D&T10865 UKHSA Technology Portfolio Client-Side Delivery Partner RM1043.8-1-UK Health Security Agency

Tender description

Work done so far As part of a DOS 5 procurement, we have a current Client-side Partner engaged during the pandemic and as the Agency was created. This contract and its core objectives expires this autumn and this tender will provide transition to this new Client-side Partner engagement in a mobilisation and knowledge transfer phase. The business demand and digital roadmap is currently split across two portfolios and incorporates all Groups in the Agency. There has been a significant uplift in business-wide engagement and collaboration in the last six months which provides a firm foundation for rapid and effective delivery of new digital services, supported by the Client-side partner. Which phase the project is in Not applicable Existing team The successful bidder will work closely with the Tech BP In-house team and incumbent Client-side Partner for hand over to this new contract. There will also be engagement with and commitment to a range of other Technology teams as part of the life of the contract. This includes working in partnership with other client and delivery partners that are already in situ in Technology, and we would expect all partners to work as part of one team. These teams include DDaT and non-DDaT skills and experience, including - Product Manager, Delivery Manager, Technical Architect, Business Analyst, Interaction designer, Service designer, User researcher, Data architect, Change and release Manager, Programme Delivery Manager, Cyber security Enterprise Architect, IT Service Manager, DevOps Engineer, Project Manager, Portfolio Manager, Test Engineer, Test Manager, amongst others. There are a variety of existing delivery partners, however bidders must note that the Buyer intends to launch a related procurement titled as: UKHSA Technology Delivery Partner to replace a similarly terminating pandemic set of contracts. The teams' duties include work on a range of activities such as business engagement; product and service shaping; prototyping; developing, delivering and decommissioning products and services; business analysis; user-research; testing and quality assurance; automation; continuous integration and continuous deployment; portfolio, programme and project management; and running core IT services. Current activities and services support a diverse set of business themes, including infectious disease, environmental / chemical / biological / radiological and nuclear hazards. Address where the work will be done The location of the Services will be carried out at the Supplier’s premises or remotely. There may be a requirement to attend UKHSA premises (main locations in Westminster, Docklands, Colindale, Chilton, Porton and local offices across UK), from time to time, which will be agreed with the Supplier under each SoW. Working arrangements All resources should be available to support UKHSA during UK core working hours, 0900-1700hrs, Mon-Fri, and be willing to meet in person, as required. There may be occasion when resources are needed to work outside these hours but that will be agreed in advance on a SoW by SoW basis. We expect those working remotely to be visible in virtual meetings and contribute in the same way as they would if meeting in person. Near-shore resources may be considered as part of our teams if clear benefit can be demonstrated to UKHSA. Expenses will be claimed in line with UKHSA policy and be approved in advance by UKHSA. Provide more information about your security requirements: Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) Provide more information about your security requirements: Security Check (SC) Provide more information about your security requirements (optional): Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance is expected for most roles and Security Check (SC) clearance may be required for some SoW, at the Supplier's own cost. Latest start date 2023-09-01 Enter the expected contract length: 2 years Extension period: 1 year Special terms and conditions Joint Schedule 3 (Insurance Requirements) Annex: Required Insurances) shall be deleted and replaced with: "1 The Supplier shall hold the following insurance cover from the Framework Start Date in accordance with this Schedule: 1.1 professional indemnity insurance with cover (for a single event or a series of related events and in the aggregate) of not less than ten million pounds (£10,000,000); 1.2 public liability and products insurance with cover (for a single event or a series of related events and in the aggregate) of not less than ten million pounds (£10,000,000); and 1.3 employers’ liability insurance with cover (for a single event or a series of related events and in the aggregate) of not less than ten million pounds (£10,000,000)”. Special terms and conditions UKHSA will also be initiating a Delivery Partner procurement process, Reference number D&T10864 (the “Delivery Partner Procurement”). In the event that a Bidder is successfully awarded a Call-Off Contract from this Further Competition reference number D&T10865 and enters into a call-off contract with the Buyer then, at that stage, such Bidder will not be considered as part of the Delivery Partner Procurement and will no longer be eligible to be awarded a