Crown Commercial Service and Google Cloud sign MoU to boost cloud innovation

The new agreement will allow you to take full advantage of technologies across the whole range of Google Cloud’s services and enterprise grade (large-scale) cloud solutions at a significantly discounted rate. These include services for infrastructure, analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), application modernisation, development, and collaboration solutions.

Public sector organisations will also be able to use Google’s multi-cloud management platform, Anthos, designed to help businesses manage IT resources running in the Amazon, Google and Microsoft clouds, as well as those hosted in on-site environments.

Establishing new routes to market and supporting the digital ambitions of organisations across the entire public sector has been a strategic deliverable for CCS and this MoU marks a great milestone in delivering value and operational choice.

For further information please contact Adam Stewart, Google Cloud Regional Manager for UK Public Sector at adamstewart@google.com or call 07919 113421. To speak to one of the CCS team, please email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

New digital filtering tools for management consultancy and legal services

The tools are designed to guide you to capable suppliers by filtering by specialism and region of the UK. This will enhance the flexibility and simplicity of buying through the following frameworks:

  • Management Consultancy Framework (RM3745)
    • for objective advice in a number of areas, which may include the identification of options with recommendations as well as implementation and delivery. The services on this framework are divided into 7 lots, each with a selection of different service lines that you can filter by: finance, audit, HR, health and community, education, infrastructure and ICT and digital.
  • Management Consultancy Framework 2 (RM6008)
    • runs in parallel with Management Consultancy Framework for objective advice in a number of areas, which may include identifying options, with recommendations, as well as implementation and delivery. The services on this framework are divided into 4 lots, each with a selection of different service lines that you can filter by: business, strategic, complex and transformation, and procurement, supply chain and commercial.
  • Legal Services for Wider Public Sector (RM3788) 
    • for  legal advice and services across all UK jurisdictions. Access full service and regional firms across a variety of specialisms including social housing, education, and primary care, and specialist lots for law in relation to property and construction, and rail. Although primarily for the wider public sector, lot 1 is available to central government on a limited basis.

Accessing the tools

To use either of the filtering tools please follow the links below and select ‘create a CCS account’ to register:

Legal services digital filtering tool

Management consultancy digital filtering tool

If you would like to use both tools you only need to create one account. You can use the same login details for both tools. 

If you have any questions about using these new tools please email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk with ‘management consultancy digital tool’ or ‘legal services digital tool’ in the subject line.

Social distancing solutions and much more from our new Furniture framework

This new agreement can support your organisation as you plan to reopen amid the new measures that have been put in place by the government, as well as your more general needs, from secure to recycled furniture.

Listed suppliers are offering a range of products including protective screens, hand sanitiser stations and temperature screening booths, as well as consultancy services to help plan space in line with social distancing guidance. There are also temporary solutions available, including working from home and removable furniture for when circumstances change.

Following customer feedback, the new agreement has been developed to provide a wider product offering than the previous iteration, and now includes:

  • security-rated CPNI (Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure) furniture for securing your assets
  • fitted and bespoke furniture 
  • specific furniture for the education sector
  • remanufactured and recycled furniture; a cost-effective and sustainable alternative

Elizabeth Riley, CCS Commercial Lead for the framework, said:

“We have extended what we have on offer with this brand new framework, in response to buyers’ needs.

“CCS consulted with a number of key stakeholders to understand the need for secure and bespoke furniture, and the needs of our education customers have also been included.”

80% of suppliers on this framework are SMEs, supporting the Government’s ambition that, by 2022, one third of procurement spending is with small and medium-sized businesses.

Visit the framework page to find out how you can get started today.

Security solutions for a COVID-secure workplace

Thermal cameras for temperature screening

Using infrared technology, thermal cameras can detect radiating heat from a body to provide an estimated core body temperature. These cameras are an extremely powerful tool, often deployed by firefighters to track smouldering embers and police to search for out-of-sight suspects. Technology has been developed in several formats from hand-held units to mounted cameras, providing increased safety as they allow measuring of multiple people, without the need for physical contact. Thermal cameras will enable businesses to rapidly check the temperature of staff or visitors as they enter a building without contact. They are suitable for workplaces with high footfalls; for example, there are thermal cameras that can scan more than 120 people per minute.

