Download Office for National Statistics Census Transformation Programme

Office for National Statistics
Census Transformation Programme
Market Engagement Exercise | Frequently Asked Questions
and Supplier Questions
13 May 2015
Supplier Day | Frequently Asked Questions
Table of Contents
About this document ......................................................................................................... 3
List of Abbreviations Used in this Document .................................................................. 4
1.
General ........................................................................................................................ 6
2.
Census Transformation Programme (CTP) ............................................................... 9
3.
Use of Administrative Data....................................................................................... 11
4.
Regulatory Compliance ............................................................................................ 13
5.
Government Procurement Policy............................................................................. 15
6.
Programme Procurement Strategy .......................................................................... 16
7.
Supply Chain Management ...................................................................................... 18
8.
Commercial Terms and Conditions ......................................................................... 21
9.
Digital Technology .................................................................................................... 22
10. Security ..................................................................................................................... 23
Supplier Questions........................................................................................................... 25
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About this document
This document is intended to provide the answers to a series of questions that may be of
relevance and interest to organisations that might wish to provide support to the CTP. The
document provides ONS’ official responses to the questions posed.
The document will be updated regularly and provided to suppliers via the ONS website.
This version (and the information contained within) is correct at 27 May 2015.
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List of Abbreviations Used in this Document
Abbreviation
Description
CCS
Crown Commercial Service, a division of HM Cabinet Office.
CTP
Census Transformation Programme.
DWP
HM Department for Work and Pensions
ERG
UK Government Efficiency and Reform Group.
EC
European Commission.
EU
European Union.
FATCA
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (as enacted by the US
Government).
FBC
Full Business Case, as described in HM Treasury ‘Green Book’.
FOI
Freedom of Information, in this instance used to describe the
collective of all the legislation (which includes the Freedom of
Information Act 2000) introduced to ensure a greater degree of
transparency in the administration and management of the public
sector.
HM
Her Majesty’s.
HMRC
HM Revenue and Customs
ICT
Information and Communications Technology.
IP
Intellectual Property.
IPR
Intellectual Property Rights.
IPT
Integrated Project Team.
ITT
Invitation to Tender.
JV
Joint venture
NHS
National Health Service.
OBC
Outline Business Case, as described in HM Treasury ‘Green Book’.
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Abbreviation
Description
OJEU
Official Journal of the European Union.
ONS
Office for National Statistics.
PCR15
Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
PPN
Procurement Policy Note, as published from time-to-time by HM
Cabinet Office and CCS.
PQQ
Pre-qualification Questionnaire.
SME
Small and Medium-sized Enterprise, as defined by the EU.
SRSA
Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.
UK
United Kingdom.
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1. General
Question
Answer
1.
Who is ONS?
ONS is the UK’s largest independent producer of official
statistics and is the national statistical institute for the UK. It is
responsible for collecting and publishing statistics related to the
economy, population and society at national, regional and local
levels. It also conducts the census in England and Wales every
ten years. ONS plays a leading role in providing national and
international best practice in the production of official statistics.
It is the executive office of the UK Statistics Authority and
although they are separate, they are still closely related.
2.
What is the
census?
Every ten years since 1801 the nation has set aside one day
for the census - a count of all people and households. It is the
most complete source of information about the population that
we have. The latest census was held on Sunday 27 March
2011.
Every effort is made to include everyone, and that is why the
census is so important. It is the only survey which provides a
detailed picture of the entire population, and is unique because
it covers everyone at the same time and asks the same core
questions everywhere. This makes it easy to compare different
parts of the country.
The information the census provides allows central and local
government, health authorities and many other organisations
to target their resources more effectively and to plan housing,
education, health and transport services for years to come.
In England and Wales, the census is planned and carried out
by ONS. Elsewhere in the UK, responsibility lies with the
National Records of Scotland and the Northern Ireland
Statistics and Research Agency.
3.
How will the
next census be
delivered?
On 27 March 2014 the National Statistician’s recommendation
for the future provision of population statistics and the next
census was:

An online census of all households and communal
establishments in England and Wales in 2021 as a
modern successor to the traditional, paper-based tenyearly census. ONS recognises that special care will
need to be taken to support those who are unable to
complete the census online.