call-off contract under the Delivery Partner Procurement. Special terms and conditions It is UKHSA's intention to award this Call-Off Contract to the highest scoring Bidder. However, please note that UKHSA reserves the right to award this Call-Off Contract to two suppliers following this Further Competition exercise. Award may be made to the highest and second highest scoring Bidders following evaluation of the Bids. Where such decision is made, please note that the indicative maximum value of this Procurement Exercise will be divided 67:33 between the two selected Bidders. No guarantee that this will be the case and any such decision will be entirely at UKHSA's sole discretion. Special terms and conditions Clause 10.2.2 (Ending the Contract without a reason) shall be deleted and replaced with: “10.2.2 Each Buyer has the right to terminate their Call-Off Contract or any Statement of Work at any time without reason by giving the Supplier not less than: (a) 15 days for a Statement of Work; or (b) 30 days for the Call-Off Contract, written notice and if it is terminated Clause 10.6 shall apply. Without prejudice to Clause 10.2.3, the Buyer shall have no liability in respect of any costs incurred by the Supplier arising from such termination.” A new Clause 10.2.3 shall be inserted as follows: “10.2.3 The Parties acknowledge and agree that the: (a) Buyer’s right to terminate under Clause 10.2.2 is reasonable in view of the subject matter of the Call-Off Contract and the nature of the Deliverables being provided. (b) Call-Off Contract Charges paid during the notice period given by the Buyer in accordance with Clause 10.2.2 are a reasonable form of compensation and are deemed to fully cover any avoidable costs or losses incurred by the Supplier which may arise (directly or indirectly) as a result of the Buyer exercising the right to terminate under Clause 10.2.2.” Clauses 10.6.1 (What happens if the Contract ends), (a) and (e) shall be deleted and replaced with: “10.6.1 Where the Party terminates a Contract or, where applicable, terminates any Statement of Work, under Clauses 10.2.1, 10.2.2, 10.4.1, 10.4.2, 10.4.3, 10.5 or 20.2 or a Contract expires all of the following apply: (a) the Buyer’s payment obligations under the terminated Contract or terminated Statement of Work stop immediately. (e) the Supplier must promptly return any of the CCS or the Buyer’s property (including Government Data) provided under the terminated Contract or terminated Statement of Work.” Write the term or acronym: Tech BP Write the term or acronym: UKHSA Write the term or acronym: GDS Service Standard Write the term or acronym: TCoP Write the term or acronym: CDDO Write the term or acronym: DDaT Explain the term or acronym: Technology Business Partnering; a function within UKHSA Technology department Explain the term or acronym: United Kingdom Health Security Agency Explain the term or acronym: Government Digital Service - Service Standard - Service Manual - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Explain the term or acronym: The Technology Code of Practice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Explain the term or acronym: Central Digital and Data Office Explain the term or acronym: Digital, Data and Technology Profession Capability Framework - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Are you prepared to show your budget details?: Yes Indicative maximum: 7000000 Confirm if you require a contracted out service or supply of resource Contracted out service: the off-payroll rules do not apply Summary of work The United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is seeking to appoint a bidder to provide a Technology Client-side Partner who will: • Be responsible for supporting the management of and providing assurance over Delivery Partners on specific SoWs, while supporting UKHSA to achieve best value outcomes aligned to strategic objectives and priorities • Be a proactive partner within the core Civil Servant leadership team • Support Civil Servants to manage cross-UKHSA engagement, dependencies and deliverables across multiple initiatives, working to the Civil Servant Code and creating a culture of continuous improvement • Provide technical and non-technical capability to support internal Technology, Data and Cyber teams to deliver their planned outcomes. Where the supplied staff will work London Why the work is being done The UKHSA is completing transition from a pandemic response to an enduring and extensive health protection service. As part of that commitment, Technology Group is seeking a Client-side partner who can provide experienced teams and specialist resources to help complete this transition and in developing our digital maturity for the Agency. The UKHSA Technology Strategy to suit the extensive remit of the Agency is currently being updated. Partners must be able to meet the requirements of today’s needs and strategy, whilst also recognising that there could be a high degree of variation and change across the period of the contract as business need and Technology’s responsibilities adapt. We expect the Partner to support the Agency in shaping and delivering this change, whether in times of relative stability or crisis. We expect the Partner to be flexible both in the skills provided across the life of the contract, the ability