Fixed camera

  • ideal for covering entrances and hallways
  • high efficiency, only one second to detect a person
  • accurate
  • easy installation and configuration

 Handheld wireless mobile camera

  • ideal for mobile use, moving quickly between different venues
  • flexible and quick deployment
  • easy connection, cable free

Face mask detection

  • ideal for checking when and where face masks are required
  • clear intuitive display settings e.g.  red for temperature, orange for missing mask, green for wearing mask and within required temperature range
  • fast history search, selected by temperature and/or mask status 
  • real time alert and voice prompt from camera when an individual is not wearing a mask
  • fast deployment and cost effective, only one camera required

Physical access controls

Controls such as pin pads or biometrics should be assessed, especially where direct contact is concerned. For organizations at higher risk e.g. larger footfalls where there is increased difficulty to manage end-to-end security, the implementation of non-contact inspection of ID by guards might work in the short term with a view to transition to more advanced contactless systems (automated turnstiles/doors) in the long term.

Touch-free temperature screening terminal can be used to give staff an easier way to enter a building, record attendance and simultaneously check temperature without having to touch a terminal or gate, using face recognition and thermographic technologies. The touch-free nature of the terminals makes access easier and safer, suitable for long-term temperature screening with access control for any scenarios with a high footfall of people. Systems can also be provided that allow for people to ‘self-check’ their temperature.

Touch free access control 

  • ideal for contactless doorway access
  • thermographic camera built-in delivering efficient temperature measurement
  • real-time skin-surface temperature display
  • face mask detection 

Entrance metal detector door 

  • ideal for main entrances where immediate testing is required for both metal detection and skin surface temperature together
  • on-board thermal camera providing accurate skin-surface temperature measurement
  • includes a live display for real time skin-surface temperature
  • light and audio alarm built-in
  • fast deployment

Personal proximity sensors 

These can provide visible, audible and vibrating alerts when pre-set distancing rules are broken. These can be provided in a number of formats, from a removable sensor that can be attached to a belt or pocket using a hook, to a more advanced sensor that can be incorporated into a badge holder. 

Digital display and signage 

In order to enable social distancing, it’s imperative that buildings and facilities limit the number of people allowed inside. Many supermarkets, for instance, have a current maximum of 100 people let in at a time.

 The security market can provide automated density control solutions, which will automatically provide clear signage and ways to avoid overcrowding.

Digital display solutions are useful for clearly communicating live information to all your staff by combining temperature screening, density control and face mask detection information with digital and video messaging. It lets individuals know when they can enter your building along with displaying any specific messages in real-time.

All of these services are available to access under lots 1a (security services) and 1b (technical security) of our Workplace Services framework. Visit the framework page to find out more. 

Keep your fleet clean and go green with our Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Solutions

In June 2019, the UK became the first major economy to pass legislation to end its contribution to global warming by 2050 through becoming carbon net zero. 

This means any emissions will have to be balanced by schemes to offset an equivalent amount of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere – replacing vehicles with internal combustion engines with zero emission vehicles, for example. 

At a policy level, the 2017 Autumn Statement set out that government fleets would “electrify 25% of their car fleets by 2022 and…100% by 2030”. This Government Fleet Commitment is now captured within the Government Buying Standards for Transport. 

It’s acknowledged that there’s a local nature to the air quality problem, with hot-spots across the UK. This means that at a regional level, public sector organisations are determining how best to tackle the air quality within their areas, resulting in a variety of approaches.

The demand for electric vehicles across the public sector – from operational fleets to the employee travelling for business, as well as public network users – has started to take shape. The momentum for vehicle charging infrastructure installations is expected to be extensive over the coming years, continuing for a generation.

How we are addressing the market

While the vehicle charging infrastructure market is young and fragmented, the supply base is growing significantly, from small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to large suppliers.

This is a growing market, responding to the global environmental agenda. It presents an opportunity for the public sector to meet their social value priorities.

We have responded to this demand and developed a dynamic route to market that provides a suite of vehicle charging infrastructure solutions. 

Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Solutions (VCIS)

We have implemented a Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), as it allows suppliers to join at any point, resulting in a responsive solution that adapts to the market as capabilities develop. 

For you, this means the ability to shape your contract to suit your requirements, safe in the knowledge that you can access the very latest, cutting-edge, solutions. 

The Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Solutions agreement is available for you to use now,  giving you access to a range of products and services in the following areas:

  • funding options: the products and services available through the DPS are grouped under three main headings: buyer funded – purchase or lease, supplier funded or where the funding model is yet to be decided
  • location: services across England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales
  • consultancy and feasibility: professional advice and services to help you understand what you need and your funding options
  • groundworks, civil engineering and construction: to help you design, construct and deliver solutions. Importantly, including facilitation of Distribution Network Operator connection
  • hardware, accessories and associated delivery services: for supply and installation including payment solutions, along with training, maintenance and decommissioning 
  • software and back office solutions: enhancing your infrastructure management through the use of data and intelligent analysis
  • end to end service: for a fully managed solution

Watch our buyer webinar or use our step by step guide to find out more about how to access the DPS to buy your vehicle charging solutions.

