RM1043.8-1-BOURNEMOUTH UNIVERSITY SharePoint design, development and implementation of a Digital Workspace

Description

Summary of work BU is looking for a skilled digital team to develop our Microsoft Office365 SharePoint Modern platform to design and build a Digital Workspace for users across BU, including student and staff groupings. Where the supplied staff will work South West England Where the supplied staff will work No specific location (for example they can work remotely) Why the work is being done We want to develop our Microsoft Office365 SharePoint Modern platform to deliver a Digital Workspace to enhance our student offering and replace our current staff intranet. We see the Digital Workspace as the collective term for content, apps and services brought together to support the day-to-day tasks of our students and staff. It is not a single system, but a loosely coupled, yet highly cohesive collection of information, systems and services personalised to the user based on their profile and preferences. Personalisation and choice are two priorities going forward that will ensure students and staff engage digitally with each other and get to the right information and tools at the right time and in the right context. A Digital Workspace would allow them to select the most appropriate channel, such as applications or “apps”, to perform the task they wish to undertake in a way that works for them at a personal level. The ultimate goal is to tailor apps and information to the specific needs and preferences of the individual to not only increase the efficiency of communication and collaboration, but also improve the digital experience and productivity of our students and staff. The business problem • Deliver a user-centric digital experience through personalisation and choice to ensure our students and staff have quick access to the right tools to undertake their education, research and practice. • Provide timely, targeted information to revolutionise daily activities and decision making. • Promote efficiency by changing the way we work, communicate and collaborate to release additional capacity to commit to education, research and practice. • Contribute towards social development and a sense of identity, belonging, and community by focussing on groups and teams. • Provide a personalised interface that hides the complexity of all the systems and services working behind the scenes from the user. • Deliver the right content to correct users via the setup of effective user permissions and content publishing workflows. • Maximise the use of Office 365 tools and apps available to users as part of our Microsoft campus license (staff have M365 A3 + A5 Security; students have A3 Student Use Benefit + A5 Security Student Use Benefit). • Enhance user engagement with content and information through the provision of a mobile responsive user interface. • Provide detailed reporting and analytics to inform continuous improvement and shape enhanced engagement. The people who will use the product or service User type: We have circa 4,500 staff members, circa 18,000 students, circa 120 content creators, and circa 30 administrators. Definition: • As a student/staff member I must see university-wide alerts so that I am aware of circumstances that impacts me. • As a student I need to see university information related to my faculty, programme and cohort so that I am informed of news, events, and support relevant to me. • As a staff member I need to see university information related to my business unit, department and team so that I am informed of news, events, and support relevant to me. • As a student/staff member I must access tools and apps required for my role so that I can work on daily tasks and collaborate with others. • As a student/staff member I want to set personal preferences so that I can view information and use tools in a way that works for me. • As a content creator I need to submit content for target audiences to be approved for publishing so that students and staff receive quality information. • As an administrator I need to access and manage all parts of the platform so that I am able to support users. • This must be achieved with a maximum budget of £100k to fulfil every requirement of the project. Any pre-market engagement done We completed a market investigation in February 2022, which provided us with information about the availability of suppliers to deliver what we need, the estimated cost, and the estimated timeline for delivery. This was used to draft a business case, which was approved by the BU Leadership Team as part of our Digital Enablers programme. Work done so far Initial requirements gathering and technical design. Please see attached user stories, wireframes and IT architecture requirements (the latter document does not require completion by bidders, but contains principal solution requirements that are applicable to this project). Which phase the project is in Discovery Existing team Internal Project Board Internal Project Manager Internal Business Analyst Internal Systems Architect Internal Stakeholders Address where the work will be done Remote via Microsoft Teams as well as any necessary onsite attendance at Bournemouth University, Fern Barrow, Poole, Dorset, BH12 5BB, United Kingdom or Bournemouth University, Studland House, 12 Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, BH1 3NA as required throughout the commitment. Working arrangements The new Digital Workspace will be delivered using an agile approach by launching a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) which will be followed by iterative releases scheduled throughout the project lifecycle. The supplier should have at least one dedicated, technically competent, experienced representative available either online and/or in-person for stand-ups and managing deliverables over the contract period. We would expect the direction, design, production and testing to be done remotely, in the UK. During the specification phases of each deliverable, we would expect at least one SharePoint Modern architect