Teaching Workforce: Software development, security and data architecture

Description

Summary of work DfE require a supplier/consortium with strong software development, security and data architecture capabilities to deliver outcomes across the digital teaching journey. The supplier/consortium should be confident working in multi-disciplinary blended teams with other suppliers and civil servants to build and iterate high-quality services from pre-discovery through to Live. Where the supplied staff will work North East England Where the supplied staff will work North West England Where the supplied staff will work Yorkshire and the Humber Where the supplied staff will work East Midlands Where the supplied staff will work West Midlands Where the supplied staff will work East of England Where the supplied staff will work London Where the supplied staff will work South East England Where the supplied staff will work South West England Where the supplied staff will work No specific location (for example they can work remotely) Who the organisation using the products or services is Department for Education and related public bodies Why the work is being done The portfolio supports the Department’s Teacher Recruitment and Retention Strategy, published in January 2019. This sets out the Government's priorities for making sure a career in teaching continues to be attractive, sustainable, and rewarding. The Government’s vision is for all our young people to have access to a world-class education – no matter where they are from or their background. The key to accessing a world-class education is the teacher in the classroom. The business problem We know many people have a desire to become a teacher, but not enough have the chance to try it out, with many put off by the long and complicated application process. Also, teachers at the start of their careers don’t always get the support needed to build successful careers, and too many end up leaving. We focus on how digital services, combined with bold policy making, can solve problems in teacher recruitment, retention, professional development, and more. We are transforming the way people become teachers and the support they receive at each step of their career. This involves developing and iterating integrated services that: • help find teaching jobs and early career development with extra professional support. • claim financial support offered to retain teachers in hardest to fill subjects. • access professional qualifications (NPQs) to develop in role/progress to leadership positions. • help people retrieve their Teacher Reference Number and other professional qualifications information. • access pensions support. With these services in house, we expect to be able to transform how we use performance data to improve services, policies and gather policy insights. The people who will use the product or service User type: Our users are prospective and current teachers, schools, colleges, and training providers. Definition: For candidates this includes requesting further information on the steps to become a teacher including training, funding, and understanding how to start out on their career. For teachers this includes supporting them through the various phases of their career, including applying for vacancies, applying for retention payments online, supporting continuous professional development, and receiving their pension as a retiree. For schools, colleges, and training providers this includes improving their user experience and reducing administrative burdens. Examples of this include: • As a teacher in my early career, I may need to claim early-career payments. • As a candidate teacher I need to understand Initial Teacher Training provision to gain the qualifications needed. • As a School Leader I need to collect and supply information about teachers, in order to drive the service. We also support internal users with the data needed to inform policy changes and interventions. The portfolio's aim is to drive the delivery of user-centred policies and services that support the Department’s strategic priorities by making sure the journey to becoming a teacher and developing a teaching career better meets users’ needs. Work done so far Teacher Services supports digital services including: ● Professional Development for Teachers and Leaders (https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/professional-development-for-school-leaders) ● Teacher Vacancies Service Find a job in teaching - Teaching Vacancies - GOV.UK (teaching-vacancies.service.gov.uk) ● Claim additional payments for teaching: https://www.claim-additional-teaching-payment.service.gov.uk/additional-payments/landing-page Which phase the project is in Not applicable Existing team The successful supplier/consortium will deliver outcomes in relation to software development, security and data architecture capabilities. Typical size for a product team is up to ten, with a skills mix such as Product Manager, Delivery Manager, Business Analysts, Developers, Policy Designers, User Research and Designers, with support from Technical Architects and DevOps. Working with internal DfE staff and other suppliers from a range of disciplines including architecture, security, policy, product and delivery, user research, user experience, service design, software development, finance and commercial to deliver the outcomes. Address where the work will be done Remote working and DfE sites such as