Increased use of administrative data and surveys in
order to enhance the statistics from the 2021 Census
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Question
Answer
and improve annual statistics between censuses.
This would make the best use of all available data to provide
the population statistics which England and Wales require and
offer a springboard to the greater use of administrative data
and annual surveys in the future.
The Government accepted this recommendation in July 2014.
Further research will be carried out over the coming months
and years to determine the most appropriate blend of methods
and data sources. The future development of the
administrative data use approach depends on public consent
as expressed through Parliament. Data sharing legislation
would be required to maximise the benefits of this approach.
4.
What was the
Beyond 2011
Programme?
Our population is changing rapidly, and the need to understand
these changes will continue. Improvements in technology and
in government data sources also offer new opportunities.
The Beyond 2011 Programme was established in April 2011 to
assess the different possible approaches to producing
population and housing statistics in the future through a
programme of consultation and research. This work culminated
in March 2014 with a recommendation from the National
Statistician to the Government for the future provision of
population statistics.
The Beyond 2011 Programme ended in January 2015, and
marked Phase 1 of CTP.
5.
What response
rate is being
targeted at the
next census?
The Census aims to collect information about every household
in England and Wales. In 2021, ONS would hope to achieve at
least a similar response rate to that of the 2011 Census, where
94% of all households completed and submitted a response.
6.
What will be the
online response
rate at the next
census?
The 2021 Census will be online by default, and it is expected
that the vast majority of respondents will complete their return
that way. Work continues on assessing the likely online
response rate but returns in excess of 65% are already being
obtained internationally. ONS is fully committed to a
maximising online response while providing support to enable
everyone the opportunity to complete their Census return.
7.
Isn't aiming for
around 65% of
responses to be
online a rather
low number?
This is a large increase from the figures of digital returns from
the 2011 Census. With this in mind, ONS have initially set the
target at 65%, but are hopeful that this target may rise as our
delivery solution is developed, and technology is tested.
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Question
Answer
8.
Will the 2021
Census include
Scotland and
Northern
Ireland?
ONS is responsible for planning and delivering the Census in
England and Wales only.
How much will
the census
cost?
The budget for the census has not yet been agreed. The
budget for the 2011 Census was £487 million (though there are
several major differences in the scope of the 2021 Census to
that of the 2011 Census – see notes on CTP below).
9.
The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA)
and National Records of Scotland (NRS) will carry out their
own censuses for Northern Ireland and Scotland respectively.
In line with EU and international requirements for statistical
outputs, ONS will continue to work with NISRA and NRS in
order to provide UK-wide population statistics.
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2. Census Transformation Programme (CTP)
Question
Answer
10. What is the aim of
the CTP?
Following the Government’s acceptance of the National
Statistician’s recommendation for producing future population
and housing statistics, CTP is researching how to make the
best use of all available population data, and is currently
working on the following areas of focus:

run the next census in 2021;

integrate the census, administrative and survey data to
provide better census statistics;

how we might produce population statistics beyond the
2021 Census.
11. How will CTP
result in a better
census in the
future?
CTP is responsible for bringing the aim to life. Improvements
in technology and in government data sources also offer new
opportunities. CTP will make better use of all available
population data and technology.
12. What are the
objectives of the
CTP?
CTP has three main objectives, which on their realisation will
see:
13. How is the CTP
being delivered?

a predominantly online census of all households and
communal establishments (with special care taken to
support those who are unable to complete the census
online)

improved and expanded population statistics being
sourced through the increased use of administrative
data and surveys

the gathering of sufficient information to enable a
decision about the future provision of population
statistics after 2021
CTP is divided into eight phases of work that will continue
through to 2025:

Phase 1 – Beyond 2011 Programme: this was
concluded in January 2015

Phase 2 – Research, design and prototyping (2015
and 2016).

