School ICT News Bulletin No. 247 - 16/04/2015 Published by ICT Shared Services Norfolk Broadband - procurement process for new contract from 2016. Norfolk County Council is tendering to replace the connectivity and internet services for schools as well as corporate services and other partners. The tender will include the option for telephony services. We will be asking the market to propose services based on the requirements and outcomes that schools require from services. To ensure that we involve as many schools as possible in the process to cover schools requirements we are developing a consultation and communication plan to align with the procurement process timeline. Firstly we attended Headteacher Association meetings where possible before Easter, secondly we held a workshop with Schools’ ICT Steering Group colleagues and a separate one with some Schools Network Managers to help us devise a plan for speaking to as many schools as possible throughout the process. We would welcome the opportunity to attend cluster meetings to discuss any particular concerns or feedback. A detailed procurement timetable will be made available as soon as possible. We envisage placing an OJEU advert in mid-May and provisional contract award in early December 15. From discussions with schools there are key themes from the majority of stakeholders for increased speed, value for money, greater flexibility with different options for e-safety but we wish to understand what that means in terms of the choices you would be interested in purchasing from 2016. So we will be inviting you to complete a survey to help us to develop the Invitation to Tender and gauge the importance of various requirements for individual schools to guide the market responses. The survey will be available very soon. The requirements will be stated to bidders in terms of the services required and will be generally neutral as to how they propose to deliver services. The procurement process will be undertaken by NCC Corporate Procurement Service and supported by ICT Shared Services. We will ensure there are opportunities throughout the process to engage and consult with schools in the selection process. There is no obligation to purchase services by participating in the process however the more indication from schools we have for potential commitment will help us to achieve the best deal from potential bidders. Once the selection process is complete and the contract awarded, then schools will be offered the options available to purchase services from 2016. Could the following also be included in the ebulletin after Broadband and as a news item please: Purchasing ICT Consumables From the start of the summer term ICT Shared Services is proposing changing the way schools purchase ICT Consumables to a quicker and more cost effective process. This change is being made following your feedback related to costs and time to respond to quotes. Our analysis of the cost and time taken to provide these types of quotes to schools shows we are not adding any benefit to the process. It is more cost effective and responsive route for schools to purchase these catalogue items direct from ESPO or via ESPO’s Framework 109 supplier for non- catalogue ICT consumables. Our analysis shows we are not getting any additional discounts from the ones provided by ESPO or their supplier. The change affects the purchase of the following items: Projector Bulbs Mice & Keyboards External USB Hard Drives / External USB DVD / CD Drives Printer Cartridges Headphones Cables – such as iPad cables, Monitor Cables, Network Cables Firstly – via the ESPO catalogue for catalogue items Secondly if the consumable items shown above are not available in the catalogue then contact the ESPO contractor direct as follows: The Supplies Team Jenny Reardon Account Manager Tel 0843 538 3311 Ext 5072 Fax 0844 371 9437 Email jenny.reardon@supplies-team.co.uk Warranty Claims for projector bulbs can be carried out with Epson directly via their website via an online chat session or by emailing customer.service@epson.co.uk For Pro-Tech Plus Schools, your technician will be able to provide you with support for this. Likewise if you are not sure of the correct item to purchase, then your technician can help with this for Protech Plus schools and ICT Protech customers please contact the Service Desk. ICT purchasing for hardware, applications, networking etc ie non-Consumables ICT Shared Services will continue to offer procurement support for the purchase of larger ICT items. These requests can be logged in the usual way via the ICT Shared Services Help Desk. The move away from providing procurement support for ICT Consumables means we can focus on the products where we can make a cost difference as well as providing a better overall procurement service and improved pricing of ICT equipment. We are looking at other options for improving the procurement service via an on-line catalogue. More details on this will follow shortly. Author: ICT Shared Services

School ICT News Bulletin No. 247 - 16/04/2015

Published by ICT Shared Services

Norfolk Broadband - procurement process for new contract from 2016.

