovery 13. You have two questions asking for evidence of experience in qualitative and quantitative user research. Could you elaborate on the difference between what you are looking for in each, or did you intend to have two very similar questions? There is no difference between the two. We are looking for suppliers to demonstrate their experience/capabilities of engaging users via quantitative and qualitative research. 14. 2. Who will conduct the Alpha Service Assessment if the service progresses to Alpha? Unknown at present 15. For user research purposes can you connect the winning supplier to any employers or under 18 groups or individuals you may have researched with before? The successful supplier would be responsible for recruiting the under 18 users. HEE will provide the names and contact details of employers and internal individuals, although the winner supplier may wish to build on this. 16. Will you have a ‘base location’ for the work, and will expenses be reclaimable for travel to other HEE locations? Work can be done remotely with potential visits to HEE’s offices In London or Birmingham. No expenses will be reclaimable, and all costs must be included within the stated figure. 17. Can you clarify that BPSS clearance will be sufficient for this work? Bpss clearance is suitable for this 18. We expect that some of your user base will have assisted digital needs, is this your expectation? Yes 19. Do you have any existing technology standards, a preferred technical stack or have you made any other technology choices or set architectural standards to which any service delivery will have to conform? GDS service standard 20. Could you please provide some more detail re: what skills you are seeking experience of when you say, ‘Experience of using decision-making logs to guide technical design’? Does this refer to technical selection exercises for COTS/SaaS products, for example, or to documenting technical design to inform future decision-making using e.g. key design decision (KDD) documents? We are looking to see and understand the thought processes behind why certain technical design choices/decisions have been made over others.