Ofgem 2023-094 Electronic Public Register (EPR) Re-Write

Tender description

Pre-market engagement Initial user research exercise has surfaced dissatisfaction with the existing system, which is viewed as manual, error prone and time-consuming. Work done so far A pre discovery phase has been completed which has identified the main pain points of the existing system and identified prioritised opportunities to transform it. The output of this exercise is a comprehensive set of functional and non-functional requirements that shortlisted bidders will be evaluated against in phase 2 of the procurement. For clarity, these requirements are being provided on an information only basis for stage 1, to allow bidders to make an informed decision on whether they can satisfy the requirements prior to submitting bids. Only those bidders shortlisted for stage 2 will need to complete the documents in full. Which phase the project is in Discovery Existing team We have formed a multidisciplinary internal team of Ofgem colleagues This includes a range of subject matter experts, those that use the system currently as well as colleagues from Communications, Procurement and DDaT teams. Address where the work will be done N/A - can be delivered from anywhere. Working arrangements We are looking for tenderers to put forward proposals that ensures the project objectives and requirements are met through a robust project management and implementation approach. The expectation is that vendors will include the provision of training within their bid, leading to self-sufficient organisation owners so that management, configuration and reporting can all be undertaken by Ofgem with limited need for third party support . Although primarily delivered remotely there may be the odd occasion when supplier staff are required to attend in-person sessions in the Ofgem London or Glasgow office. If required then travel expenses will be paid in line with Ofgem's travel policy. Provide more information about your security requirements: Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) Latest start date 2023-11-01 Enter the expected contract length: 2 years Extension period: 1 year Special terms and conditions The contract award is dependent on spend control approval by Central Digital and Data Office Write the term or acronym: EPR Write the term or acronym: DDaT Explain the term or acronym: Electronic Public Register Explain the term or acronym: Data and Digital Technologies Are you prepared to show your budget details?: No Confirm if you require a contracted out service or supply of resource Supply of resource: the off-payroll rules may apply Summary of work We are seeking to procure a Regulation Publishing Platform to provide anytime access to a library of documents that Ofgem is obliged to publish. Such documents include licences granted by Ofgem and any exemption modifications, or revocations to those licences. It also includes any directions or penalties imposed on licence holders, and any direction or determination we make under a Licence. The system would also host the consolidated Licence conditions applicable to licensee’s. The solution will replace the existing EPR to provide content that can be trusted as the single source of truth. It will be accessed by users both internally and externally. The solution must be cloud hosted, with off the shelf Software as a Service (SaaS) preferred. Professional services to implement the solution will form part of the Contract, including initial set up activities that shall be required to progress the solution to go-live as well as the migration of existing documents on the current solution. The current license files are in several locations. There is a dedicated SharePoint site which is in the process of being migrated from our SharePoint 2013 on premise estate to SharePoint online. The publishing of the content is done by the object being copied to our public facing website which is hosted by UK based service provider. We are looking for a vendor that will work with Ofgem on the following strategic goals: • Deliver an integrated offering comprised of authoring tools, document management, workflow capability and website publishing to provide a robust, accurate and accessible record of licenses. • Have user centred design at the heart of the solution, to ensure we have the best tools for internal and external users. • Help us meet, and where possible exceed, accessibility standards legally required for Public Bodies. • Migrate existing documents hosted on the current solution and provide options for transforming key documents into accessible formats where required. Where the supplied staff will work No specific location (for example they can work remotely) Why the work is being done Section 36 of the Gas Act and Section 49 of the Electricity Act places a duty on Ofgem to maintain a register of specified documents and decisions. These include licence exemptions, modifications, revocations and directions or penalties imposed on licence holders. Currently, documents are published on an in-house built system that is nearing the end of its service life and supportability. A new solution is needed to mitigate obsolescence risks. The current solution was also designed before accessibility requirements were mandated on govt publications and lacks comprehensive authoring and document management tools that help keep track of changes to policy and regulation over time. The business problem you need to solve The aim of this project is to replace the current EPR system with a scalable, resilient, well supported solution that better meets Ofgem’s current and future needs. A primary focus is to improve compliance with accessibility standards and offer a better user experience both internally and externally. First user type: internal user (Policy/Operational/Legal colleagues) First user type: External users (Industry/Lawyers/General Public) Enter more details about this user type: I need to have a central repository of Ofgem licences/decisions/notices which are a single source of truth. I need to see the current licence conditions and how these have evolved over time. I also need to be able to author proposed modifications to existing documents (Licence Conditions), revise, finalise, then upload to the EPR. I also need to be able to upload documents to the EPR and assign specific metadata to these documents so they are searchable to external users. So that by having access to an accurate repository this will help make policy making/market interventions/legal robust and accurate. Enter more details about this user type: I need an accurate repository of information where I can view all Ofgem decisions/notices. I need to see the current licence conditions and how these have evolved over time. I also need to see currently proposed modifications, what stage of consultation they are at and when they will take effect. So that by having access to this repository I can see an accurate record of Ofgem decisions/notices and can see what the current rules are for specific licensees.