Phase 3 – Testing (2017)

Phase 4 – Development (2018)

Phase 5 – Rehearsal (2019 to mid-2020)

Phase 6 – Collection operations (mid-2020 to 2021)
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Question
Answer

Phase 7 – Analysis, output and dissemination (2022
and 2023)

Phase 8 – Evaluation, future planning (2023 to 2025)
More details on the content of each phase are included in the
Supplier Information Guide, available on the ONS website.
14. What stage is the
CTP at?
CTP has recently concluded Phase 1 (Beyond 2011
Programme), and is presently working on delivering Phase 2.
This phase will see the submission and agreement of the
OBC, together with finalising our plans for the delivery of
Phases 3 – 8. Phase 2 will also see the commencement of
the procurement activity, during the first part of 2016.
15. What about
systems for reuse?
The re-use of complex (and costly) technology solutions
traditionally developed for one-off events is a key area of
focus for both the Government and ONS. This builds on the
lessons learnt from successful public sector led programmes,
where the attention to detail and early planning for legacy
resulted in significant benefits being realised. ONS is
presently investigating where systems for re-use may be
utilised (including in areas such as address frame
development, online data collection, survey management,
administrative data management, and systems for
dissemination).
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3. Use of Administrative Data
Question
Answer
16. What is
‘administrative
data’?
This is data that people have already provided to government,
for example in the course of accessing public services.
Ongoing research will determine how census, administrative
and survey data can be integrated to provide better population
and census statistics.
17. How does ONS
propose to use
administrative
data?
ONS has been using administrative data for many years. For
example, annual births and deaths statistics are used, as well
as NHS patient registrations, in estimating the size of the
population between censuses. Administrative data was also
used to help quality assure the results from the 2011 Census.
ONS is exploring further ways in which administrative data
can be used, for example:
18. Where does ONS
source its
administrative
data?

to help optimise the collection of census data eg in
targeting field staff to where the public will need most
help;

to develop new statistical outputs not previously
possible from a census by integrating census,
administrative and survey data;

investigating whether it will be possible after 2021 to
produce the required statistics without a 10-yearly
census.
Sources of administrative data currently being researched
include those held by the Health and Social Care Information
Centre, Department for Work and Pensions, HMRC,
Department for Education, the Welsh Government and the
Higher Education Statistics Agency.
A full list of the data we are currently using, or have used, in
our research can be found in the CTP’s initial privacy impact
assessment together with a list of other potential sources.
19. What about
preserving the
public’s privacy?
ONS has an excellent track record of keeping people’s data
safe and secure. Our interest is in the production of
population statistics, and in the picture of society that gives
us. We are not concerned with details of individual people.
Confidential answers on the census questionnaire are turned
into numbers by statisticians. The numbers can then be used
by planners to make detailed decisions about what facilities
and services are needed, and where.
Personal information is not shared with local councils, central
government departments or marketing agencies. Census
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Question
Answer
records remain confidential for 100 years.
Finally, the Statistics and Registration Service Act makes it a
criminal offence for anyone to disclose personal information
unlawfully, punishable by up to two years in prison.
20. What about
sharing my data
with other
organisations?
ONS will not release personal data to anyone else. We fully
recognise the need to ensure privacy and confidentiality when
using data - as we have always done with the census. This is
one of ONS top priorities.
To ensure the confidentiality of personal information, all
census systems, processes, staff and contractors are bound
by obligations contained in:

Data Protection Act 1998; and

Census Act 1920; and

Statistics and Registration Service Act 2007.
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4. Regulatory Compliance
Question
Answer
21. Are ONS subject
to FOI?
Yes.
22. Are ONS subject
to PCR15?
Yes.
23. How will ONS
measure ‘best
value’?
Like all organisations regulated by PCR15, ONS will be
required to state on what basis ‘best value’ will be measured,
both during any prequalification and tendering phases of an
activity. ONS are presently developing their ‘Priority Themes’
for the procurement activity, and further working on how these
will be represented in a ‘balanced scorecard’ that will be used
(at programme-level) to describe what ‘best value’ means to
ONS. This information will be shared with suppliers at the
appropriate time.
As a government agency, ONS are a ‘public authority’ – as
defined under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 – and all
information produced by ONS (and potentially its suppliers,
both during procurement and or delivery) will be subject to the
provisions of FOI.
As a government agency, ONS are a ‘contracting authority’ –
as defined under PCR15 – and procurement activity will be
subject to the mandatory and statutory obligations imposed on
ONS by PCR15.
Finally, and also in accordance with PCR15, ONS will be
using whole-life costing approaches to establish the optimum
commercial (financial) solution being presented by suppliers.
This approach will require the use of financial modelling and
evaluation formulae to assist with the evaluation and
identification of ‘best value’ solution being proposed.
24. Can existing ONS
or past census
suppliers tender
for new contracts?
Yes.
ONS are keen to ensure good competition for all of its
procurement opportunities. Furthermore, when undertaking its
procurement activity, ONS will comply with the requirements
of PCR15. Part of these obligations will require ONS to take
appropriate measures to ensure it mitigates against the risks
to any future competition posed by prior knowledge.
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Question
Answer
25. Are non-UK
registered
suppliers allowed
to tender for the
contracts?
Yes.
26. Are non-European
registered
suppliers allowed
to tender for the
contracts?
Yes.
In compliance with PCR15, organisations from within the EU
market area are entitled to take part in any procurement
action that is promoted via the publication of an OJEU
Contract Notice.
However, in order for those non-EU based companies to
enjoy access to the provisions contained in PCR15, such
companies will need to be registered within the EU area at the
time they commence their involvement in a particular
procurement action.
In addition, ONS may ask certain non-EU based companies to
implement additional provisions (at the costs of the supplier
organisation) to ensure and protect the integrity of the data,
IP, technology, systems or solutions being used to deliver the
2021 Census (such provisions being: non-negotiable
minimum requirement of permitting such non-EU based
organisations to participate in a procurement, and being
necessary to counter any undesired effects of ‘Patriot Act’ or
‘FATCA’ type legislation).
27. What is ONS
position on the
‘offshore’ process
and management
of census-related
data?
ONS will source the best value solution to its requirements
from those that the market presents to ONS via any
procurement process, and best value will be measured
against a range of different metrics, relevant to the scope of
the procurement. With regards to data, ONS will be interested
in solutions that ensure ONS are able to keep absolute control
on the security, integrity and robustness of the management
of the data; and further that any risks associated with crossjurisdictional regulatory issues are managed and will not pose
a future burden to ONS with this management and control.
