Smartphone App Accessibility Testing

Description

Summary of the work Leicester City Council require an experienced smartphone app accessibility testing company to test our existing (and future) apps for WCAG 2.1 level AA compliance, and to report back any issues found. Expected Contract Length 2 years + 6 months Latest start date Tuesday 1 June 2021 Why the Work is Being Done The next deadline for The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018 is approaching, which relates to accessibility of smartphone apps. Mobile apps need to meet the regulations by 23 June 2021. The council requires a company to test our apps and report back issues. Problem to Be Solved We currently have 20 live apps (10 in Android & 10 in iOS app stores) that need testing and various new apps coming soon, all must be legally compliant by June 2021 or decommissioned. During the contract term we anticipate a total of up to 30 additional new apps (15 in Android & 15 in iOS app store). The additional apps will be governed under the same contract and will be ordered following the change control procedure. Who Are the Users The Web Management Team needs a company to test the council's smartphone apps for accessibility so that we can ensure legal compliance and make any improvements where required. Work Already Done We are currently identifying the apps that would need to be tested or decommissioned for the Accessibility Regulation deadline in June 2021. Existing Team The supplier will be working with the Web Management Team, who are a small team responsible for digital accessibility compliance. The supplier will not be working with app developers or internal stakeholders. Current Phase Discovery Skills & Experience • test apps to WCAG2.1 level AA, including native accessibility functionality. • write non-specialists reports, then re-testing and updating reports. • test apps close to the 23rd June deadline. • provide compliant Accessibility Statements. Nice to Haves • Experience of website accessibility testing. • Experience working with public sector compliance requirements. • Experience writing compliant accessibility statements. • Show involvement in the wider accessibility community. • It would be good if the supplier can perform real-user accessibility testing Work Location It is expected all work will be completed remotely. Working Arrangments We need a responsive supplier to perform accessibility audits on selected apps as and when requested. We would prefer set pricing, similar to a pay as you go arrangement. The council will raise Purchase Orders for each app tested. We would expect a standardised report of issues found, which the council would pass to app developers. We do not expect the chosen supplier to communicate with the app developers or internal stakeholders. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Relevant skills and experience • Value for money – detailed and clear costs • Estimated timeframes for the work • Approach and methodology • Provide an example of when and how you have worked with a client to audit a digital product and made recommendations to correct accessibility issues. • Provide an example of how you have worked with a client to re-assess a digital product for a second audit to ensure accessibility issues have been corrected satisfactorily. Cultural Fit Criteria Work as a team with the Web Management Team at Leicester City Council. Payment Approach Fixed price Assessment Method • Case study • Reference Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 65% Cultural fit 10% Price 25% Questions from Suppliers 1. Can you explain the skill/requirement to be demonstrated:“test apps close to the 23rd June deadline.” in more detail? We require a supplier who can test our existing 10 apps (in each app store) as close to the June deadline as possible, but we accept some may be tested after the deadline due to the short timescales. 2. Can you please provide an indication of the budget set for this project? We are seeking a steer from suppliers with regards to the budget requirements for the work being requested. 3. To help us estimate the size of the effort and the complexity of the apps, can you provide links to the specific apps to be assessed? App info:Borrowbox - https://www.borrowbox.comGo Jauntily - https://www.gojauntly.comJewry Wall - https://www.leicestermuseums.org/jewry-wallOverdrive - https://www.overdrive.com/appsLibby - https://www.overdrive.com/appsLLR Home Connections - https://www.home-connections.co.uk/mobile-app-developed-partnership-leicester-city-council-now-liveCar Parking - https://carparking.leicester.gov.ukKRIII Situate - https://kriii.com/your-visit/facilities-and-accessibility/visitor-centre-app/The Noise App - https://www.thenoiseapp.com/Go Assemble Volunteering - https://www.goassemble.com/mobile/Android:https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bolindadigital.BorrowBoxLibraryhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gojauntly.apphttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.derbyquad.jewrywall&hl=enhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.overdrive.mobile.android.libby&hl=en_GB&gl=UShttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.co.organise.lcs&hl=en_GB&gl=UShttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.homeconnection.hopehttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.LCCMobon.Mobon.AppAndroid&gl=GBhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.llamadigital.situate&hl=en_GBhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rhe.noiseapp&hl=en_GBhttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.goassemble.appiOS:https://itunes.apple.com/app/borrowbox-library/id562843562?mt=8https://apps.apple.com/app/apple-store/id1150399087https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/jewry-wall/id1354478294https://apps.apple.com/us/app/libby-by-overdrive/id1076402606https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/love-clean-streets/id514610587https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/myhome-leic-leics-rutland/id1445677199https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/lcc-mobon/id1450626432https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/situate/id927969448?mt=8https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/the-noise-app/id926445612https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/assemble/id1422645095 4. What are your budget parameters for this work? We are seeking a steer from suppliers with regards to the budget requirements for the work being requested. 