Norfolk County Council is tendering to replace the connectivity and internet services for schools as well as corporate services and other partners. The tender will include the option for telephony services. We will be asking the market to propose services based on the requirements and outcomes that schools require from services.

To ensure that we involve as many schools as possible in the process to cover schools requirements we are developing a consultation and communication plan to align with the procurement process timeline.

Firstly we attended Headteacher Association meetings where possible before Easter, secondly we held a workshop with Schools’ ICT Steering Group colleagues and a separate one with some Schools Network Managers to help us devise a plan for speaking to as many schools as possible throughout the process. We would welcome the opportunity to attend cluster meetings to discuss any particular concerns or feedback.

A detailed procurement timetable will be made available as soon as possible. We envisage placing an OJEU advert in mid-May and provisional contract award in early December 15.

From discussions with schools there are key themes from the majority of stakeholders for increased speed, value for money, greater flexibility with different options for e-safety but we wish to understand what that means in terms of the choices you would be interested in purchasing from 2016. So we will be inviting you to complete a survey to help us to develop the Invitation to Tender and gauge the importance of various requirements for individual schools to guide the market responses. The survey will be available very soon.

The requirements will be stated to bidders in terms of the services required and will be generally neutral as to how they propose to deliver services.

The procurement process will be undertaken by NCC Corporate Procurement Service and supported by ICT Shared Services. We will ensure there are opportunities throughout the process to engage and consult with schools in the selection process. There is no obligation to purchase services by participating in the process however the more indication from schools we have for potential commitment will help us to achieve the best deal from potential bidders.

Once the selection process is complete and the contract awarded, then schools will be offered the options available to purchase services from 2016.

Could the following also be included in the ebulletin after Broadband and as a news item please:

Purchasing ICT Consumables

From the start of the summer term ICT Shared Services is proposing changing the way schools purchase ICT Consumables to a quicker and more cost effective process.

This change is being made following your feedback related to costs and time to respond to quotes. Our analysis of the cost and time taken to provide these types of quotes to schools shows we are not adding any benefit to the process. It is more cost effective and responsive route for schools to purchase these catalogue items direct from ESPO or via ESPO’s Framework 109 supplier for non- catalogue ICT consumables. Our analysis shows we are not getting any additional discounts from the ones provided by ESPO or their supplier.

The change affects the purchase of the following items:

Projector Bulbs
Mice & Keyboards
External USB Hard Drives / External USB DVD / CD Drives
Printer Cartridges
Headphones
Cables – such as iPad cables, Monitor Cables, Network Cables

Firstly – via the ESPO catalogue for catalogue items

Secondly if the consumable items shown above are not available in the catalogue then contact the ESPO contractor direct as follows:

The Supplies Team

Jenny Reardon

Account Manager

Tel 0843 538 3311 Ext 5072

Fax 0844 371 9437

Email jenny.reardon@supplies-team.co.uk

Warranty Claims for projector bulbs can be carried out with Epson directly via their website via an online chat session or by emailing customer.service@epson.co.uk For Pro-Tech Plus Schools, your technician will be able to provide you with support for this.

Likewise if you are not sure of the correct item to purchase, then your technician can help with this for Protech Plus schools and ICT Protech customers please contact the Service Desk.

ICT purchasing for hardware, applications, networking etc ie non-Consumables

ICT Shared Services will continue to offer procurement support for the purchase of larger ICT items. These requests can be logged in the usual way via the ICT Shared Services Help Desk.

The move away from providing procurement support for ICT Consumables means we can focus on the products where we can make a cost difference as well as providing a better overall procurement service and improved pricing of ICT equipment. We are looking at other options for improving the procurement service via an on-line catalogue. More details on this will follow shortly.

Author: ICT Shared Services

School ICT News Bulletin No. 247 - 16/04/2015

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