More graduates ‘Get into Teaching’ thanks to our Communication Services framework

The uncertainty coronavirus (COVID-19) has brought means those with responsibility for student recruitment are being forced to evaluate and optimise every area of their marketing and communications strategies. 

Many of our framework suppliers are experienced in delivering effective recruitment campaigns, to great impact, in challenging environments. 

In this case study, we explore how the Department for Education (DfE) addressed the decline in the number of graduates who were being recruited into teaching roles by engaging a supplier on our Communication Services framework.

The challenge

In the hugely competitive sector of graduate recruitment – and unable to compete with the starting salaries offered by the big corporate graduate recruiters – DfE faced an uphill challenge to remain relevant to those about to leave university. As such, the teaching profession was struggling to retain its desirability with this audience. 

The challenge for suppliers was to reappraise DfE’s ‘Get into Teaching’ media plan to drive greater awareness and relevancy with the student and graduate audiences. 

With their specialist knowledge, they were best placed to understand how best to showcase the ‘Get into Teaching’ campaign with this hard-to-reach audience and demonstrate the profession as a viable career option.

The solution

Gaining a deep insight into the target audience to understand how their perception of teaching could be influenced was a critical first step. 

To do this, the chosen supplier worked closely with the DfE’s research agency, Populus, to understand when and how their perception of teaching could be influenced. 

As a result of this work, the supplier created in-depth audience segmentation which directly informed a revised media strategy. 

There was clearly a role for broadcast media in showcasing the emotive brand message of the campaign: driving awareness and inspiring individuals to consider a career in teaching. However, their insight confirmed that opportunities to reach younger audiences via TV were in decline. 

The insight also revealed seasonality played an important role in engaging the target audience. 

The greater ‘mental availability’ of students and graduates over the summer to consider a career – evidenced by a significant uplift in online searches for ‘graduate jobs’ – was a clear opportunity to influence the audience, particularly as the DfE had historically under-invested in advertising over the summer months.

ITV programme Love Island offered the supplier a highly effective opportunity. It offers a high volume of the right audience at the right time – a ‘sweet spot’ of TV programming optimisation. 

The supplier showcased a longer-form commercial in a premium position in the launch episode and took advantage of the further audience available within the ITV Player platform. 

The supplier also developed an enhanced role for advertising in cinemas. Based upon their insights, they moved away from the traditional model of selecting films with the biggest reach, instead selecting key films that resonated with the target audience. A highly engaging, impactful environment, cinema is a ‘must-have’ for reaching this audience in a highly social setting.

The outcome

  1. Taking advantage of the advertising opportunities available on ITV Player, in addition to the TV spot in Love Island, doubled the reach of those seeing the ‘Get into Teaching’ commercial’ – adding a further 640,000 unique users to the 616,000 reached via the TV spot.
  2. Activity on the ‘Get into Teaching’ site spiked during Love Island, with a 22% increase in sessions and a 25% increase in new users. Paid search performance improved six-fold at the time of the TV and on-demand transmission.
  3. So successful was this activity that budget was ring-fenced to support an amplification strategy during the next academic year. The reach and impact of ‘appointment to view’ programming opportunities were to be enhanced with relevant video on demand products and other programming-led content such as podcasts.
  4. The latest brand tracking results show the decline in student and graduate consideration of teaching has been arrested – consideration held at 48%, providing a solid base to increase applications from this group.
  5. An 18% year-on-year uplift in website registrations for June – August 2019, with the activity contributing an additional 10,000 applicants for teaching over this period.

Want to know more? 

Regardless of your marketing and research needs – from integrated campaigns and media buying support to research, monitoring, evaluation services – our frameworks are here to help.

For more information, please visit our webpage or contact us. 

 

The Buying Digital Community – a virtual success

American author and public speaker, Scott Berkun once said:

“Most people doubt that online meetings can work, but they somehow overlook that most in-person meetings don’t work either”. 

This view led me to think about ways in which we could plan and prepare for a community gathering online, without losing the ‘community spirit’ we achieve when we all come together in one room for our regular meet-ups. 