5. How many page temples per app are there to be audited? None of the apps have been developed in-house, therefore we are not aware of the number of page templates being used. 6. Are there Page templates which replicate those in other apps or are they all different? None of the apps have been developed in-house, therefore we are not aware of the number of page templates being used.All the apps are different, created/commissioned by different app developers. 7. When you say testing, do you mean auditing the apps to advise compliance against WCAG criteria and standards or do you require real user testing with people with diverse access needs? In the 'essential skills and experience' we have requested WCAG 2.1 AA level compliance testing, which may require some manual testing as opposed to automated testing alone. In the 'nice-to-have skills and experience' we have included 'real-user accessibility testing' but this could be dependent upon price/availability etc. 8. Is there currently a incumbent supplier in place that provides same/similar type services to LCC? No. 9. Please confirm which iOS and Android version numbers will need to be included to undertake the full scope of accessibility testing of your iOS and Android applications. Our standard ICT Technical Requirements, which are used to commission new apps and other systems, state that "Applications must work in the three most recent iOS and the five most recent Android versions". 10. Please confirm whether any specific device screen sizes will need to be included to undertake the full scope of accessibility testing of your iOS and Android applications. While we don't have a list of specific sizes that require testing - we would like to ensure that testing covers a number of screen sizes in order to be confident that apps are accessible at all breakpoints. This should include extra small smartphones through to large tablet screen sizes for both Android and iOS devices. 11. Are all the apps native (iOS and Android)? All native apps. 12. Will any of the apps use WebView and/or have dynamic content? All native apps which may or may not include webviews. 13. Will you be using app templates? If so, which type of template(s)? Will you be able to provide a breakdown of where there is a template change? None of the apps have been developed in-house, therefore we are not aware of app templates being used. 14. Will you be able to provide a representative sample of key user journeys across your applications? For example, login, form filling etc. If so what type of documentation are you able to provide? None of the apps have been developed in-house, therefore we do not hold this information. 15. Will you provide a breakdown of the main functionality for each app? App info:Borrowbox - https://www.borrowbox.comGo Jauntily - https://www.gojauntly.comJewry Wall - https://www.leicestermuseums.org/jewry-wallOverdrive - https://www.overdrive.com/appsLibby - https://www.overdrive.com/appsLLR Home Connections - https://www.home-connections.co.uk/mobile-app-developed-partnership-leicester-city-council-now-liveCar Parking - https://carparking.leicester.gov.ukKRIII Situate - https://kriii.com/your-visit/facilities-and-accessibility/visitor-centre-app/The Noise App - https://www.thenoiseapp.com/Go Assemble Volunteering - https://www.goassemble.com/mobile/ 16. Leicester City Council mentions: ‘We currently have 20 live apps (10 in Android & 10 in iOS app stores) that need testing * and * various new apps coming soon, *all* must be legally compliant by June 2021 or decommissioned.’ This seems to suggest *all* the apps must be audited by the deadline and yet the contract is 2.5 years. Please can you clarify. We require a supplier who can test our existing 10 apps (in each app store) as close to the June deadline as possible, but we accept some may be tested after the deadline due to the short timescales.The supplier will be retained for the 2.5 year contract to test any new apps on an ad-hoc but mutually agreed basis. 17. Has the release of WCAG 2.2 this year been considered for the contract spanning 2.5 years? Initially we require testing against WCAG 2.1 as this is the current compliance level required in the public sector, however this contract could include testing against WCAG 2.2 at a later date. 18. Do we need to include Android Tablet and iPad as well along with Android Phone and iPhone in our accessibility testing exercise? While we don't have a list of specific sizes that require testing - we would like to ensure that testing covers a number of screen sizes in order to be confident that apps are accessible at all breakpoints. This should include extra small smartphones through to large tablet screen sizes for both Android and iOS devices. 19. Can we know the number of screens in each application? App info:Borrowbox - https://www.borrowbox.comGo Jauntily - https://www.gojauntly.comJewry Wall - https://www.leicestermuseums.org/jewry-wallOverdrive - https://www.overdrive.com/appsLibby - https://www.overdrive.com/appsLLR Home Connections - https://www.home-connections.co.uk/mobile-app-developed-partnership-leicester-city-council-now-liveCar Parking - https://carparking.leicester.gov.ukKRIII Situate - https://kriii.com/your-visit/facilities-and-accessibility/visitor-centre-app/The Noise App - https://www.thenoiseapp.com/Go Assemble Volunteering - https://www.goassemble.com/mobile/ 20. What version(s) of Android and iOS require to be supported? Our standard ICT Technical Requirements, which are used to commission new apps and other systems, state that "Applications must work in the three most recent iOS and the five most recent Android versions". 21. Are there any specific hardware support requirements? Our standard ICT Technical Requirements, which are used to commission new apps and other systems, state that "Applications must work in the three most recent iOS and the five most recent Android versions". 22. Is there a roadmap for the additional application releases? We do not have a roadmap for future apps, but do expect to commission more in the future.The successful supplier will be retained for the 2.5 year contract to test any new apps on an ad-hoc but mutually agreed basis. 23. Would it be possible to complete this work outside of the UK so that we can offer more competitive rates? We are seeking a steer from suppliers with regards to the budget requirements for the work being requested. The location where the testing takes place is not important as long as it is completed to the same standard. 24. What method has been used for development of the apps; i.e. are theynative apps of their respective platforms or hybrid apps based on web technologies? All native apps.