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Provision of a digital service to run the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme.

Published

Value

575,000 GBP

Description

Summary of the work The winning supplier will be required to deliver a digital service, in line with the Technology Code of Practice, DfT’s Architectural Principles & Standards and the Digital Service Standard, for a service to run the Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme. They will successfully pass GDS Service Assessments following each project phase. Expected Contract Length Discovery & Alpha in 8 weeks each with a timeline agreed for Beta following end of Alpha. Latest start date Monday 15 February 2021 Budget Range £150k - £200k for the discovery and alpha phases. The cost of delivering each subsequent phase will be established at the end of the previous phase. The total cost of delivering the service will not exceed £1m. Why the Work is Being Done The Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) provides a grant towards the cost of installing an EV chargepoint at residential properties, to help provide the infrastructure needed to meet the 2030 phase-out of ICE (petrol and diesel) vehicles. We are expecting to see an increase in demand for the scheme, and it is soon to be expanded to help cover the cost of installing ducting in carparks for EV chargepoints. We want to explore moving the EVHS away from being a manual process and making it a scalable and user-centric digital service. Problem to Be Solved The scheme needs to be expanded to provide grants for the provisioning of ducting in car parks and be scalable to meet demand. This opportunity is to explore creating a digital service, that better meets the user need than the current paper process. The new service must be fit for purpose in terms of usability, accessibility, fraud controls, budgetary controls and able to handle at least 15,000 applications a month. The service will be built using open source technologies. The solution should adhere to the Technology Code of Practice, the Digital Service Standard, Government Accessibility Standards and DfT’s Architectural Standards (provided at Stage 2). https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technology-code-of-practice/technology-code-of-practice https://www.gov.uk/service-manual/service-standard https://accessibility.18f.gov/checklist/ Who Are the Users The end users of the current scheme are members of the public wishing to install an EV chargepoint at their place of residence, or the electrician installing the chargepoint on their behalf. The end users for the expanded scheme will also include freeholders of flats (including housing associations) and small Businesses who want to provision a carpark with ducting (cables) for EV chargepoints. Manufacturers of EV chargepoints have their equipment approved for use on the scheme. All end users need to demonstrate they meet the scheme’s qualifying criteria for a grant. Early Market Engagement None. Work Already Done Nothing directly. An online portal is provided for installers and manufacturers of EV charging points. A sister grant scheme, the Workplace Charging Scheme, is provided via a digital service. This was designed by DVLA in 2016. It enables businesses to apply for a voucher online for the installation of up to 40 chargepoints. The vouchers are then redeemed by approved installers when work is completed (up to the value of the voucher). Another grant scheme is run for on-street charging. This provides local authorities money to install chargepoints based upon quotes, however it is not run on a digital platform. Existing Team Darren Handley, DfT, Head of Infrastructure grants, will be the Service Owner. William Smith, DfT, Infrastructure Grants and Delivery, will be the Product Manager. All other roles required will be provided by the supplier. Current Phase Discovery Skills & Experience • Demonstrable experience of delivering a digital service for central government that adheres to the Technology Code of Practice, passes GDS service assessments at discovery, alpha, private and public beta phases. • Experience of having successfully replaced a manual or paper-based process with a digitised system • Experience of conducting stakeholder analysis where knowledge gaps were identified and plans were produced / implemented to address the shortfall Nice to Haves • Experience of working in or with teams with no or limited experience of agile methodologies, and providing ongoing coaching to those members of staff • Experience of delivering a service relating to grants • Experience of delivering a service across different government organisations, for example both a central department and an arms length body • Experience of working with projects related to decarbonisation • Have demonstrable experience of working in a culture of continuous delivery and improvement • Experience of working with a PROSCI change management methodology Work Location The majority of the work should be conducted at the supplier’s own site. However, we would expect the supplier to work at our offices when agreed and required. Exact days will be decided with the supplier, once the contract has been appointed. Address: Department for Transport, Great Minster House, Horseferry Road, SW1P 4DR Working Arrangments We expect the supplier to suggest a team that can meet the following timelines: • The Discovery and Alpha phases to be completed in 8 weeks each. Timelines for the Private and Public Beta phases to be established towards the end of the Alpha phase. We require the supplier to hold agile ceremonies as well as regular ‘show and tell’ sessions for DfT and stakeholders. The team will need to pass GDS service assessments after each phase and have their technical designs approved by DfT’s architecture board. Project documentation supplied to DfT will be agreed in the project kick-off. Security Clearance For the Discovery and Alpha phases, each team member will need to possess BPSS clearance at a minimum. Any team members accessing live data will have to hold SC clearance. For Beta, all team members will hold SC clearance. Evidence of clearance will be requested at written proposal stage. Additional T&Cs The Statement of Works (SoW) for each project phase after Discovery will be defined towards the end of the previous phase, with no guarantee of award. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Identification of the approach and methodology to the Discovery and Alpha, with project and delivery plans identifying the main stages in each, and the activities proposed within each stage (30%) • Detailed resource plan to demonstrate how supplier and external resource will be used at each stage, including the team structure and CVs (25%) • Identification of the risks and dependencies, offering approaches to manage them (10%) • Demonstrate value for money (5%) Cultural Fit Criteria • Experience of transparent and collaborative decision making (5%) • Demonstrable experience of working with users with low technical expertise (3%) Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Case study Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 70% Cultural fit 8% Price 22% Questions from Suppliers 1. Can you please advise the timelines of this procurement (e.g. shortlisted companies notified, anticipated contract award)? Also, can you confirm if shortlisted suppliers will have the opportunity to present? 5 Jan-12 Jan Clarification Period. Period ends 11:59 Hours 12 Jan.19 Jan Stage 1 Bids received by 11:59 Hours and evaluated. 22 Jan Stage 1 Consensus Meeting with to finalise 5 Suppliers to take to Stage 2.25 Jan Invite 5 Suppliers to Stage 2.25 Jan –29 Jan Stage 2 Clarification Period. Period ends 11:59 on 29 Jan .1 Feb Stage 2 Bids receipt deadline 11:59. Bids evaluated.4 Feb Stage 2 Consensus Meeting.5 Feb Contract Award.15 Feb Contract Start.Presentations optional to DfT. If used then Timeline will alter after 4 Feb to accomodate. 2. Would you consider using a customisable commercial off-the-shelf solution or is there a specific reason why DfT are planning to undertake a custom design and build? We would, if shown meets user needs 3. We have a COTS case management platform that we’ve used to build many digital services that have passed GDS assessments, recognised by GDS for its configurability and cost, including in the grants space. Our approach would be to use our COTS platform for working prototypes in Alpha, and then configure them into a full digital service for Beta. Would you consider this option for Alpha/Beta, though you’ve explicitly stated only open source tech is required? We would, if shown meets user needs 4. Do you either require or prefer that public sector examples are cited rather than private sector examples? Or, if we have a relevant private sector example, will it be given equal consideration to a public sector example? Public sector are more important as demonstrates experience of complaince GDS requirements 5. In order to compare suppliers like for like, how will price be evaluated? The calculation that will be used to evaluate Price is as follows:The maximum mark available for Price will be 22%. This mark will be awarded to the lowest priced Potential Provider. Remaining Potential Providers will receive a mark out of this maximum mark on a pro rata basis dependent on how far they deviate from the lowest price.The calculation that will be used to determine marks is as follows:Score = Lowest Tender Price x 22% (maximum mark available) Tender Price 6. Will the scores from the evidencing round be taken through to final evaluation? Or will they only be used for the purposes of shortlisting suppliers? They will not be taken through to the second stage and only used for shortlisting suppliers. 7. The scope currently described does not appear to warrant that SC clearance is necessary for the delivery of a seemingly standard citizen facing service. Can you please outline why SC clearance is required? Only required for people to be looking at applicant data, not for the build 8. PROSCI is a proprietary change management methodology, are alternative change management methodologies acceptable? Yes. 9. Why is PROSCI favoured over other change management frameworks/models/methodologies like 1) 8-Step Model (Kotter, John) 2) Change Management (Lewin, Kurt), 3) Change Curve (Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth), 4) McKinsey 7-S Model (Peters, Tom, Waterman, Robert) 5) Nudge Theory? Not necessarily favoured, used as known in government 10. Will suppliers who use and evidence alternative change management methodologies to PROSCI be considered equally when evaluation between suppliers is conducted? Yes. 11. Who from your team will be scoring applications for this opportunity and what positions do they hold? The team members are:Head of Infrastructure Grants (OZEV)Senior Campaign Manager (OZEV)Senior Policy Advisor Safety (OZEV)Digital Business Partner (DfT Digital Service) 12. For the avoidance of doubt: is the £1m figure the maximum budget to spend externally with the winning supplier to deliver Discovery, Alpha and Beta? Yes, £1m is the maximum allocated to all phases. It is expected that the discovery phase will confirm the actual costs of this work. 13. Are there internal users of the scheme who process applications? If so are these users centralised and working for DfT, or do they work within local authorities and where they might have a range of different user needs? Yes. Currently DVLA staff (located in Swansea) manually process claims and DfT staff (located in London) arrange payments. Ideally a digital service will automate these functions or failing that minimise these operations. 14. Is the intent that Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme Beta replaces the Workplace Charging Scheme service and also adds digitisation of the on-street charging grant scheme? Or are these separate sister initiatives? The current WCS and ORCS services are out of scope of this project and will remain as is. The project will include potential extensions to the WCS within its scope. The potential extensions will enable some SME businesses to apply for a grant for commercial reasons and a further extension to aid SME's with the cost of ground works when providing chargepoints for their staff. 