Identifying ‘virtual’ challenges 

We decided to use Zoom to host our meeting, but there were a number of factors to take into consideration when it came to planning for this new way of working. Firstly, we’ve probably all experienced ‘death by powerpoint’ and in an in-person setting you are somewhat trapped – a captive audience. In a virtual setting you can simply close out of Zoom and go and do something more interesting. So, our challenge was to figure out how we could run an engaging event within the limitations of online conferencing.

Collaboration and creation

Content was key to getting this right, and given that we are currently living through a worldwide pandemic, we decided we would like to support our community by talking about topics which would resonate with them during this testing time. We collaborated with some fantastic guest speakers to deliver hour long sessions across the 4 days, which touched on a wide range of topics including engaging with SMEs and making the most of commercial during the COVID-19 pandemic, an update on IR35 and its implications within the DOS framework, and a more ‘pastoral’ session on the power of introverts, led by the renowned brand consultant, Richard Etienne.  

Using screen-sharing, virtual rooms, and real-time messaging enabled discussions to flow, ideas to be exchanged, and challenges to be debated. We were also aware that the silence of a newly formed breakout group could feel doubly uncomfortable without visual cues, so we ensured that each group included someone who did not experience  ‘stage fright’  to get the ball rolling. Having relevant, timely topics that you know people will have an opinion on also helps, as does the text messaging feature, so that people can raise their comment or question without interruption.  

On average, our sessions were attended by around 60 members of the Buying Digital Community which we felt was a huge success, and in contrast to planning a face to face meet-up, virtual conferencing was a breeze logistically.

How to get involved

This first step into online events has certainly fired up the Enhancing Capability team and our focus now is to expand this to a wider audience, with a wider range of topics that the Buying Digital Community needs. If you want to find out more or get involved you can contact me by email on simon.smith@crowncommercial.gov.uk. For more general questions, please contact our customer service centre at info@crowncomercial.gov.uk.

Simon Smith
Enhancing Capability Team

First North East, Yorkshire and Humber Skills Academy event is a hit

Prior to the COVID-19 emergency, our regional team for the North East, Yorkshire and Humber, led by David Bemrose, were exploring different ways of engaging with customers across the region to improve Crown Commercial Service’s (CCS) presence and to better support their needs.

After identifying a number of key customer stakeholders, we began to develop a new programme with them to establish regional networks and harness and build a series of learning and development opportunities. Phil Hodgson, strategic business manager for the region, set up a customer board to help us develop appropriate and valuable topics for discussion, with sessions which would benefit the public and third sector community across the region. 

The first of these sessions were scheduled to take place in 2 venues in Leeds and Newcastle, delivered by our partner colleagues at DAC Beachcroft. We were delighted at the time that both sessions were fully subscribed – only to then hit the lockdown, meaning the postponement of both of the sessions.

Getting innovative during lockdown

Not to be defeated though, the regional team and customer board started to explore alternative options using the available technology to plan for virtual engagement events that could maintain customer engagement through the period of disruption.

Working with our colleagues in CCS and DAC Beachcroft, we created a session titled ‘What contract changes are permitted by procurement law’ which took place on 28 May. This focused on Procurement Policy Note (PPN) guidance and Regulation 72 aspects and was a timely subject given the current pandemic.

The result

We were astounded by the response we received from customers in the region, reaching the maximum number of virtual delegates within 72 hours of releasing the event, showing us that we had selected a key topic of interest for customers.

We have already had some great customer feedback from both of these events. 

Stacey Speakman, Senior Category Manager at North Yorkshire Council said:

The feedback has been really positive on the recent regional skills academy webinar. The team have been attending various webinars recently which have all mainly been a glorified sales pitch for products or services, whereas this one they will be able to apply the knowledge and importantly use it in this current time!

Get involved

If your organisation is based in the North East, Yorkshire and Humber region and you’re interested in attending upcoming Skills Academy events focused on ‘How to identify and manage risks in IT procurement’ please contact David Bemrose at david.bemrose@crowncommercial.gov.uk for more information.

How we can help you

This is just one example of the type of work we are doing with many customers across the UK. If you are not part of such a group and would like to discuss establishing or joining a group in your region to support local recovery, please get in touch with your regional lead:

Technology to support the education sector

Following the government guidance on the wider opening of schools from 1 June, and enquiries we’ve had from customers across the education sector about technology requirements for the new term in September, we wanted to let you know how we can support you moving forward. 

