104044 - Discovery/Alpha phase of digital development of a registration scheme for short-term lets

Description

Summary of work DCMS are proposing to build a register of STL properties in England and are looking for a supplier to run a Discovery and Alpha phase of digital development. The Department has already undertaken a Pre-Discovery and experimental phase, including primary user research and light-weight prototyping. To ensure we develop a digital solution that is fully operable and meets user needs it is necessary to undertake these further phases of digital development. DCMS are now looking to procure a supplier to run a Discovery and Alpha phase leading to a successful Alpha Government Service Assessment. The appointed supplier will be expected to develop prototypes to test key hypotheses for a mandatory national register of STLs in England, including considering alternate delivery and operational models. Consideration will need to be given to key user groups such as STL operators, accommodation bookers, booking platforms (eg Airbnb) and the Government. The exact number of STL properties that will register using this service is difficult to determine due to the lack of a single, authoritative source of data on STLs in England, however based on estimates from multiple sources it is likely that around 300,000 STLs in England will need to register. The number of STLs that will register will depend on the scope of the scheme which is to be determined by DCMS. Subject to the findings and outcome of the Alpha phase, DCMS will then decide whether to procure for a Beta phase where the digital service would be built. Where the supplied staff will work No specific location (for example they can work remotely) Why the work is being done Due to a technical issue with this section, please see the attached document which provides further information on this section. The business problem Three key problems need to be explored by the supplier: Problem 1: How to create a safe, secure and immutable register of STLs, including a digital service for operators to self-register Problem 2: How to explore the experience for users booking accommodation, either directly with landlords or via commercial third parties. Problem 3: How the service can be operationally delivered over the long-term, including exploring the potential for third parties to build, develop and administer some or all of the service, including Visit England or DLUHC as part of its Landlord Register development. To solve these problems, we expect the following key tasks to be undertaken as part of Discovery and Alpha: Discovery stage (1-2 weeks): - Review earlier work; - Validating and refining user needs; - Understand and establish delivery constraints, risks, scope, technical dependencies; - Identify stakeholder engagement and areas for collaboration; and - Develop early assumptions around technology, design and delivery approaches. Alpha stage (8-10 weeks): - Determine key user groups and prototype anticipated user journeys; - Conduct user research focused on participants with low digital skills and accessibility needs; - Understand where we can adopt/re-use other Cross-Govt platforms where possible; - Test and establish a technical architecture approach; - Prototypes of whole or partial user journeys; - Explore the operational delivery capability required; - Explore and map the offline user journey; - Develop a plan to move to a Beta development including considering minimum viable product capabilities for a public-facing service; - Undertake a formal assessment against the Government Service Standard once roughly two thirds of the overall delivery time has elapsed, to seek approval to proceed to developing and releasing the registration scheme publicly, as required by Government’s Digital and Technology Spend Controls. The people who will use the product or service User type: STL Operators Definition: Someone who lets some or all of their property for a short term on a commercial basis. These can also be split into sub-groups depending on their experience (eg. prospective operators versus experienced operators) and whether they self-manage the property, or work with a management company. User type: Accommodation bookers Definition: Someone booking short-term accommodation, typically for personal recreational use or business trips. User type: Neighbours and local communities Definition: Someone living in an area with a high density of short-term accommodation. User type: Booking platforms Definition: Intermediaries offering aggregated available properties on behalf of landlords. User type: Local authorities Definition: Administrative government bodies that operate at local level and need to access data on short-term lets in their area to help with compliance and local service planning. User type: Visit England Definition: The national tourist board for England, responsible for marketing England to domestic and established overseas markets and for improving England’s tourism product. User type: DCMS officials and other government departments Definition: DCMS requires better, actionable data on the domestic short term lets market. Other government organisations including DLUHC and HMRC will have an interest in this data User type: As part of our exploratory work we also identified the following potential users: Definition: Management agencies Limited companies operating short-term lets Multiple owners Work done so far - Public call for evidence and consultation, and analysis of responses to each - Pre-discovery and some lightweight visual prototyping to explore potential user journeys - Engagement with devolved administrations carrying out similar activities - Engagement with DLUHC Landlord Register team Which phase the project is in Alpha Existing team The core team is: - Senior Responsible Owner - Deputy Director of Visitor Economy - Service Owner - Head of Short Term Tourist Accommodation Policy - Contract Manager and Business Analyst - Policy Advisor Supported by existing DCMS DDaT Specialists: - Head of Product and Experience - Service Designer - Content Designer - User Researcher Address where the work will be done Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 100 Parliament Street, London, SW1A 2BQ Working arrangements Mainly remote working. There may be some requirement to visit one of DCMS’ offices for specific work activities such as in-person meetings or Show and Tells. We use Google Meet and/or MS Teams for virtual meetings Security and vetting requirements Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) Latest start date 13 May 2024 Expected contract length Contract length: 0 years 3 months 0 days Optional extension: 0 years 1 months 0 days Special terms and conditions special term or condition: Due to a technical issue with this section, please see the attached document which provides further information on this section. Budget Indicative maximum: £600000 Indicative minimum: The contract value is not specified by the buyer Further information: This is for the combined Discovery and Alpha. Contracted out service or supply of resource? Contracted out service: the off-payroll rules do not apply Terms and acronyms Term or acronym: STLs Definition: Short Term Lets Term or acronym: DCMS Definition: Department for Culture, Media and Sport Term or acronym: DDaT Definition: Digital, Data and Technology