15. Will your Product Owner be allocated full time to this project? Part-time. 50% of their time will be allocated to the project. Further support will be provided by a senior responsible owner. 16. How many current live data sources are there? How are these data sources accessed? The main data sources will be from applicants, providing data on their eligibility. Other data sources will be used to verify this information. This will include vehicle data (currently performed using DVLA databases), property address and for businesses proof that they are registered. 17. Following your SC clarification “Only required for people to be looking at applicant data, not for the build” is it correct to understand that during Beta only people looking at data need to be SC and not “all team members”? Yes, that is correct - only team members that have access to applicant data need to be SC cleared. 18. SC clearance is not normally required by GDS to look at applicant data. Please can you specify the additional needs for SC to look at applicant data? We believe that the volume and sensitivity of data warrants SC. 19. We are under the impression that GDS service assessments are not a necessity. Can you confirm? Would a supplier be excluded from this process if they haven’t gone through the GDS assessment process fully, but demonstrates best practice through all areas of solution development? No - as the service will be citizen facing, GDS service assessments will be required at the end of each project phase. A supplier will not be excluded from the process if they can demonstrate some experience of GDS separate to, but as well as, best practice through all areas of solution development. 20. Please could you name any incumbent suppliers that have worked on this or the sister schemes, including the Workplace Charging Scheme that has already been digitised? The workplace charging scheme was designed by DVLA and not the central DfT department, and so we do not have this information to hand. 21. We note that the timetable for the stage 2 response only allows six days. Can this be extended as typically a minimum of two weeks would be allowed for best responses. I am afraid not as the Project Timelines dictate this Timetable. 22. You have asked for “experience of delivering a service relating to grants”. Please could you say what particular characteristics of such an application you are looking to demonstrate and whether there are other applications that might be deemed equivalent? We included this under 'nice-to-have' to give suppliers an opportunity to demonstrate previous experience that they feel especially relevant to this requirement. What that is will be dependent on the supplier and their experience. 23. Could you confirm that, by “capped time and materials”, you are just referring to your having an overall budget cap and not that you are expecting the successful supplier to take on commercial risk? The definition of Capped Time and Materials means that if the capped limit is reached before the work is finished the Supplier has to complete the work at their own cost. 24. In your question about change management methodology, are you looking for something over and above the methodologies and guidance in the GDS Service Manual, or would that be a good one to cite that would be considered as equivalent for this question? Yes. DfT uses the PROSCI Change Management methodology, and that is preferred. We would be willing to consider other equivalent methodologies for this particular requirement where they support the outcomes desired. 25. Regarding the question: ‘Have demonstrable experience of working in a culture of continuous delivery and improvement’ – are you looking for experience ‘having worked in’, or ‘having created’ a culture of continuous delivery and improvement? Experience of having worked in. Creating that culture would be an example of your experience. 26. Can you confirm if the stated budget range of £150k – £200k is the total budget across both phases, rather than £150k-£200k for the Discovery and £150-£200k for the Alpha? Yes, the former. £150k - 200k is the budget available from project kick-off until the end of Alpha. 27. Do you anticipate a gap between the end of the Discovery phase and the start of the Alpha phase? If so, could you estimate the duration of that gap in your experience? DfT do not anticipate a gap between the Discovery and Alpha phases. 28. To deliver a quality engagement for the stated budget range, we would anticipate using certain roles on a part-time basis. Is this acceptable to the department? Yes 29. Please could you advise if it would be acceptable to deliver the solution using COTS solutions configured to meet the requirements, or whether the Department is looking for a fully bespoke solution? All technology decisions will be informed by the outcome of a Discovery phase, which must be completed before Alpha. A COTS platform would be considered if it was shown to meet the user needs identified at discovery & DfT's architectural principles. 30. For Q6 regarding “experience of delivering a service across different government organisations”, do you expect that this example covers one single project that spanned different government organisations? And is this further limited to a project that covers “a central department and an arms length body”, as used in the example? Yes.No, a service that spans two central departments would be another example of an acceptable answer. 31. Could you elaborate on why you would like to see examples of future suppliers having worked on previous projects related to decarbonisation? The provision of electric chargepoints relates to the Governments decarbonisation agenda and the move to net zero in 2050. We included this under 'nice-to-have' to give suppliers an opportunity to demonstrate previous experience of doing similar projects. What that is will be dependent on the supplier and their experience.

Timeline

Publish date

3 years ago

Close date

3 years ago

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