We can help you put the right technology systems in place to support students remotely for those remaining at home and in the learning environment, including using technology to enable social distancing. Below we’ve outlined the areas we can help you with.

Broadband connectivity

Is your broadband slow or struggling to maintain a good connection when joining online conference calls? Lot 3 for Broadband Services on the Education Technology framework can help you to ensure you have a good connection speed, and also help ensure your students are safe online with broadband solutions tailored to the sector. You will need to run a further competition for this, guidance for which can be found in the documents section on the framework page.

Remote learning platforms for schools

Did you know that you might be eligible for a grant from the Department of Education (DfE) for a remote learning platform?

Schools who are either partially provisioned or who don’t have access to a learning platform may be eligible for funding to help implement one. This can be either Microsoft Office 365 Education or Google Suite for Education. The procurement is being led by DfE using Education Technology, which means you can use your preferred supplier from the framework. Find out more and confirm if you are eligible.

IT hardware (including audio visual equipment for video conferencing)

With some students returning and others remaining at home, you may want to consider:

  • Do you have enough IT hardware? 
  • Are you looking at replacing/upgrading your existing IT ready for the new school term in September? 
  • Do you still require IT for disadvantaged pupils whilst at home?

If you need IT with a quick turnaround you can use our online catalogue which covers lot 4 for Hardware lot 5 for Audio Visual on the Education Technology framework. The online catalogue can help you buy products such as laptops, Chromebooks, tablets, IT accessories, networking, interactive whiteboards, digital signage, video conferencing equipment and much more. To use this route, simply register as a buyer, then you can search for your IT product (including stock levels from each supplier), click and buy in 3 simple steps. 

If you have a larger project, you can conduct a further competition to ensure you are getting value for money and products that are fit for the school, colleges or university’s requirements. We have a dedicated commercial agreement manager that can help and support you on your journey. To get in touch, email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk.

Further guidance for using the online catalogue and for running a further competition can be found in the documents section on the framework page.

In addition to the above, Education Technology agreement can also support you if you need managed services.

Buying software and hardware?

If you need a full solution including hardware and software, for video conferencing for example, you will need to use lot 1 for Hardware, Software and Associated Services on the Technology Products and Associated Services framework. You can either run a further competition (inclusive of price and quality weightings) or a simplified further competition (price only weightings) for this. Guidance on both buying processes can be found in our customer guidance document.

We’re here to help

For more information on Education Technology, or any of our technology frameworks, you can visit the framework page or email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk to speak to one of our team.

Cyber security now and in the future

Cyber security is an evolving landscape, with cyber attacks increasing and affecting more and more organisations across the public sector every single day. New data protection regulation (GDPR) came into force in 2018 and organisations responded by improving security procedures and systems. But the threats still remain, with cyber criminals developing more sophisticated ways to infiltrate and harm our systems and misuse data.

Due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, more of us are now working from home and are adapting to new ways of working. This experience often involves finding somewhere quiet and secure to work, using laptops and mobile devices and online tools to aid team working. Security remains a key consideration and your IT departments will have been working hard to address the risks posed by home working.  

Top tips to mitigate the risk

Many of these risks are not new, but may have increased as we work in a possibly less secure environment during a time of heightened anxieties. The good news is that plenty of advice is available, both from your security teams and from national experts. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has a wealth of information on its website, including specific advice about working at home and dealing with more email scams, as cyber criminals try to take advantage of the current emergency.  

Look further and you will find advice about strengthening passwords. Many of us now suffer from “password overload” and can be tempted to reuse passwords, note them down in an easily accessible place, or include familiar names. Using a password manager can address this issue by creating random, unique passwords and saving them securely. 

Finally, for those of you tasked with buying on-line conferencing services, NCSC offers advice about performing a risk assessment on what providers can offer.

We’re here to help

At CCS, we have a dedicated commercial agreement for cyber security services. The current version is a dynamic purchasing system (DPS), which offers a comprehensive range of services needed by our customers to manage and protect systems and data. More information about our DPS can be found on our website.

We are also working more and more to understand the supplier landscape and put the customer at the heart of our plans to help us to develop future commercial agreements. 

Talking to customers in the current COVID-19 pandemic is not as easy as it used to be, as customers have other priorities to focus on. However, customer insight is still crucial to us, so we have designed a simple, online survey which should take about fifteen minutes to complete.

Please take the survey and help us to make our commercial agreements work for you. If you want to talk to us, give us more information or find out about our plans, our contact details are at the end of the survey, or to speak to us about using the current DPS, please email info@crowncommercial.gov.uk.