London, Manchester, Coventry, Bristol, and Nottingham. One primary location will be specified in each SOW. Some co-locating will be expected. Some SOWs may require visits to stakeholders such as schools and providers. Working arrangements The work will be primarily within blended Teams. By default, most SOWs will be inside IR35 but some may be outside, and we will seek both inside and outside rates. Day to day delivery will be governed by standard agile methodology, with appropriate ceremonies to be undertaken. Scope and prioritisation of work is decided by the product owner with input from the Senior Responsible Owner. A requirement of each SOW will be to improve DfE internal capability via knowledge transfer. Security and vetting requirements Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) More information about the Security requirements: All supplier staff need Baseline Personnel Security Standard clearance – any enhanced security requirements will be detailed in the SOW. Suppliers must complete a supplier security assurance form. Work must be conducted securely in the United Kingdom. DfE will not sponsor higher security clearance than is necessary for the SOW. Latest start date 10 July 2024 Expected contract length Contract length: 2 years 0 months 0 days Optional extension: 0 years 6 months 0 days Special terms and conditions special term or condition: The Supplier shall ensure that no Supplier Staff who discloses that they have a Relevant Conviction, or who is found to have any Relevant Convictions (whether as a result of a police check or through the vetting procedure of HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard or through the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) or otherwise), is employed or engaged in any part of the provision of the Services without the prior written approval of the Buyer. Subject to the Data Protection Legislation, the Supplier shall disclose the results of their vetting process, immediately to the Buyer. The decision as to whether any of the Supplier’s Staff are allowed to perform activities in relation to the Call Off Contract, is entirely at the Buyer’s sole discretion. The Supplier shall be required to undertake annual periodic checks during the Call Off Contract Period of its Staff, in accordance with HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard so as to determine the Supplier Staff suitability to continue to Framework Schedule 6 (Order Form Template, Statement of Work Template and Call-Off Schedules) 5 provide Services under the Call Off Contract. The Supplier shall ensure that any Supplier Staff who discloses a Relevant Conviction (either spent or unspent) or is found by the Supplier to have a Relevant Conviction through standard national vetting procedures or otherwise, is immediately disclosed to the Buyer. The Supplier shall ensure that the individual staff member immediately ceases all activity in relation to the Call Off Contract, until the Buyer has reviewed the case, on an individual basis, and has made a final decision. Where the Buyer decides that a Supplier Staff should be removed from performing activities, as a result of obtaining information in relation to the Call Off Contract, or for any other reason, the Supplier shall promptly and diligently replace any individual identified. special term or condition: The primary location will be detailed in each Statement of Work (SoW) and expenses will not form part of the cost unless the supplier is asked to work from a secondary location during the execution of the work e.g. If a SoW primary base is in Manchester, then no expenses will be paid for Manchester. Expenses cannot be claimed for travel to the Primary Location of work when in-office working is required. Some work may be UK wide, and travel may be required to other DfE offices. When travel to other DfE sites is required, all costs incurred must comply with the prevailing DfE Travel and Subsistence policy. Parking is not available on DfE sites. Costs for additional roles required within this contract will be discussed as needed. Should base location vary it will be outlined and agreed upon the individual SoW. special term or condition: The latest start date will be outlined in each individual statement of work. Except for in exceptional circumstances, and as agreed with the Buyer. The Buyer has the right to terminate any Statement of Work issued in accordance with this Call-Off Contract at any time, without reason, with five working days’ written notice to the Supplier. The notice period shall be given in writing. The receiving party must acknowledge receipt of notice within 24 hours special term or condition: All work must be conducted in line with the Buyer’s security policy and securely within in the United Kingdom. Contractors must work within the United Kingdom unless agreed by the Department on an individual basis in line with Buyer's working overseas policy and Buyer's security policy. Contractors must not take any departmental equipment abroad or access the departmental network whilst outside the United Kingdom unless agreed by the Department on an individual basis. Use of private VPNs is prohibited. special term or condition: Non-Solicitation Clause 5.1 The Supplier shall not, either directly or indirectly, by or through itself, its affiliate, its agent or otherwise, or in conjunction with its affiliate, its agent or otherwise, whether for its own benefit or for the benefit of any other person solicit, entice or induce, or endeavour to solicit, entice or induce, any employees of the Buyer who are employed or engaged in the performance of the Services with a view to employing or engaging the employee of the Buyer during the Call-Off Contract Period and for a period of [9 months] thereafter. 