Voluntary ex ante transparency notice - Plagiarism Detection Software

Tender description

This is a voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice. This notice acknowledges that Trinity College Dublin proposes to contract with Turnitin for the continued provision of support and software maintenance services. The current solution has been developed over the past two decades and delivers a cross-campus integrated solution for the following services: The software has interfaces to other university systems including: - Blackboard for student assignment submissions, similarity report outputs to check for plagiarism of content - Since 2018, Trinity College Dublin has developed internal processes around Turnitin to create efficiencies that have improved student outcomes and maintained educational standards. Academic Staff within the teaching community and IT support teams have been trained and developed expertise in using this product. Consequently, service standards have improved, and resourcing levels optimised in line with efficiencies achieved through the digital solution. The organisational and administrative burden of any change to the current system is highly likely to require enhancing staffing levels i.e., creating a new team to plan for and implement a new product, resulting in additional costs at a time when opportunities for further savings are being explored. Given the number of interfaces to other Enterprise Systems, there are no financially or administratively reasonable or viable alternative or substitute systems or products, other than the existing installed Turnitin product, that can meet Trinity College Dublin’s needs during the period of the proposed contract. Lot 1: This is a voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice. This notice acknowledges that Trinity College Dublin proposes to contract with Turnitin for the continued provision of support and software maintenance services. The current solution has been developed over the past two decades and delivers a cross-campus integrated solution for the following services: The software has interfaces to other university systems including: - Blackboard for student assignment submissions, similarity report outputs to check for plagiarism of content Since 2018, Trinity College Dublin has developed internal processes around Turnitin to create efficiencies that have improved student outcomes and maintained educational standards. Academic Staff within the teaching community and IT support teams have been trained and developed expertise in using this product. Consequently, service standards have improved, and resourcing levels optimised in line with efficiencies achieved through the digital solution. The organisational and administrative burden of any change to the current system is highly likely to require enhancing staffing levels i.e., creating a new team to plan for and implement a new product, resulting in additional costs at a time when opportunities for further savings are being explored. Given the number of interfaces to other Enterprise Systems, there are no financially or administratively reasonable or viable alternative or substitute systems or products, other than the existing installed Turnitin product, that can meet Trinity College Dublin’s needs during the period of the proposed contract.