HSE Call Off Order Form (COOF) from the Independent Shared Service Centre Two (ISSC2 Framework Agreement)

Concepts

• liverpool
• management consultancy
• consultancy services
• issc2 framework agreement
• critical business support services
• the shared business support services
• the independent shared service centre two (issc2 framework agreement
• the independent shared service centre two
• order form
• the service recipients

Location

Liverpool

Description

In December 2012, HM Government published 'Next Generation Shared Services: The Strategic Plan' which set out its proposals for the consolidation, standardisation and simplification of Back Office Transactional Services between and across Central Government to facilitate improvements in the delivery and reduction in the costs of such services, in support of the Government's cost reduction targets. On 29 March 2013, the Cabinet Office as Framework Authority advertised a notice in the Official Journal of the European Union (2013/S 063-105796 - the 'original framework notice'), its intention to establish a single supplier framework. Pursuant to the advertised notice, and in accordance with the Public Contract Regulations (PCR) 2015, the ISSC2 Framework Agreement was awarded to Shared Services Connect Ltd (SSCL) as the single Contractor to provide shared business support services including human resources, finance and accounts, payroll and procurement to Crown and other public sector bodies. This ISSC2 Framework Agreement, therefore, established the basis on which Crown and other public sector bodies were able, during the Call-Off Period, to enter into Call-Off Agreements (called Call Off Order Forms or 'COOFs) with the SSCL for the provision of the shared business support services. ISSC2 Framework Agreement provided the terms and conditions pursuant to which shared business support services were to be provided. [HSE] (the 'Authority') Call Off Order Form (COOF) sourced the provision of shared business support services from ISSC2 Framework Agreement originally commencing from 1st November 2013 to 31st Oct 2020. The Authority exercised an option to extend the term of the COOF, provided for in the original procurement documents, to 31st Oct 2023. It subsequently extended the COOF term for an additional period of 2 years so as to expire on 31st October 2025.

Ammendments to Previous Notice

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 79400000 - Business and management consultancy and related services

Indicators

• Contract modified due to additional needs.

Legal Justification

In accordance with the published Shared Services for Government (SSfG) Strategy, the Authority is part of the Synergy Cluster. This SSfG Strategy has been progressing as planned since its launch in 2021. Due to collaborative working across the Civil Service, 17 departments and over 100 arms-length bodies have grouped together in 5 clusters, including the Synergy Cluster, to transform the back-office functions of Government. The SSfG will reform and modernise services leading to smarter, cheaper, faster systems across the 5 clusters. As part of the strategy the technology and business process service elements will be split, in contrast to the current single supplier solution. The complexity of implementation of the Synergy Cluster arrangements including the phased exit from the incumbent solution provided by SSCL to align to the cluster and split technology and business service approach, that include the Authority, means that new shared services will not be procured and associated systems and solutions will not be fully implemented before the Authority's COOF with SSCL expire by 31 October 2025. The Synergy Cluster considered a number of options to secure the continued provision of the business critical services. These services are dependent on a bespoke operating platform, the SOP, which incorporates proprietary material and interfaces with numerous other systems within the respective Synergy Cluster members' IT environments. Which would need to be re-procured/ replicated in any interim solution and which would necessitate at least some continued reliance on the incumbent supplier SSCL. The time taken to procure an interim, temporary solution (pending finalisation of the live re-procurements) would result in significant duplicative and nugatory cost. There would be insufficient time to exit the SSCL solution, move to the new interim solution and then transition to the solution of the providers procured via the current procurements. A change in supplier without the lengthy handover period would risk the failure in the delivery of the shared business support services which provide payments to employees (i.e. payroll) and suppliers. Therefore, an extension to the COOF is essential for safeguarding the uninterrupted continuation of the shared business support services and critical operational arrangements, whilst providing the foundation for a safe transition to new and improved shared services under the Synergy Cluster for the Authority. As described above, the Synergy Cluster has finalised the technology re-procurement and is currently procuring the business process services that will implement the SSfG Strategy vision. It is anticipated that the incumbent services provided under the COOF will transition to these new arrangements before the expiry of the extended COOF. i.e. on or by 31st Oct 2028 with a ramp down of incumbent services during this period. The value of the modification does not exceed 50% of the value of the original contract.