E TENDERING MASTERCLASS ANN MCNICHOLL TENDERING MASTERCLASS ANN MCNICHOLL COMMISSIONING MASTER CLASS – LEWISHAM Date 24 th September Presenter Ann McNicholl Children England

Aims and objectives: Discuss with commissioners their intentions Clarify the tender process Making the best case Demonstrating value for money and evidence of experience Options and ideas Engage London

Learning outcomes Any additional learning outcomes ?

What makes a good tender submission? Ability to meet the service specification and provide evidenced based service solutions to meet target group and deliver outcomes Evidence ability to deliver the service, previous experience and knowledge of working with the need group and qualifications to do so. Ability to set up and delivery the service and the business skills in running the service – submit business plan. Ability to work in partnership and how this will be achieved. Ability to measure impact and outcomes. Evidence the embedding of policies & procedures within your organisation. Ability to engage & consult with target group to inform services Engage London

Preparation...preparation Read through the entire application form and guidance notes Assess the risks, investment required and engage key stakeholders. Think about each of the questions and ensure you understand what each question is asking. Look at the evaluation scoring. Develop project plan to complete the submission. Pay attention to the clarification questions and answers Attend provider briefing sessions. Ask questions and seek clarification where required. Do not leave the submission until the last minute. Engage London

Completing the application form Get others involved in generating ideas and reminding you of successes, products and insights...but try and have single authorship, or at least very good editing Keep it powerful, factual and relevant Leave plenty of time for quality assurance and proof reading There is a lot of supporting information – get started on that now Know the specification inside out – and focus on its requirement Pay close attention to the Council’s strategic objectives. They need their providers to deliver them Put yourself in the shoes of the evaluator can only score you on what you put down on paper Update policies and procedures with current legislation Your uniqueness is key – the application form provides a lot of assistance

Evidencing skills and experience CapabilitiesQualitative dataQuantitive data Relationships and leadership Creativity Managing feelings

Inputs..Outputs...Outcomes and Impact

Doing the budget Know the cost of your service Where can you make reductions? Keep non staff costs low, but keep them in Does your budget mirror your other proposals (re: expertise of practitioners, for example) Value for money is the right balance of results and costs. Evidence value in terms of price, quality, performance, volumes and ability to bring in additional funds or benefits. You are essentially writing down what you have been doing and what you believe in – don’t doubt it Be aware of others’ costs and prices but DO NOT collude with them Commissioners are not looking for gold plating

Pitfalls to avoid Answer did not address the question. The submission made no explicit link to the outcomes required, it was implied but not explicit. Lack of specificity in meeting the described needs and understanding the complexity of need. Services were based on existing provision with little explicit reference to meeting the requirements of the service specification. Limited explanation given as to what is to be provided (assumed awareness of the organisation’s ability to provide a service) Services were too expensive as it included provision not required in the category provider was bidding for. No reference was made as to how referrals would be received and how assessment of needs would be undertaken. No information given as to how the provider would communicate with other professionals. Business plan did not address the management of risks managing risks, contingency planning or interim service arrangements.

Consortiums and partnerships Be clear that this consortium is not your total business but an arrangement to increase your involvement and expertise in a certain market Agree on a business model. You will all come with different ones and risk wasting a lot of time on internal issues after a contract has been won if you have not clarified this in advance They take time to set up. You will need a company secretary – probably from a member organisation They are worth it if you, with other organisations, want to remain, or become, major players in service delivery. Size of turnover is a significant factor for procurement officers, as is the management of risk Different contracting models: Provider Managing agent Managing provider Super provider

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