Content Designer to audit and improve FCO content on GOV.UK, focusing initially on consular content

Description

Summary of the work "FCO aim to review and improve their GOV.UK content in line with current consular user needs and to meet GDS content transformation requirements. Outputs include: - A new structure for consular content by country - Better quality consular and policy content on GOV.UK " Specialist role Content designer Expected Contract Length 3 months with the option to extend for a further period Latest start date Monday 8 January 2018 Maximum Day Rate Between £550 to £600 per day Who Speclialist Work With The successful supplier/candidates (2 content designers) will be working with established teams across Consular Directorate and Communications Directorate, with support from a Project Manager for the initial 6 weeks. What Specialists Work On Review, suggest and implement improvements to FCO content on GOV.UK. This should include both the detail of the content itself and the way that it is structured to maximise SEO, including integrating into a new taxonomy. Manage relationships with key stakeholders in Consular, Digital,GDS and policy teams to ensure full engagement in the changes. Undertake and present user needs research (eg analytics) and prioritise based on evidence. Design content to present complex information in a way that's easy to understand, following GOV.UK best practice. Skills & Experience • Demonstrable experience of designing content to meet user needs and making complex language and processes easy to understand in line with style and standards (20%) • Demonstrable experience of auditing and improving online content (10%) • Demonstrable experience of managing and monitoring relationships with and between stakeholders with clear and regular communications, clarifying mutual needs and commitments whilst focusing on user needs (10%) • Demonstrable strategic thinking experience with an overall perspective on business issues, an understanding of their wider implications and long-term impact with a focus on outcomes rather than solutions/activities (5%) • Demonstrable experience of understanding users and understanding their needs, based on evidence, putting users first and can manage competing priorities (5%) Nice to Haves • Familiar with GDS content design principles and existing GOV.UK content (5%) • Good teamplayer (3%) • Familiar with the GOV.UK publisher (2%) Work Location Main location will be GDS office in Whitechapel, and also FCO's office in King Charles Street London for meetings. Working Arrangments "1.The supplier is expected to supply a resource that can be on-site in London full-time during business hours Monday to Friday. The resource should also be comfortable working using an agile approach. 2. Be comfortable talking to policy staff and translating their requirements into technical terms Be a good listener. 3. Where appropriate be innovative and propose changes to processes. 4. We would like to be able to send the specialist unaccompanied to meet policy staff." Security Clearance All staff working on FCO premises must be at least SC Cleared or capable of being cleared to SC. Bidders must confirm clearance of nominated resources. If required, FCO will initiate SC clearance. Additional T&Cs Please note that the contract will be based on delivery of milestones (and possibly sprints) on an ongoing basis. Further discussions shall take place with the successful supplier/candidate once a final preferred supplier has been nominated and standstill has ended. No. of Specialists to Evaluate 3 Cultural Fit Criteria • Working with policy specialists and non-technical staff to understand requirements (3%) • Building good relationships and trust with teams both with and without departmental sponsors (3%) • Quickly joining teams and understanding their needs (2%) • Experience working in an agile manner (2%) Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 10% Price 30% Questions from Suppliers 1. What is the IR35 status of the role? The FCO shall consider whether a handover period can be inserted into the contract which enables the FCO to buy a service (linked to milestones and/or sprints) rather than resources, which remain inside the scope of IR35.Further discussions shall take place on this with the successful supplier at the appropriate stage of the procurement. 2. The role details 3 months with potential to extend, what is the expected duration of extension/project? Possible that role may be extended for further 3 months ending 30th June. Not confirmed at present, as budget allowance not yet finalised for FY 18/19. 3. Has this piece of work been deemed outside of IR35? Please refer to our response to question 1. 4. Has this position been deemed inside or outside IR35? Please refer to our response to question 1. 5. Does the advertised day rate include or exclude VAT? Excluding VAT. 6. Given that the contract will be based on deliverables, will this role be out of scope for IR35? Please refer to our response to question 1. 