Public beta launch of TNA’s new catalogue search and collection explorer, and iterative improvements

Description

Summary of the work Support the iterative development, design and user testing of our new catalogue website search and online collection explorer into public beta. Expected Contract Length Three months, with the option to extend for an additional three months. Latest start date Monday 9 January 2023 Budget Range We estimate that the work can be delivered within a budget range of £120,000 to £145,000 (excluding VAT) based on the initial contract period of three months, rising to a maximum of £290,000 if the three-month extension option is exercised. This is based on the five roles set out in section 5, each working with TNA for an average of between two and three days per week. Why the Work is Being Done The National Archives (TNA) is redesigning its website, including our online catalogue, as part of a reimagined digital experience. We are developing two integral services aimed at first-time researchers and users new to TNA: an online catalogue and website search with a record details page, and an online collection explorer. The collection explorer will enable users to browse record highlights, stories, blogs, podcasts, videos, and image galleries by time period or topic. These new services are intended to make the collection more accessible to the public and attract new audiences. Following their respective Discovery and Alpha phases, we now need to move both into public beta. Problem to Be Solved You will support delivery of The National Archives’ new online catalogue service and collection explorer into public beta, working as part of the Digital Services department’s multi-disciplinary product teams. Our new online catalogue comprises search functionality and the presentation of results on record details pages; the collection explorer includes related web page templates and features. In carrying out this work, we need you to provide technical guidance and practical instruction on meeting WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards and adhering to principles of progressive enhancement, while supporting team members working on backend services such as Wagtail. To ensure we develop user-centric services, you will support the design and running of user-research activity before and during the public beta phase. You will then support the iterative design and development of new or existing features of these services. We also want to work with a supplier that can devise and help our teams implement a robust, extensible testing approach complemented by a CI/CD release strategy. We believe this engagement requires the following specialist support, but are open to comparable staffing suggestions: • Lead back-end Python/Django developer • Lead front-end developer • Front-end developer • Interaction designer • Senior user researcher Who Are the Users Our diverse range of users is primarily based in the UK and includes all age groups, although our core audience skews 45+. Our users have a range of digital literacy and confidence, as well as varying levels of archival knowledge. Current users have an interest in historical/archival research and primarily search and browse our online catalogue for academic, leisure or professional reasons (e.g., paid research for a book or researching their family history). First-time users want to understand what The National Archives has in its collection and receive guidance on getting started navigating the catalogue and accessing records. Our new services aim to grow new audiences, particularly those with an interest in history, heritage and the arts. These users want to understand what we have in our collection and explore curated, interpretive and visual content about our records. Our online services also need to serve our regular and experienced users, for example through advanced search features. Early Market Engagement Development to date has been informed by external user research into known pain points and usability issues with current search interfaces, as well as underlying issues relating to searching our catalogue. We have designed and extensively tested (internally and externally) several iterations of our new record details pages and the proposed collection explorer using wireframes, functional prototypes and beta code. We have previously published a series of articles covering both the Alpha and Beta phases of our website on our Medium blog at https://medium.com/the-national-archives-digital. More recently, we awarded a separate contract to define the information architecture, content model and user journeys to be developed iteratively by our in-house teams. Work Already Done We have completed a small-scale public launch of Stories from the Collection (https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/stories/) on our Beta site (https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/). A working version of the new search for TNA’s catalogue and website has also been built as a Python/Django web application using OpenSearch. Both are currently hosted on a PaaS. Our new platform is being built using technologies including Python (Django), Wagtail CMS, Collections Information Integration Middleware (CIIM) and OpenSearch. We plan to deploy new applications and services to TNA’s AWS infrastructure using GitHub Actions. Most of the work to deploy the CIIM to TNA’s AWS infrastructure was completed earlier in 2022. Existing Team We have two existing product teams, both of which have a product manager, delivery manager, back-end developer, performance analyst and content designer. A user researcher and interaction designer work across both teams, and a front-end developer works with one of the teams. The supplier will provide front- and back-end technical leads to work across the product teams, and an interaction designer, user researcher and front-end developer to be embedded within our agile product teams. You will work with subject matter experts and internal stakeholders and liaise regularly with the Digital Services department’s Platform team on infrastructure provisioning and deployment pipelines. Current Phase Beta Skills & Experience • Demonstrable experience of user-centred design and its application to large-scale websites, digital services or software development • Demonstrable experience of using a range of user testing/research methods (including remote testing) and using insights to inform iterative development processes • Experience with TNA’s technology stack: Deployment of container-based applications using Amazon Web Services; Django web framework; Python; and Wagtail CMS • Building templates/components within content-management systems such as Wagtail or WordPress, or equivalent • Thorough knowledge of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, backed by demonstrable experience of building user-facing services in conformance with WCAG 2.1 level AA, and an applied understanding of progressive enhancement • Extensive specialist knowledge of fundamental frontend technologies: HTML, CSS (including pre-processors such as SASS) and JavaScript Nice to Haves • Experience devising, implementing and automating appropriate testing strategies per application or service, including via CI/CD pipelines • Knowledge of the GDS Service Standard and the Technology Code of Practice Work Location The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU Working Arrangments Hybrid working will be the main arrangement for this project. Some work may be conducted at The National Archives, Bessant Drive, Richmond, Surrey TW9 4DU. Agile working arrangement with the ceremonies regularly observed. Security Clearance Baseline check (blue) security clearance will be required. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Demonstrate an understanding of the scope of work and describe the outputs from this project that you expect to produce • Show how you will staff the engagement • Explain how you will collaborate with the specialist teams and stakeholders at The National Archives • Give examples of your ability to work in an agile, iterative manner and evidence of successfully completing GDS Service Assessments • Demonstrate your commitment to delivering work in accordance with web accessibility standards Cultural Fit Criteria • Have an agile and collaborative working approach that allows you to contribute to TNA’s ways of working and share knowledge among communities of practice • Support teams in adopting new technologies and ways of working, especially with reference to testing strategies and continuous integration/continuous delivery • Challenge pre-conceptions and the status quo constructively while maintaining good relationships Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method • Case study • Work history • Reference • Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 20% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers 1. Hello there, can you tell us who the incumbent is/who completed the Discovery and Alpha? Thanks The Discovery and Alpha phases were carried out in conjunction with our previous supplier, Numiko Ltd. There is currently no incumbent supplier.