ITS301103a Microsoft Power Platform Specialist Partner

Tender description

Summary of the work Leeds City Council require a team with knowledge and experience in Power App development. Expected Contract Length 12 months Latest start date Monday 21 November 2022 Budget Range It is expected the work will be in the region of £100k to £450k, although this is subject to ongoing budget and programme review. All work will be undertaken on a time and materials basis and the supplier must agree the resource profile in advance of the resource being utilised. Why the Work is Being Done The Council is looking to increase business efficiency through the increased use of Microsoft Power Platform capabilities, in particular Power Apps. It is seeking a partner than can deliver resource to assist in the design, build, testing and deployment of Power App solutions, including integration with multiple line of business systems. The partner will be expected to upskill and cross-train the Council's in-house resources. Problem to Be Solved The Council has identified a number of use cases, which it requires the partner to work with it to identify and develop the most appropriate solution using the Power App or wider Power Platform suite. The Council has some skills in this area but wishes to increase this and accordingly expects the partner to upskill its staff to ensure that (a) they can onward support any solution implemented; and (b) undertake its own design/implementation beyond the end of the proposed contract. Who Are the Users The use-cases cover a wide range of users across Council Services, predominantly the Council's own employees, although there may also be members of the public or partner agencies involved. In addition there is the requirement to engage and upskill staff within the Council's digital change function. Early Market Engagement The Council has some experience of Power Platform / Power Apps and has engaged Microsoft to assist in the initial training and setup. Work Already Done We have identified potential use cases and commenced initial training for staff. Existing Team The council team working on this will be set up in 6 pods, with each pod running in an agile manner. Each pod will be comprised of the following resources types: Power Apps developers, Business Analysis and User Centred Design. Current Phase Discovery Skills & Experience • At least 2 years’ experience in Power Apps and wider Power Platform developments (1) • At least 2 years’ experience prototyping, designing and building MVP Power Apps solutions (1) • Pod leader – experienced technical delivery manager / Scrum master (1) • Expertise in user-centred design (2) • Expertise in business analysis (2) • Expertise in Power Platform and Power Apps Development (1) • Expertise in providing solutions with robust security capabilities, adhering to Cloud Security Principles requirements, and within required Information Governance frameworks (e.g. GDPR). (1) • Experience of delivering using Disciplined Agile, XP or Scrum Agile manner (1) Nice to Haves Experience of developing Power Apps solutions with integration with line of business systems (1) Work Location It is expected on-site work will take place at any of the Council's offices in Leeds. We also expect remote working, including on/near/off shore, will be used to deliver elements of this work. Working Arrangments The supplier will agree working patterns and locations with the Council delivery team. Security Clearance Staff will be required to have BPSS as a minimum, unless agreed with the Council that the specific role is exempt. Additional T&Cs It is expected the majority of work will be undertaken in the early stages of the contract, with the later stages predominantly providing support to the Council's own team. The Council may extend the contract by a further 3 months. The Council will not pay subsistence or travel expenses. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Approach to ensuring only those features that will drive the greatest value are delivered first (10) • Methodology to rapidly deliver positive business outcomes (20) • Approach to working in an agile / rapid development manner with hybrid supplier/custoemr teams(10) • Proposed team structure, resources profile and skills matrix (10) • Methodology for skills transfer of Council staff (10) Cultural Fit Criteria • Work collaboratively as a team with our organisation and can work both remotely and on location, maintaining strong relationships and assisting successful skills transfer to the project team. (10) • Approach to provide challenge and offer alternatives in a constructive manner. (10) Payment Approach Time and materials Assessment Method • Case study • Work history • Reference • Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 50% Cultural fit 10% Price 40% Questions from Suppliers 1. The requirements mention that both on-site work and remote work are expected. Is it possible to indicate how many days will be expected on site so that we can factor this into our costings. It is not possible to indicate how many days will be expected on site. No cost information is being requested at this time. 2. Could you let us know why the opportunity was cancelled recently and then re-opened? The opportunity was republished. 3. Do you have an incumbent supplier No. 4. Can you please confirm the expected team size ? If we have estimated budget of 100k to 450k, what is the expected team size please? Those suppliers invited to submit a proposal will need to provide "Proposed team structure, resources profile and skills matrix" - please refer to proposal criteria. 5. Will a non-UK equivalent to BPSS also be acceptable. BPSS will be required for staff, unless agreed with the Council that the specific role is exempt. Further information on BPSS is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/government-baseline-personnel-security-standard 6. Could you please provide an indicative timetable for the remainder of procurement? As detailed within the opportunity, the deadline for asking questions Friday 14 October 2022 at 11:59pm GMT and the Closing date for applications is Friday 21 October 2022 at 11:59pm GMT. Those shortlisted for evaluation will be asked to submit proposals, with a planned start date of 21 November 2022. 7. Are suppliers permitted to use multiple examples in their responses? Suppliers should demonstrate that they have the the essential and nice-to-have skills and experience to enable the Council to asses their technical competence. 8. Can you explain what the numbers in brackets mean, i.e. (1), after each question in the ‘Skills and experience’ section? The number is the weighting of the individual requirement. 9. Can you explain what the numbers in brackets mean, i.e. (10), after each question in the ‘How suppliers will be evaluated’ section? The number is the weighting of the individual requirement. 10. Is the budget of £100k to £450k just for this one opportunity? The budget is for this published opportunity. 11. Does the budget of £100k to £450k include or exclude VAT? The budget excludes VAT. 12. Do you expect supplier a supplier to work continuously for 12 months? As detailed within "Additional Information": It is expected the majority of work will be undertaken in the early stages of the contract, with the later stages predominantly providing support to the Council's own team. The Council may extend the contract by a further 3 months. 13. Can the Authority please provide examples of what line of business systems they may want to integrate with? Integration may be required with any of the business systems currently used by the Council or those implemented in the future. Examples of systems currently implemented can be found on the Council's contract register here: https://datamillnorth.org/dataset/contracts-register-tenders 14. can the Authority confirm if they are licenced for Premium Connectors for Power Platform? The supply of software licences are outside of this opportunity. The Council will ensure it has relevant licences available for its use. 15. Regarding question ‘Experience of delivering using Disciplined Agile, XP or Scrum Agile manner’, Can the Authority confirm if they are looking for a supplier with experience in all of these delivery methodologies for Power Apps engagements or would an example of one of these methodologies be sufficient? We can confirm we are looking for experience of delivering using Disciplined Agile, XP or Scrum Agile manner. 16. Can you please confirm what type of users have been identified in the use cases: internal, external or both? Both. 17. Can you please confirm what is, approximately, the expected number of users for the case studies identified? These range from below 10 to potentially several thousand.