Acas27238 - Case and correspondence distribution system

Description

Summary of the work Acas requires a multidisciplinary team to extend our new distribution process to ensure cases are handled quickly and efficiently therefore increasing organisational outcomes and providing a better user experience. Expected Contract Length 10 months initial term with option to extend up to an additional 8 months Latest start date Monday 6 June 2022 Budget Range Private & public beta up to £1.5m - subject to scoping and statement of work. It is estimated that the work can be delivered in a budget range of £1.1 and £1.5m Why the Work is Being Done Acas runs a 'Tell Acas about an employment tribunal claim' as a service. That service is currently operated in Drupal 8 with integration into Microsoft Dynamics 365 which is used as a case management system. A new 'tell' form is being developed in Symphony and is currently in private Beta. We are looking to use data gathered in the 'Tell' service to be used to automatically distribute cases across 400 case workers, understanding their capacity, availability and level of experience. The distribution system should be tuned to enable the most efficient case and correspondence allocation and support improved resolution of cases. There are currently a number of complex human checks that happen to enable the case to get from 'tell' to casework which can reduce time available to handle the case. Any system should be focused around internal and external user need and so it is anticipated that some further service/user journey mapping will be required. Problem to Be Solved The supplier team will help take forward the successful work undertaken by our current supplier in private beta into a live service, working to maximise the benefits and highlighting and developing the system to gain greater efficiency and accuracy. The team will also work to build greater links between the dispute service and wider Acas services to ensure a seamless user experience. The supplier will integrate the automation of correspondence from a 3rd party (Employment Tribunal Service) into the case management system to further optimise the delivery of the service. Who Are the Users As a user I need to benefit from the whole early conciliation (EC) period and need my cases to be allocated to a conciliator with the right skills to deal with my situation. As a conciliator I need to receive cases quickly so I have the full EC period to work on the case. I need to receive the right number of cases when I am available and that I am trained to deal with. As a representative with many cases I need to be able to maximise the time I have with Acas on my cases by dealing with a smaller number of different conciliators Work Already Done A service wide discovery was completed in early May 2021 which identified 4 key areas for further discovery and development. Discovery and Alpha on this area was completed in March 2022 and Private Beta started in April 2022 Existing Team The existing team consisting of contractors and in house staff includes a product manager, subject expert, technical and devops roles, design, user research and delivery. Current Phase Beta Skills & Experience • At least 3 years' expertise in iteratively prototyping, designing and building services which meet both user needs and the Gov.uk guidelines for service design and accessibility (40%) • 3 years + experience of developing Dynamics and integrating 3rd party data. (40%) • Proven track record of service delivery in a complex multi-supplier envionment working with 3rd party stakeholders with high levels of influence. (15%) Nice to Haves Experience of working across technical and policy teams, and supporting a change process.(5%) Work Location Remote/Windsor House, Victoria St, London SW1H 0TL Working Arrangments The supplier team will work 36 hours per week during normal office hours. Acas will supply Office accounts and multi factor authentication to be used on supplier devices. The project will be remote with regular travel (up to 2 days a week) to London Security Clearance All must have BPSS as a minimum Additional T&Cs Acas will pay travel expenses to locations outside London. All expenses must be pre-agreed between the parties and must comply with the Acas Travel and Subsistence (T&S) policy No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria • Delivery approach and methodology - including use of agile and user centered design (30%) • A plan for beta that will meet user needs and deliver on workstream objectives (15%) • Evidence of managing a workstream within a larger programme - identifying risks and dependancies and working with other suppliers and internal colleagues (15%) • Understanding of working within a legal framework with associated constraints (10%) • Proposed team structure and team CVs (20%) • Value for money (10%) Cultural Fit Criteria • Ability to drive own work, providing direction, coaching and support to other specialists (15%) • Leads by example, creating a supportive environment which allows all the team to participate to their fullest (15%) • Collaborative and open approach where mistakes are taken as an opportunity to learn (15%) • Excellent stakeholder management (15%) • Focus on development of Acas team, identifying opportunities for others to participate and learn (20%) • Committed to whole programme success including collaborating to ensure coherence of the whole service design and helping on other worksteams if required (10 %) • Committed to inclusivity including in own hiring practices (10%) Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method • Work history • Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 20% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers 1. You are mentioning a “current supplier” delivering a “successful private Beta”. Any chance of learning who this supplier is? Opencast Software Europe Limited 2. Under ‘problem to be solved’ it says the supplier team will take forward the work from your current supplier but under ‘existing team’ it says it consists of an in-house team and contractors. Could you please confirm which of these are the incumbent? The current team consists of in-house team plus the incumbent supplier (contractors). The future team would be made up of the in-house team and the successful supplier (contractors). 3. Are the contractors on your existing team provided by an incumbent supplier eligible to bid on this opportunity? This competition is open to all suppliers that are registered on the DOS framework, including the incumbent. Shortlisted suppliers invited to the Assessment stage will be provided with all information available to Acas, to ensure that all suppliers are able to provide a competitive bid. 4. Are you looking to develop using the same technologies (Drupal, Symfony & Dynamics?) Yes – for distribution we are using dynamics For notification we are moving from Drupal to Symfony 5. Who is the incumbent? Opencast Software Europe Limited 6. Who provided the Discovery? Deloitte followed by a further and more in-depth discovery by Opencast 7. Who provided the Alpha? Opencast did the alpha 8. Is the team who delivered the Alpha or private Beta expected to bid? This competition is open to all suppliers that are registered on the DOS framework, including the incumbent. Shortlisted suppliers invited to the Assessment stage will be provided with all information available to Acas, to ensure that all suppliers are able to provide a competitive bid. 9. What are the job roles of the evaluation panel? Director of IDR Services,Director of Digital Innovation,Product Manager 10. What is your procurement process for the shortlisted firms? – Timelines/Activities/Etc. Assessment stage for shortlisted suppliersIssue request for written proposal : 10th May 2022Drop in Q&A session (MS Teams): 12th May 12:00and 13:00Deadline for submission of bid proposal: 24th May 2022Supplier Presentation: 26th May Supplier Evaluation Scoring: 27th MayAnticipated Award Date: 30th May 2022Anticipated Contract Start Date: 6th June 2022