Planning

Workforce Skills Assessment in Children’s Social Care

  • Department for Education

F01: Prior information notice (prior information only)

Notice identifier: 2024/S 000-005888

Procurement identifier (OCID): ocds-h6vhtk-043c51

Published 23 February 2024, 8:32am



Section one: Contracting authority

one.1) Name and addresses

Department for Education

Sanctuary Buildings, 20, Great Smith Street

London

SW1P 3BT

Email

carody.vyse-peacock@education.gov.uk

Country

United Kingdom

Region code

UK - United Kingdom

Internet address(es)

Main address

https://education.app.jaggaer.com/web/login.html

one.3) Communication

Additional information can be obtained from the above-mentioned address

one.4) Type of the contracting authority

Ministry or any other national or federal authority

one.5) Main activity

Education


Section two: Object

two.1) Scope of the procurement

two.1.1) Title

Workforce Skills Assessment in Children’s Social Care

two.1.2) Main CPV code

  • 72220000 - Systems and technical consultancy services

two.1.3) Type of contract

Services

two.1.4) Short description

The purpose of this PIN is to initiate market consultation and is not being used as a call for competition. The PIN is intended to raise awareness with the market of a potential future procurement process and to enable time for organisations to begin early discussions with the Department for Education (the department) and each other as to how they may be able to deliver any future contract.

This will consist of an event between interested suppliers and the department. We aim for this event to take place in w/c 11 March 2024 online. If you are interested, please contact carody.vyse-peacock@education.gov.uk to arrange an invitation to the event. We intend to share the questions and answers from the session with all potential suppliers. The deadline for expression of interest in this event is Friday 8 March.

This will relate to the department’s aim to gather information for a potential procurement process to grow our understanding and knowledge about the key people involved in using Children’s Social Care (CSC) data and running digital services within local authorities (LAs), as set out in the CSC data and digital strategy.

We are aware that there are gaps in the department’s knowledge of skills, capability and capacity in data and digital systems in CSC. To help fill these gaps we will expect the supplier to use a mixed methods approach, this will include undertaking a desk-based review of existing evidence, possibly employing web-scraping or similar to analyse relevant LA job adverts and compare them with other sectors. A survey would be required to produce useful estimates for other factual ‘core’ information. To deliver this work quickly the supplier will require deep existing network with LAs to easily reach the right people.

We are looking to procure a suitably experienced supplier to:

1. undertake an assessment to gain a better understanding of the LA CSC analytical data and digital workforce;

2. produce a report summarising findings. The findings should be presented in a way that the department can publish and share with the sector to support them to improve their own services; and

3. provide information and evidence of what the sector needs to enable the department to understand how we can support the sector to grow its data and digital capabilities.

two.1.5) Estimated total value

Value excluding VAT: £150,000

two.1.6) Information about lots

This contract is divided into lots: No

two.2) Description

two.2.2) Additional CPV code(s)

  • 72222300 - Information technology services
  • 72223000 - Information technology requirements review services
  • 85300000 - Social work and related services

two.2.3) Place of performance

NUTS codes
  • UK - United Kingdom

two.2.4) Description of the procurement

The purpose of this PIN is to initiate market consultation and is not being used as a call for competition. The PIN is intended to raise awareness with the market of a potential future procurement process and to enable time for organisations to begin early discussions with the Department for Education (the department) and each other as to how they may be able to deliver any future contract.

This will consist of an event between interested suppliers and the department. We aim for this event to take place in w/c 11 March 2024 online. If you are interested, please contact carody.vyse-peacock@education.gov.uk to arrange an invitation to the event. We intend to share the questions and answers from the session with all potential suppliers. The deadline for expression of interest in this event is Friday 8 March.

This will relate to the department’s aim to gather information for a potential procurement process to grow our understanding and knowledge about the key people involved in using Children’s Social Care (CSC) data and running digital services within local authorities (LAs), as set out in the CSC data and digital strategy.

We are aware that there are gaps in the department’s knowledge of skills, capability and capacity in data and digital systems in CSC. To help fill these gaps we will expect the supplier to use a mixed methods approach, this will include undertaking a desk-based review of existing evidence, possibly employing web-scraping or similar to analyse relevant LA job adverts and compare them with other sectors. A survey would be required to produce useful estimates for other factual ‘core’ information. To deliver this work quickly the supplier will require deep existing network with LAs to easily reach the right people.

We are looking to procure a suitably experienced supplier to:

1. undertake an assessment to gain a better understanding of the LA CSC analytical data and digital workforce;

2. produce a report summarising findings. The findings should be presented in a way that the department can publish and share with the sector to support them to improve their own services; and

3. provide information and evidence of what the sector needs to enable the department to understand how we can support the sector to grow its data and digital capabilities.

two.3) Estimated date of publication of contract notice

18 March 2024


Section four. Procedure

four.1) Description

four.1.8) Information about the Government Procurement Agreement (GPA)

The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement: Yes