5.2 Notwithstanding clause 5.1 the Supplier may employ or engage any employees of the Buyer which have responded directly to a bona fide recruitment drive either through a recruitment agency engaged by the Supplier or via an advertisement placed publicly by the Supplier (either in the press, social media, online or in trade and industry publications). special term or condition: 6.1 This contract does not provide exclusivity to the Supplier and there is no guaranteed spend. 6.2 The initial scope (Initial Scope) of this contract covers Programme B for Software development, security and technical architecture. 6.3 Programme A for Software development, security and technical architecture is in scope for this contract upon instruction of the Buyer to provide the contingency arrangements as set out in Special Term 6.5. Services in scope shall only be applied upon instruction by the Buyer. 6.4 The Contingent Scope also includes any future digital needs that are within the scope of the overall Teacher Services digital programme as amended from time to time. 6.5 The Buyer may, subject to agreement with the Supplier, award Statements of Work for Contingent Scope programmes where:- i. the supplier that has those programmes defined in its contract as its Initial Scope, is not able to deliver on related SOWs; ii. the Buyer de-scopes the programme from the supplier that has those programmes as its Initial Scope; or iii. as otherwise agreed between the Buyer and Supplier. 6.6 The Buyer may at its absolute discretion de-scope any of the Initial Scope programmes from this contract or individual SOWs related to such programmes, where either:- i. the Supplier consistently fails to provide the services at the required performance levels, for example, fails to achieve at least Approaching Target performance for any KPI for two or more months consecutively OR fails to achieve at least Good performance level for a KPI, twice, in a rolling six-month period, for example, the Supplier needs to achieve at least four Good performance levels for a KPI in a six month period; ii. the Supplier fails to improve performance following the approval of and in accordance with such an approved Remediation Plan to the satisfaction of the Buyer; OR iii. as otherwise agreed between the Buyer and Supplier. 6.7 The Buyer may at its absolute discretion re-scope any activities that have been de-scoped by the Buyer where the Supplier has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the Buyer that appropriate ‘self-cleaning’ activities have taken place to rectify any previously identified capacity and/or performance issues. 6.8 If the Supplier is required to provide Contingent Scope to support the Teacher Services Digital Programme, the Buyer shall treat any Contingent Scope SOWs as if they were Initial Scope in terms of pricing, applying a payment mechanism and KPI performance management regime. special term or condition: The day rates set out within the pricing schedule are the maximum rates that the Supplier may charge. The Supplier may, where practicable, charge the Buyer rates lower than the rates set out in the pricing schedule. The Buyer reserves the right to request that the Supplier to review the rates during the contract period with a view to reducing them where practicable. The Supplier shall only use the rates submitted within the ‘Non-Essential’ sections of the pricing schedule when (a) it is not possible to deliver the work by only using 'Essential' roles, or (b) using 'Non-Essential' roles provides better value for money for the Buyer than using 'Essential' roles. special term or condition: A Critical Service Level Failure is where the Supplier fails to improve performance following the approval of and in accordance with such an approved Rectification Plan to the satisfaction of the Buyer. special term or condition: Bidders must respond to the opportunity using the response template found within the project attachments. Only essential and nice to have criteria require responses at stage 1. Budget Indicative maximum: £15000000 Indicative minimum: The contract value is not specified by the buyer Further information: Budget approval is subject to Cabinet Office spending controls, service assessments and DfE governance. Each Statement of Work (SOW) will outline the work required, associated budget and payment approach. Suppliers will need to provide clear costs to enable tracking. DfE does not commit to any minimum spend. Contracted out service or supply of resource? Supply of resource: the off-payroll rules may apply Terms and acronyms Term or acronym: DfE Definition: Department for Education Term or acronym: TVS Definition: Teaching Vacancies Service Term or acronym: NPQ Definition: National Professional Qualifications Term or acronym: CPD Definition: Continuing Professional Development Term or acronym: TRN Definition: Teacher Reference Number Term or acronym: SRO Definition: Senior Responsible Officer Term or acronym: DBS Definition: Disclosure and Barring Service Term or acronym: SOW Definition: Statement of Work Term or acronym: NCSC Definition: National Cyber Security Centre Term or acronym: DPIA Definition: Data Protection Impact Assessment