to flex upwards and downwards the number of resources required to deliver the outcomes and demand at different times, and the recognition that what we deliver may need to change in line with the priorities of the Agency. UKHSA Technology designs, develops, delivers and supports the technology required to prevent, detect, analyse, monitor and respond to public health threats across the UK. This includes citizen-facing applications and services, critical technology infrastructure and the tools needed to help UKHSA employees be effective and efficient. We are proud to provide solutions that not only help protect the nation’s health but also reduce the pressure on other health services, while supporting the nation’s economy. The business problem you need to solve The Technology team has been working to understand the business capabilities required by the Agency in order to deliver its strategic objectives and priorities. A Business Capability Model draft and assessment of maturity and desired maturity has been produced and the Partner would be expected to support the adoption of this to drive efficiency and value in the Agency. This is led by Enterprise Architecture alongside Tech BP and has been gaining increasing traction and commitment across the Agency. The model will be shared with the winning bidder. The business demand and digital roadmap is currently split across two portfolios and incorporates all Groups in the Agency. There is a mixture of items in the early phase of engagement and shaping, through to services which are almost built and ready to transition to live. We are also in the process of decommissioning legacy services to reduce technical debt. During the phases of delivery to live, we use multi-disciplinary agile teams / squads and follow Government Standards including the GDS service standard and the Technology Code of Practice. To manage the fact that the portfolio of work will grow and change over the life of the contract, UKHSA plans to commission client-side outcomes through Statements of Work to optimise our digital and technology investment. The duration of these is expected to be a minimum of 3 months, but up to 12 months. Where possible, we’re looking for fixed cost outcomes, but recognise that, due to our vision to increase the volume of Civil Servants across the Agency while building enduring capabilities, this may result in blended teams. We need to deliver value for money for the Agency and citizens of the UK. Therefore, we may commission some teams on a T&M basis focused on a particular service / outcome. This contract will be a key delivery vehicle for a range of new digital and technology services required from teams across the Agency. The Technology function will support the Agency with delivery of key outcomes, utilising the resources and skills in this contract, as well as internal resources from UKHSA and potentially other suppliers across the Agency. The Partner must be willing to work on a variety of outcomes and phases of work in teams of any size, varied roles including but not limited to the roles listed in the pricing schedule, and composition. First user type: Deputy Directors, Technology Group Enter more details about this user type: As a Technology Deputy Director, I need to have the right capability to support the In-house function over this period of significant digital change delivery to provide me and the organisation with the right amount and level of skills and experience to ensure successful delivery. Questions and Clarifications 1. We note that Attachment 1 states: 'UKHSA will also be initiating a Delivery Partner procurement process [...] In the event that a Bidder is successfully awarded a Call-Off Contract from this Further Competition [...] such Bidder will not be considered as part of the Delivery Partner Procurement.' Will this also apply to any other planned procurements? This exclusion pertains only to the delivery partner procurement that is referenced in D&T10865. Last Updated: 9 June 2023, 19:41 2. The tender documents refer to a stage 1 and stage 2. Can you please advise if the deadline of the 19 June is for just the stage 1 essential and nice to have criteria or the full tender response? Also, on the essential and nice to have criteria, is there a 100 word limit to these as per previous DOS responses? We confirm the deadline of 19th June is for Stage 1. There is no 100 word limit. For each question, there is a 750 character count limit. Character count includes all punctuation and letters and is exclusive of spaces. Last Updated: 9 June 2023, 19:40 3. Please confirm the file format (PDF, .doc, etc.) that you require for the submission of the Essential and Nice-to-have criteria. Microsoft Word. Last Updated: 9 June 2023, 19:38 4. Please can you confirm delivery status - inside or outside IR35. Outside IR35. Last Updated: 9 June 2023, 19:37 5. You have stated that you have an incumbent delivery partner – please can you share their details. There are a number of incumbent delivery partners under different contracts with UKHSA. The contracts we are seeking to replace and expand upon are broadly Covid specific, set up to deliver particular services and are currently held by Deloitte and Accenture. What we need moving forwards is a partner who can support the digital and technology demand from across the full UKHSA, rather than being constrained to one health threat. Last Updated: 9 June 2023, 19:35 6. Could you please confirm that for this stage of ITT (19 June) we need to provide response only for Essential skills and experience and Nice-to-have skills parts? Bidders are only required to provide responses to the Essential Skills and Experience & Nice-to-Have Skills sections during this stage of the ITT. Last Updated: 9 June 2023, 08:53 7. Can you please confirm if the 750 character count for the stage 1, essential and nice to have skills is inclusive or exclusive of spaces? Character count includes all punctuation and letters and is exclusive of spaces. Last Updated: 9 June 2023, 08:51 8. 