7. There is mention of undertaking user research. Will there will be a full-time researcher working on this project, or at least access to one on a part-time basis. GDS will help test new taxonomies and navigations as part of controlled missions. This will include a mixture of internal testing with FCO publishers and how end users interact with FCO content. GDS has also undertaken user research as part of previous gov.uk improvement work, which will inform this project. 8. Would it be possible to find out what research and other work has been done already? In addition to GDS user research, FCO’s consular directorate has user feedback from customer surveys, which will be shared with the project team. 9. Will GDS will be providing some research (and maybe other) support? GDS will support the FCO to audit and improve its content. The FCO project manager will establish and manage the relationship with GDS initially, and integrate the content designers in January 2018. 10. Could you please confirm whether you consider the role to be inside or outside of IR35? Please refer to our response to question 1. 11. Please could you confirm if the role is inside / Outside of IR35? Please refer to our response to question 1. 12. Please could you confirm if the role is inside / Outside of IR35? Please refer to our response to question 1. 13. Is this role classed as inside or outside of IR35? Please refer to our response to question 1. 14. Does this fall within IR35? Please refer to our response to question 1. 15. what is the timeline for procuring the 2 content designers roles? Close date for proposals - Tuesday 5th December 2017 Evaluation of proposals - from Wednesday 6th December 2017 - Monday 11th December Supplier informal interviews - Wednesday 13th December 2017 Final decision made - Friday 15th December 2017Start work on the project - Monday 8th January 2018 16. Regarding the SC clearance status, if the candidate does not hold active SC clearance and is willing to go through the process, can this be considered, if yes will you sponsor the security clearance Yes. Candidates may have existing SC clearance but FCO could support the SC clearance process for the right candidate if needed. However, our preference would be for candidates to have an existing SC clearance (as there is a current estimated 4 to 6 week timescale for setting up and agreeing SC clearance for candidates who need to go through the whole process). 17. Can any other security clearance be considered? No 18. What is the lead time for feedback once the application is submitted? Suppliers will find out in week commencing Monday 11 December whether they have been shortlisted. Formal feedback shall be provided once a preferred supplier/candidates are finalised and a debriefing session can be requested once formal feedback has been provided. 19. Any chances of change in start date as the latest date mentioned is Monday 8 January 2018 No 20. What are the other expenses which will be paid? Please refer to our response to Question 24. 21. What are the exact work locations? All work shall be delivered in London. They will be based at either FCO or GDS. 22. Any specific format (pdf,doc) in which CVs to be sent later? CV’s can be provided in Word or PDF format. We are also happy if you decide to send these with your responses to the Essential Skills, Nice to Have and Cultural Fit questions. Please forward these to phoebe.earl@fco.gov.uk 23. Is occasional remote working allowed? Primarily the services need to be delivered on-site at FCO and GDS. Some remote working may be possible from time to time but the services will need to be provided at FCO and GDS for the majority of the duration of the project. 24. Is there any travel involved in this role and will the travel expenses be paid? Time will be split between two central London locations. When content designers attend the other location, their travel costs will be reimbursed. 25. Would you consider work permit holders (e.g. Tier 2 General Visa) and EU passport holders for this role? No 26. Going through the DM portal to answer the questions, only the questions about the "Essential" and "Nice-to-have" skills and experience are asked (ie there are 8 questions asked in total, each requiring 100-word answers). There are no questions about the "Cultural fit" criteria. How - if at all - do we address those cultural fit criteria? Please see ‘Cultural Fit criteria’ under section ‘How Suppliers will be evaluated’ on the Digital Market place. For all cultural fit questions please email them direct to: phoebe.earl@fco.gov.uk 27. You recently answered a question covering the ‘Cultural Fit Criteria’ for each application. Your response was to ask for all cultural fit questions to be emailed direct to: phoebe.earl@fco.gov.uk’.Am I right in thinking that we need to e-mail all answers to these questions to you in order to connect with the individual’s application? No, the portal usually uploads supplier responses to the Essential Skills and Nice to Have questions. The ones which are not usually uploaded to the portal and hence require separate email correspondence with suppliers to provide (which can take time) are the cultural fit questions. This explains our request for the Cultural Fit questions to be answered and emailed direct to Phoebe.