to be available on-site or online. Security and vetting requirements No security clearance needed Latest start date 24 July 2023 Expected contract length Contract length: 1 years 0 months 0 days Optional extension: 0 years 6 months 0 days Special terms and conditions special term or condition: No additional expenses Budget Indicative maximum: £100000 Indicative minimum: The contract value is not specified by the buyer Further information: Maximum of £100,000 (excl. VAT) to fulfil every requirement of the project. Any bid over this figure will be disqualified from the process. Contracted out service or supply of resource? Contracted out service: the off-payroll rules do not apply Terms and acronyms Term or acronym: BU Definition: Bournemouth University Term or acronym: Digital Workspace Definition: A single interface that brings together digital content, apps and services to support the day-to-day tasks of our students and staff. It is not a single system, but a loosely coupled, yet highly cohesive collection of information, systems and services personalised to the user based on their profile and preferences. Questions and Clarifications 1. Can we understand your team structure and team size for the next phase of the project please? Our team will include a Project Manager, Systems Architect, Business Systems Analyst, Microsoft Specialist, PR and Corporate Communications Manager, and Internal Communications Manager. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 2. You have a list of user stories. Are you fully set on the application features or you may expect new ones? In regards to this - are you looking for a fixed price or time & material offer (capped) that would allow for a more flexible approach for new functionality/ changes? The scope of deliverables that we expect from the successful bidder includes discovery, design, development and integration. During discovery we expect further details to be uncovered which could lead to refinement and changes to user stories and features. As published, we are looking for a capped time and materials pricing model. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 3. Do you have existing o365 and Azure licenses? What types? All our staff have Microsoft 365 A3 + A5 Security licenses and all our students have A3 Student Use Benefit + A5 Security Student Use Benefit licenses. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 4. Any access restrictions through a VPN for example? No Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 5. Who did you work with to complete the survey exercise? BU internal resources completed all work up to this point. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 6. Does the University host a single Microsoft 365 tenancy for Staff and Students or are these separate? Single tenancy. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 7. Is it acceptable that some components are built in the Cloud (Azure) and then get integrated with o365? Yes Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 8. What licensing do you have available for students? All our students have Microsoft 365 A3 Student Use Benefit + A5 Security Student Use Benefit licenses. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 9. Has a network assessments carried to verify network suitability for M365? We are already a significant M365 house. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 10. Is the 750 character count per answer with or without spaces? Feedback provided by CCS: The 750 character count is intended to include spaces (so that's the recognised equivalent of 115 to 150 words - which is more than the DMp/DOS5 at the moment). Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 11. Can we create a document for the response that will contain only the tables (question and answer) for each of the essentials and nice to have questions? A table that contains your responses to the essential and nice-to-have questions will be acceptable. We will accept Microsoft Word (docx) files only. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 12. You have stated that bidders will be invited to submit a proposal once down-selected. How do you wish for bidders to respond to this initial phase? Are you expecting bidders to complete the word document with yes or no responses and await your review? A table that contains your responses to the essential and nice-to-have questions will be acceptable. We will accept Microsoft Word (docx) files only. In addition to “yes” and “no” responses, we expect bidders to provide evidence with each “yes” response to enable us to score it using the published scoring criteria. The five highest scoring bidders will be invited to submit a proposal for the second stage of competition. We will issue a template (Microsoft Word file) for these bidders to complete. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 13. Microsoft Gold Partnerships stopped existing in October 2022. The new Solution Partner and Advanced Specialisms took over. Can you clarify what your requirement is regarding Microsoft Certifications? In view of Microsoft’s partner network change in October 2022, please read our essential requirement as “Microsoft Gold Partner with a specialism in products including Teams, SharePoint and Viva; or Solutions Partner for Modern Work - Enterprise." Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 14. What is the collaboration methodology or platform employed currently? Microsoft Teams Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 15. Mention 3 major business pain points faced in the current university Collaboration. Adoption of consistent toolsets. Several different document storage solutions including file shares. Hybrid working – off-campus versus on-campus experience equality especially for multi-person meetings. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 16. Do you have the M365 tenant ready and has the basic configuration? Yes Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 17. What workloads are currently deployed in M365 Tenant? Office 365 A3 and Security A5 Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 18. What type of identity management is in place in M365 Tenant? Active Directory Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 19. Do you have any active SharePoint Online sites in the M365 Tenant? Yes Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 20. Do you have any SharePoint Tenant level configurations done in M365 tenant? Yes, details will be shared with the successful bidder. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 21. Provide the details on future expected growth on userbase We do not expect significant growth in staff or student numbers. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 22. What are the business process expected in the new platform? Refer to the documentation. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 23. Is there any need to support multiple languages? Yes, we require the solution to support multi-language character sets. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 24. What are the external systems integrated to the SharePoint Online sites? Currently none. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 25. Has any M365 security assessment been carried out recently? We have completed a Cyber Security Assessment Tool (CSAT) assessment, which was done by the Microsoft UK Solution Assessment Team in February 2022. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 26. What are the security and compliance related settings currently in place in M365? Details will be shared with the successful bidder. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 27. Is there any data classification and Taxonomy available currently for the content classification? There is a set of classifications, but no taxonomy. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 28. What kind of branding to be built for the M365 SharePoint Online sites? We expect the successful bidder to come up with the visual design and branding of the new Digital Workspace in accordance with BU branding and design guidelines, which will be shared with the successful bidder. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 29. Is there a need to migrate the existing content to the M365 platform? We do not expect the successful bidder to migrate data in bulk from existing platforms (i.e. T4, Drupal, SharePoint On-prem), but we could require advice and guidance on recommended practices and tools to be used by our content editors to transfer selected data to new SharePoint/Viva sites. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 30. What are the 3 party apps to be consumed by the future M365 SPO sites? During discovery (which we expect the successful bidder to complete) further details will be uncovered regarding what integrations are required and possible, but it is intended that at the very least there will be integration with Brightspace and SISO. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 31. Is there any need to support external user access (outside the university) for the SPO sites? Ex: Vendors, etc. No, this solution is for staff and students only. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 32. Do you have an incumbent SharePoint or Microsoft 365 partner that you have worked with or have ever worked with to develop your existing Microsoft 365 or SharePoint Platforms? We have no incumbent partner. We engaged a company in May 2021 to create a workspace prototype within SharePoint Online to showcase the potential features available in Microsoft 365. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 33. Does the requirement include the need to migrate content from the current staff intranet? We do not expect the successful bidder to migrate data in bulk from existing platforms (i.e. T4, Drupal, SharePoint On-prem), but we could require advice and guidance on recommended practices and tools to be used by our content editors to transfer selected data to new SharePoint/Viva sites. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 34. Do you have any corporate brand book or guidelines? Yes, our BU branding and design guidelines will be shared with the successful bidder. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 35. Could you please provide the list of internal/external systems you plan to integrate your workspace with? If there are any internal system on the list could you please share any documentation if available? During discovery (which we expect the successful bidder to complete) further details will be uncovered regarding what integrations are required and possible, but it is intended that at the very least there will be integration with Brightspace and SISO. Both these are external systems. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 36. In the Wireframe document, we see Phase 1 and Phase 2 for both - Students and Staff. With this MVP project do you want to implement Phase 1 only or also Phase 2? We would prefer the project to deliver both phases for staff and students, but Phase 1 represents our MVP. However, we expect that the MVP will be refined on the back of discovery done by the successful bidder and following an iterative development approach. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 37. Regarding DW06, DW18 could you provide the list of software and apps required for students and staff? We provide more than 250 types of licensed software/apps (like Adobe products, ArcGIS, Matlab, SPSS and Microsoft products) to our staff and students through a software distribution solution called AppsAnywhere for Windows users and BU Self Service Store for Mac users. DW06 and SW18 refers to access to software and apps via AppsAnywhere and BU Self Service Store. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 38. Regarding DW22, could you please explain little bit more about the tool that you would like to have an access to? We use iTrent as HR system, which provides a self-service portal where staff can book leave, view payslips and change payment account details. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 39. Regarding DW39, do you have a technical description about Digital Asset Management tool that you would like to integrate with? In which way are you planning to integrate? Bynder provides integrations and APIs with adjacent tech, ranging from CMS and PIM systems to design tools and social media plug-ins. Available technical details will be shared with the successful bidder. The exact details of how the integration need to work will be refined during discovery. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 40. You mention two VLE, Timetable, IT Service Management, and Security Training systems in your documents. Do we understand correctly that those systems are already in place and running and we should integrate with them as part of the project, or should they be developed as well? These are all existing solutions already implemented at BU. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 41. "As a student I must be able to access university provided software and apps required for my studies" Could you please elaborate on this requirement? Does it mean that our system should provide a student with links to appropriate software? Or should it also deal with access rights, for example? Any other functionality? We provide more than 250 types of licensed software/apps (like Adobe products, ArcGIS, Matlab, SPSS and Microsoft products) to our staff and students through a software distribution solution called AppsAnywhere for Windows users and BU Self Service Store for Mac users. We would expect the successful bidder to link the Digital Workspace with AppsAnywhere and the BU Self Service Store to provide students and staff with easy access to the software/apps for which they are licensed to use. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 42. "As a student I want access to my office productivity tools" Could you please elaborate on which tools are those and how they should be connected to our system? This refers to all Microsoft Office 365 products such as Teams, Outlook, Word and Excel that is provided to students and staff. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 43. "As a student I want to access a facility to book university provided equipment and facilities available for my studies" Do we understand it correctly that the list of facilities and their parameters should be managed inside our system? Or should this information come from external systems? This refers to an external system called SISO which is used by students to book equipment and facilities. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 44. Could you please provide an exhaustive list of potential reports? We do not have an exhaustive list at this point, we expect the successful bidder to determine such requirements as part of discovery activities. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 45. Do you have any prototyped personas and user journeys? No Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 46. Have you structured any workflows or user behavioural patterns? No Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 47. Will it be possible to get a user (focus) group for interviewing, surveying to understand existing behavioural patterns and validate processes and patterns, we’ll be going to implement and usability testing? Yes, the successful bidder will be able to access user groups for agreed stakeholder engagements. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 48. DW 04 What kind of support is available now in the university (out of the system) We have a dedicated student support service that provides various services to assist students, from additional learning support to welfare support. Most information about these services is currently hosted on our Drupal website on dedicated student pages. We also have a Student Information Desk solution that contains FAQs and provides students with the ability to log enquiries. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 49. DW 27 Do you have any corporate guidelines or brand book? Yes, our BU branding and design guidelines will be shared with the successful bidder. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 50. DW 46 Do you have any guidelines or requirements for templates? No, we expect the successful bidder to advise on these. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 51. DW 50 Is there multi-language requirement for UI and content? Yes, we require the solution to support multi-language character sets. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 52. Any data protection considerations when managing student data. GDPR etc.? All personal data held shall be in compliance with the UK Data Protection Act (DPA) 2018 and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The Digital Workspace shall have a documented and maintained data lifecycle covering data retention and destruction, enabling BU to manage data in accordance with UK DPA and UK GDPR upon enforcement. Also, the successful bidder shall not share BU data in any way with third parties without prior written consent of BU. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 53. Are you interested in security and compliance features? We require security to be inherent to the Digital Workspace design. We have the following questions that allude to this: • Experience of deploying built-in security features and technology to protect SharePoint Modern sites against security threats and cyber-attacks. • Do you hold certifications for standards related to information and cyber security? (E.g. ISO/IEC 27001, STAR, IASME, NHS IG Toolkit, PCI DSS, Cyber Essentials.) • Demonstrate your ability to deliver SharePoint Modern solutions with built-in security features and technology to actively protect users and data against security threats and cyber-attacks. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 54. We understand that a referenceable proof of concept/prototype for the Digital Workspace was delivered by another supplier as part of the early market engagement phase in 2022. Will this supplier be able to participate in this ITT having been engaged already in the process? We engaged a company in May 2021 to create a workspace prototype within SharePoint Online to showcase the potential features available in Microsoft 365. If the company has registered successfully on the CCS DOS6 Framework, they will be able to submit a response to this ITT, should they choose to do so. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 55. In relation to the following modules: SISO Leave booking Brightspace SITS Finance system Parabilis CRM. Are users for these third party systems authenticated using their Azure Active Directory account or an account from a different identity management system? Leave Booking, Brightspace, SITS and CRM are authenticated using ADFS. The Finance system, Parabilis and SISO use their own identity management systems. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 56. User story DW28 states that the system needs to conform to WCAG AAA, rather than WCAG AA. Is this correct? We will accept conformance to WCAG 2.1 AA or WCAG 2.1 AAA. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 57. Are any data migration activities expected as part of this work? We do not expect the successful bidder to migrate data in bulk from existing platforms (i.e. T4, Drupal, SharePoint On-prem), but we could require advice and guidance on recommended practices and tools to be used by our content editors to transfer selected data to new SharePoint/Viva sites. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 58. Has BU a settled and agreed a Taxonomy, set of content types and rules and processes around data and records management within Microsoft 365 and SharePoint Online? No Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 59. We note that a module is illustrated in the wireframes to accommodate Microsoft Viva Learning. Currently, there is no SharePoint Online web part available for Viva Learning via Microsoft. Would a bespoke developed component suffice for this element? Should a out-of-the-box web part become available we would migrate back to that standard. We expect the successful bidder to tell us if custom development is required to deliver modules. This will be reviewed against other prioritised modules. If agreed, the successful bidder will be expected to develop the required component(s). Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 60. DW06/DW18 I must be able to access university provided software and apps required for my studies so that I am equipped with the digital tools required to learn new skills and complete assignments and assessments on software as instructed/to perform my daily tasks and duties. Question: Are there any on-premise windows applications included in this list? We provide more than 250 types of licensed software/apps (like Adobe products, ArcGIS, Matlab, SPSS and Microsoft products) to our staff and students through a software distribution solution called AppsAnywhere for Windows users and BU Self Service Store for Mac users. DW06 and DW18 refers to access to software and apps via AppsAnywhere and BU Self Service Store. Some of the software is “on-premise” in the sense that they run locally on a user’s computer. DW06 and SW18 also includes access to BU business systems, such as SITS, our on-premise student record system. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 61. DW08/DW23 I want to have a view of my timetable so that I can access details of my scheduled classes and tutorials. Question: How is the personalised time table currently prepared and made available? Is this a new service requirement or an integration with an existing system? The individual’s timetable view is delivered through a custom developed BU solution. The Digital Workspace will be required to integrate with this existing system. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 62. DW22 I want access to tools so that I can do things like book leave, view payslips and change payment account details. Question: How are the payslips created? Are there any APIs that can be used to integrate with SharePoint? We use iTrent as HR system, which provides a self-service portal where staff can book leave, view payslips and change payment account details. Details will be shared with the successful bidder. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 63. DW25 As a user I want to set personal preferences so that I can view information and use tools in a way that works for me, e.g. hide some elements, make some elements more prominent than others, and re-arrange elements. Question: Are there any defined personas and personalisation or is this something that still needs to be defined? If there are definitions are you able to share We expect the successful bidder to work with us to define personas and associated personalisation. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 64. DW39 I want integration with BU's Digital Asset Management tool (Bynder) to ensure integrated access to photography and rich media as part of the WYSIWYG editor experience and content build. Question: What is the maximum size of media? Are there any physical asset management to be considered? Bynder provides integrations and APIs with adjacent tech, ranging from CMS and PIM systems to design tools and social media plug-ins. Available technical details and size dimensions will be shared with the successful bidder. At this point there are no physical asset management requirements. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 65. DW50 I want a multi-stage workflow approval for content so that the language and visual elements remain consistent and complies with BU communication guidelines and policy. Question: Can you share anything around communication guidelines and policy? This will be shared with the successful bidder. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong> 66. Can you give us an indication of the size of the user base (number of students/faculty/others)? We have circa 4,500 staff members, circa 18,000 students, circa 120 content creators, and circa 30 administrators. Last Updated : <strong>31/03/2023</strong>