1. Are you able to provide an estimate of average resource demand across the duration of the contract? 2. Could the Authority please confirm its expectations for the contract regarding timeframes for standing up resources in response to SOWs? 3. Are suppliers permitted to use multiple examples in their responses to questions? 4. We note that the Authority reserves the right to award to two suppliers. Under the Digital Outcomes and Specialists 5 framework agreement, it wasn't possible for a Buyer to award to more than one suppliers. Has this now changes under Digital Outcomes and Specialists 6? 5. Could you please confirm which delivery work, or directorates, the client-side partner will be excluded from bidding for and delivering. In other words, outside of the ""Delivery Partner Procurement"" are there any other procurements that the winning supplier here will be unable to bid for? 6. Is the Client-Side Partner (CSP) expected to conduct both discovery and project delivery work or will all work undertaken by the CSP be assurance focussed? 7. Is there an ethical wall agreement in place for the incumbent supplier? 8. Will the incumbent supplier be permitted to use their existing work under the current contract as evidence of their experience (as requested at Stage 1 and Stage 2)? 1. The resource demand between Sep '23-April '24 can be more explicitly identified based on known and anticipated initiatives and budgets. At present, we expect that there could be between 20-30 Client-side resources in the Agency for the remainder of this FY. In the following 12 months, volumes are less clear and will be driven by the demand from our colleagues across the Agency, budget availability and outcomes sought. We are clear at all times that the Agency is buying outcomes, not resources. 2. We expect resources onboarded as quickly as possible from an approved SoW, ideally no later than 2 weeks from signature. 3. Yes 4. In order to encourage the widest pool of bidders, we have, in accordance with the framework, decided to only select one bidder to deliver the total contract 5. This exclusion pertains only to the delivery partner procurement that is referenced in D&T10865. 6. CSP may complete discovery and pre-discovery work as well as assuring specific SOWs and outcomes of the delivery partner. 7. Ethical walls do apply. 8. All bidders can use any case studies and experience for their bid, noting that the new contract is seeking a different scope and set of outcomes from the current contract and supplier. Last Updated: 14 June 2023, 09:15 9. The questions are as follows: 1- Please can UKHSA identify who the current incumbent is? 2. Will the optional schedules be listed before PQQ submission? 3 - Please can UKHSA confirm its intention to establish a Single Supplier Contract (as per Bid Pack - Attachment 2 about the procurement) or alternatively will UKHSA reserve the right to award this Call-Off Contract to two suppliers……divided 67:33 between the two selected Bidders (as per Attachment 1: Statement of Requirements)? Currently the two statements are contradictory. 4. Please can UKHSA confirm max liability will be as per the framework stated value? 1. Axiologik 2. We will not be making the optional schedules available for the PQQ submission 3. In order to encourage the widest pool of bidders, we have, in accordance with the framework, decided to only select one bidder to deliver the total contract 4. As stated in the Additional Information - special terms or condition: Joint Schedule 3 (Insurance Requirements) Annex: Required Insurances) shall be deleted and replaced with: ""1 The Supplier shall hold the following insurance cover from the Framework Start Date in accordance with this Schedule: 1.1 professional indemnity insurance with cover (for a single event or a series of related events and in the aggregate) of not less than ten million pounds (£10,000,000); 1.2 public liability and products insurance with cover (for a sin-gle event or a series of related events and in the aggregate) of not less than ten million pounds (£10,000,000); and 1.3 employers’ liability insurance with cover (for a single event or a series of related events and in the aggregate) of not less than ten million pounds (£10,000,000)”. Last Updated: 14 June 2023, 09:09 10. We understand that a bidder cannot be awarded both ‘Client-Side Partner’ (D&T10865) and ‘Delivery Partner’ (D&T10864) contracts. However, are the following possible: • A supplier named as a sub-contractor on both ‘Client-Side Partner’ (D&T10865) and ‘Delivery Partner’ (D&T10864) contracts, where these are awarded to two different lead suppliers? • A supplier awarded one of the contracts (e.g. ‘Delivery Partner D&T10864’) as a lead or sole supplier, but that supplier is also named as a sub-contractor on the other contract (‘Client-Side Partner’ D&T10865’)? Our contract will be with the Prime, and ethical walls will be applied to ensure any Sub has no conflict of interest. This means a bidder can be a Prime and Sub across the two different contracts. Last Updated: 12 June 2023, 18:04 11. 