Defence Online

Type of document: Contract Notice
Country: United Kingdom

1. Title: DIGITAL DELIVERY CENTRE SUPPORT FOR NEW HMRC SERVICES
2. Awarding Authority: H M Revenue and Customs, GB. Web:
3. Contract type: Service contract
4. Description: The Awarding Authority is looking for a supplier who can bring a wide range DDaT skills, knowledge and experience to help meet delivery demand for new customer-facing digital services, bringing new public facing user journeys from Discovery to Live service
5. CPV Code(s): 72261000, 72212000
6. NUTS code(s): UKI, UKI3, UKI32, UKE42, UKG21, UKM75
7. Main site or location of works, main place of delivery or main place of performance: Location No specific location, for example they can work remotely
Delivery centres are in the following locations:
Worthing,
Newcastle,
Leeds,
Telford,
Edinburgh
8. Reference attributed by awarding authority: Not provided.
9. Estimated value of requirement: Budget range Estimated to be in the range of £40m – £70m over 2 years
10. Closing date for applications 12.5.2021 (23:59).
11. Address to which they must be sent: For further information regarding the above contract notice please visit
12. Other information: Deadline for asking questions Wednesday 5 May 2021 at 11:59pm GMT
Latest start date Monday 2 August 2021
Expected contract length 24 months, with an optional 6 month extension
About the work
Why the work is being done HMRC is the UK’s tax and customs authority. It collects the money that pays for the UK’s public services and gives financial support to people.
HMRC is a high-volume business with almost every UK individual and business is a direct customer.
Our network of state-of-the-art digital delivery centres (DDCs) enable HMRC’s customers to self-serve their tax affairs using multi-disciplinary, agile teams to create and build new digital services.
Our services reduce the tax gap through making it easier for users to do the right thing, and reduce contact costs through automating the interaction.
To build on previous delivery success, HMRC is looking for a partner to help with new digital service development bringing a range of DDaT capability covering user-centred design and technical skills.
Problem to be solved HMRC require a partner to deliver both the design and technical aspects of new front facing digital services developed in Scala using a micro-service architecture, meeting Government Digital Service standards.
This will include (but is not limited to) providing technical agile specialists incorporating work in scrum teams and delivering in phased sprints.
Specific delivery requirements will be managed through outcome based statements of work covering a variety of new service initiatives.
Who the users are and what they need to do Users of our digital services include a range of taxpayers, and their agents managing tax affairs online.
We build services that encourage and facilitate users to use digital channels, designing for accessibility and incorporating services to assist users unable to to use digital channels.
Early market engagement
Any work that’s already been done The contract will support new/greenfield service discovery/delivery.
Existing transitional contracts with suppliers will expire on 30th September 2021. We anticipate the new supplier will onboard prior to any contract transition.
Existing team You will be expected to work alongside civil servants and contingent labour.
We will look to provide support from Product & Delivery roles where suitable, assigning a Product Manager responsible for acceptance of deliverables.
Our delivery centres also include suppliers supporting existing beta/live products and services, and co-working should be expected dependent on the service.
Current phase Not started
Working arrangements All work will be completed in line with Covid-19 restrictions and our 3rd party access policies.
We expect a significant portion of work can be completed remotely/at supplier’s office location, however resources will be expected to attend key agile ceremonies where a multi-supplier model is in place.
No additional expenses will be chargeable to HMRC for travel or accommodation in the agreed base office locations per Statement of Work. Travel expenses will be paid in line with HMRC Travel & Subsistence policy.
Security clearance All must have BPSS as a minimum.
Preference is for contractors in certain roles to already hold SC clearance, however we would be willing to sponsor the SC clearance process at the supplier’s expense.
Additional information
Additional terms and conditions The supplier will have had experience working to the UK Government’s Service Standards ().
The supplier will provide HR management support to each individual resource. Any capability or behaviours concerns will be raised by HMRC to the supplier, who will then need to act on these. HMRC will have the right to move an individual off of the account if standards of capability or behaviour are breached.
All expenses must be pre-agreed between the parties and must comply with the HMRC Travel and Subsistence (T&S) Policy ().
Skills and experience
Buyers will use the essential and nice-to-have skills and experience to help them evaluate suppliers’ technical competence.
Essential skills and experience
Experience holding a significant multi-team contract within a large organisation in last 2-years providing relevant skills, roles and resources against a variety of technologies required to form a delivery team.
Have demonstrable experience of successfully developing services using a variety of pragmatic and appropriate Agile approaches.
Proven expertise using Scala and the Play! Framework to develop cloud-based micro-service architecture services with both HTML web frontends and JSON APIs.
Competency with using Splunk, MongoDB, Oracle, Grafana, Jenkins, GitHub and familiarity with building and maintaining cloud-native applications.
Advocacy of test-driven development practices, writing quality unit tests/code and demonstrable experience devising / implementing automated testing capability, including testing at different levels (e.g., unit testing and UI-driven testing).
Demonstrable experience of using design and user research to develop services which adhere to the UK Government’s Service Standards ().
Supplier will have demonstrable experience of creating end-to-end user journeys, using evidence and user research findings to create easy to use services from complex policy.
Experience completing user research working with seldom-heard groups, for example, people with access needs or low digital literacy.
Demonstrable experience of collaborative working with a client’s ‘in-house’ teams, including coaching and mentoring, and knowledge sharing.
Demonstrable experience of providing additional and/or value added activities when acting in the role of a partner supplier to an organisation
Nice-to-have skills and experience
Demonstrate experience of working alongside and coordinating activities with other delivery partners as a part of larger IT deliveries, including participating in “joined up” testing activities.
Demonstrable Experience in designing to style guides and pattern libraries, in line with Government Service Standards
Demonstrate experience of designing systems for use across multiple services, identifying the simplest approach from a variety of approaches.
Demonstrate experience in carrying out evidence based iteration of deliveries
Demonstrate experience of creating journey maps and service blueprints and understanding the value these artefacts bring to a delivery.
Demonstrate experience of using Product vision, Product Roadmap and of Product backlog prioritisation management
Demonstrate a working understanding of accessibility considerations and standards that must be adhered to
Experience of presenting and explaining design decisions, with the ability to facilitate discussions within the team or with diverse senior stakeholders, to balancing stakeholder needs with those of the user.
How suppliers will be evaluated
All suppliers will be asked to provide a written proposal.
How many suppliers to evaluate 5
Proposal criteria Technical capability as demonstrated in their written examples, and during the presentation.
Cultural fit criteria
Describe how you will create employment, re-training and other return to work opportunities for those left unemployed by COVID-19, this could include workplace schemes /opportunities for Digital apprenticeships and traineeships.
Describe how your organisation will create employment opportunities particularly for those who face barriers to employment and/or who are located in deprived areas.
Describe how your organisation will create opportunities for entrepreneurship and help new, small organisations to grow, supporting economic growth and business creation.
Describe how you have improved workplace conditions that support the COVID-19 recovery effort including effective social distancing, remote working, and sustainable travel solutions
Describe your plan to create a diverse supply chain to deliver the contract including new businesses and entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals.
How will you demonstrate collaboration throughout the supply chain, and a fair and responsible approach to working with supply chain partners in delivery of the contract?
Payment approach Fixed price
Additional assessment methods
Case study
Presentation
Evaluation weighting
Technical competence
55%
Cultural fit
15%
Price
30%
TKR-2021429-EX-1603655