1. Is there a specific format to use to upload our responses i.e. Word, Excel or PDF? 2. Please confirm the contract length because attachment 1 states: 2 years, 0 months, 0 days 1 years, 0 months, 0 days 3. For questions 8 and 9 on Essential Skills, what type of evidence is required? 1. Microsoft Word 2. 2 years plus an option for a 1 year extension. 3. Evidence can be in any form including coverage of roles and capabilities and the value that they have delivered to customers. Last Updated: 12 June 2023, 18:03 12. 1. Is the incumbent able to bid for this work? If so, are ethical walls in place to prevent significant advantage? 2. Where SC-cleared resources are required, are they willing to put people through the clearance process? 3. Which MAC are the social value questions being evaluated against? "1. The current incumbent will be permitted to bid for this work as part of the framework. Ethical walls do apply. 2. All SC clearance is expected to be provided by the successful bidder at their own cost, sponsored by UKHSA. Current numbers of resource expected to need that level of clearance is in single figures. 3. #1 (MAC 7.1) (MAC 7.2) / #2 (MAC 2.3) / #3 (MAC 4.2)" Last Updated: 12 June 2023, 18:01 13. 1) In the "Problem to be Solved" section (last paragraph) ref roles it states "....not limited to the roles listed in the pricing schedule". Whilst we appreciate the pricing schedule is more relevant for stage 2, it has not been attached therefore, please would it be possible to receive this? 2) The documentation makes reference to a "Delivery Partner" procurement and that whoever is awarded the contract(s) for this procurement cannot be awarded one for that. Do you have any information about this 2nd procurement in terms of size, value, if there is an incumbent and when it will be coming out? 1. The roles listed in the pricing schedule are Delivery Manager, Change and Release Manager, Product Manager, Interaction Designer, Programme Delivery Manager, Business Analyst, IT Service Manager, Dev Ops Engineer, Cyber Security Enterprise Architect , Test Manager, Data Architect, Project Manager, Test Engineer, Service Design, Portfolio Management, User Research and Technical Architect. 2. The Delivery partner contract is still being agreed and approved internally. In line with standard Client-side partner contracts, it might be reasonably expected that the value of the Delivery Partner contract will exceed the Client-side contract. The contracts we are seeking to replace and expand upon are broadly Covid specific, set up to deliver particular services and are currently held by Deloitte and Accenture. Last Updated: 12 June 2023, 17:57 14. Can we please request an extension till next Friday 23rd June? No. Our overall timeframe for completing this tender means that we cannot extend the clarification questions window. Last Updated: 12 June 2023, 17:54 15. 1. Please can you confirm if the 750 character response limit includes or excludes spaces? 2. Please can you confirm what type of evidence you are looking for in Q8 and Q9? Due to the large number of roles/technical capabilities listed and the 750 character count, it may be challenging to sufficiently address each item individually. 1.Character count includes all punctuation and letters and is exclusive of spaces 2. Q8-9 - Suppliers can reference the nature and volume of skills/capabilities they offer and illustrate the client value that these have provided. Last Updated: 12 June 2023, 17:52 16. Attachment 1 of your Invitation to Tender documentation makes reference to an “incumbent” as well as other delivery partners. Are these organisations eligible to bid for this work and, if so, could the Authority please provide details of what arrangements are in place to ensure that this is a fair and open competition for all other potential bidders? Any organisation, including our incumbent Client-side partner and current delivery partners, are able to bid. The scope, breadth and depth of the new Client-side partner contract is completely different to represent the broader remit and delivery on behalf of all of UKHSA, and moving beyond the pure pandemic response the incumbent was brought in to support. To ensure that the competition is fair to all bidders, the bids will be anonymous and evaluated for content only. We have also ensured there are no engagements about the procurement outside of this portal and the current incumbent is removed from any procurement discussions and locked out of documents that pertain to the tender. All bidders have access to the same information and clarifications. Last Updated: 12 June 2023, 17:49 17. Can you please confirm if the only questions we need to respond to for submission on 19th June 2023 are the 'Essential' and 'Nice-to-have' experience and skills questions in Attachment 3? Yes - confirmed. Last Updated: 12 June 2023, 17:46