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5. Government Procurement Policy
Question
Answer
28. Will ONS comply
with government
policy when
procuring the
census?
Yes.
ONS strongly support the Government’s agenda for ensuring
transparent, fair and simple procurement procedures that are
available to all suppliers. ONS will ensure that we use the
Governments recommended methods of procuring the goods,
works, and services required (e.g. optimising use of
ContractsFinder, buyer-engagement solutions, and
eTendering solutions) are all adhered to by ONS when
delivering the procurement activity.
ONS will also work to comply with the directions and
requirements of ERG, including those that relate to the
procurement and commercial management of our suppliers.
Finally, ONS will adhere to all PPN’s published by the Cabinet
Office in the delivery of our procurement activity.
29. Have Crown
Commercial
Services (CCS)
been consulted on
the development
of the Programme
Procurement
Strategy?
Yes.
Early engagement in the emerging procurement plans has
already taken place between the Chief Commercial Officer
and CCS Complex Transactions Team; and their initial
reception of the proposed approach to developing and
implementing our Programme Procurement Strategy was
positive. ONS look forward to working with the support of CCS
and the Complex Transactions Team as we move forward
with our procurement plans.
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Supplier Day | Frequently Asked Questions
6. Programme Procurement Strategy
Question
Answer
30. When will the ONS
deliver its
procurement
strategy for the
CTP?
ONS presently envisages submitting the Outline Business
Case for CTP to HM Treasury in the first half of 2016. Part of
the OBC will be the commercial case, which will include the
procurement plans for delivering the census.
31. What will be the
average size of a
procurement
opportunity (by
value or by
duration)?
ONS continue to research and develop our plans for the
sourcing and procuring of the census. At present, we do not
have sufficient detail to be able to state, with any degree of
accuracy, the scale and complexity of any future contract.
However, it is noted that the delivery of the 2011 Census
involved ONS entering agreements with over 30 suppliers
across a range of contracts with values from £10k to over
£150m, and durations from 1 month to 7 years.
32. When will ONS
start the
procurement
activity, and
awarding
contracts?
Some procurement of early services associated with
delivering the Programme has begun already. However, this
is relatively low value in spend (when compared to the main
Programme).
ONS presently envisages delivering further briefings and
updates to supplier organisations between now and then, and
hosting a formal briefing session to present its procurement
plans in the first half of 2016.
Further, although ONS will welcome discussion and
engagement with potential supplier organisations over the
coming months (as a part of the market engagement
activities), the formal launch of the procurement of the main
elements of out-sourced spend associated with the 2021
Census are not expected to commence until the first half of
2016. It is presently envisaged that the award of the earlysourced packages will not occur until mid-2017 at the earliest.
A detailed schedule of all procurements will be published by
ONS later this year (by the end of 2015), and in sufficient time
to enable suppliers to be able to prepare for the procurement
activity.
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Supplier Day | Frequently Asked Questions
Question
Answer
33. Where and when
will details about
individual
procurement
actions be
published?
For direct procurement opportunities (i.e. opportunities with
ONS), details of those live and forthcoming opportunities will
be published on:

our website (www.ons.gov.uk), as they develop and
when it is appropriate to do so; and

Delta eTendering solution (as the appointed
eTendering provider for ONS); and

the OJEU as Contract Notices are published; and

the UK Government Contracts Finder
(https://online.contractsfinder.businesslink.gov.uk/).
ONS will also encourage our supply chain to promote details
of all appropriate indirect procurement opportunities (i.e.
opportunities in the ONS supply chain) via CompeteFor
(www.competefor.com).
34. Will my
commerciallysensitive material
used within a
procurement
process remain
commerciallysensitive?
ONS are a ‘public authority’ as defined under both the
Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Data Protection Act
1998. As such, ONS must comply with the mandatory and
statutory obligations that are included within this legislation.
As such, supplier organisations should be aware that:

any and all information received in response to the
Exercise may be subject to a future request submitted
by an applicant under FOI;

ONS will carefully consider its obligations to release
any information it may hold, giving due protection to
confidential and / or commercially-sensitive
information provided by a supplier organisation:

the final decisions on disclosure under the FOI are
subject to the jurisdiction of the Information
Commissioner, the Information Tribunal and ultimately
the Courts.
Full information on our approach to managing the
confidentiality of information received from our suppliers can
be found on the ONS website, as follows:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/about-ons/businesstransparency/freedom-of-information
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Supplier Day | Frequently Asked Questions
7. Supply Chain Management
Question
Answer
35. What
opportunities are
there for suppliers
to get involved
with delivering the
census?
The delivery of the census will require support from a widerange of suppliers, and ONS are keen to hear the views and
support of those that are interested in working with ONS to
help with the Programme.
36. As a supplier, how
do I get involved?
At present, ONS are in the early stages of developing their
sourcing and procurement plans for the delivery of the
census. To assist with formulating these plans, we are
undertaking a comprehensive market engagement exercise
(the Exercise), and urge all supplier organisations to register
for and complete the on-line survey that will form the initial
contact with supplier organisations. The survey can be
accessed on the following link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ctp_supplier-form
ONS are keen to see active involvement and participation in
the market engagement exercise (the Exercise) from the fullrange of industries and sectors, including (but not limited to):
ICT systems and solutions, data collection / storage /
processing, security, logistics and distribution, professional
services (including management consultancy, legal and
accountancy services), marketing / advertising, digital
technologies, printing / publishing, programme management
support and delivery, agency worker supply, recruitment and
training, professional development.
The survey needs to be accessed and returned by 5:00 pm
BST on Friday 8 June 2015.
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Supplier Day | Frequently Asked Questions
Question
Answer
37. What is market
engagement?
Market engagement is process that enables a customer to
engage with their potential suppliers (the “market”) at all
stages of the procurement process to enable the customer to:
 communicate our needs or requirements to the market;
 openly and transparently discuss possible solutions;
 stimulate innovation in design and delivery of the
solution.
In its broadest definition, market engagement can include any
activity that involves engagement between the customer and
supplier, including: industry / supplier days, focus groups /
workshops, 1-2-1 meetings with suppliers, and written
exchanges throughout the procurement process.
Market engagement is regulated by the Public Contracts
Regulation 2015, meaning that ONS must structure its
approach to engagement and the Exercise, in order to ensure
ONS comply with the Regulations.
38. Will ONS make
any opportunities
available for
SME’s?
The delivery of the 2021 Census represents an opportunity for
businesses of all sizes to get involved during all phases. ONS
will ensure that all potential suppliers (including SMEs) are
engaged, informed and prepared to compete for the business
opportunities most suited to them. ONS will actively
encourage SMEs to participate in the delivery of the project,
and ONS supports the Government’s efforts to make more
opportunities available for SME’s, and ONS will ensure that
the interests of SME’s are featured in the emerging plans for
the future procurement activity.
39. Will ONS receive
applications from
JV and / or
consortia?
Yes.
ONS recognises that JVs and consortia may be essential for
the delivery of the larger packages and thus welcome the
establishment of sensible and appropriate JV and consortia.
However, ONS would expect the JV or consortia to be
established so as to ensure a single party will act as the ‘lead’
party (for the purposes of the procurement activity),
representing the JV or consortia in discussions.
Compliant expressions of interest or PQQ applications
received from JV and consortia will be treated on an equal
basis to submissions from single-entity organisations.
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Supplier Day | Frequently Asked Questions
Question
Answer
40. Are ONS
considering use of
any incentivisation
mechanisms for
managing supplier
delivery?
Yes.
ONS are presently investigating this as a part of developing
its emerging contracting strategy that will form one part of the
Programme Procurement Strategy.
The use of incentives to manage performance of suppliers is
now established practice in the public sector, and ONS will be
looking to both the supplier organisations (via the market
engagement exercise) and other public sector programmes to
identify what may work for the delivery of the 2021 Census.
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Supplier Day | Frequently Asked Questions
8. Commercial Terms and Conditions
Question
Answer
41. Does ONS
propose to use
standard
government terms
and conditions?
Yes.
42. What are the
payment terms on
ONS contracts
likely to be? Will
ONS specify the
payment terms
throughout the
supply chain?
Payment terms within ONS contracts will be aligned to
government policy and will meet all statutory and mandatory
requirements, including those provisions set down in PCR15.
Insofar as it is appropriate and sensible, and where it is in the
best interests of both ONS and the contractor to do so, ONS
will seek to utilise government-standard contract terms and
conditions.
ONS will work to:

ensure prompt payment of the supply chain;

help protect suppliers - particularly SMEs - from poor
payment practices; and

support adherence to the commitments made by tier-1
contractors during the procurement process.
Furthermore, ONS will monitor the payment performance of
our tier 1 suppliers to ensure that they adhere to the fair
payment requirements contained in their agreements with us.
43. Will ONS utilise
the standard
government PQQ?
Yes, where it is appropriate and recommended to do so.
However, in certain instances (where the scale or complexity
of the opportunity in question dictates) ONS will elect to
develop and use their own specific PQQ.
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Supplier Day | Frequently Asked Questions
9. Digital Technology
Question
Answer
44. How will the ONS
plans for delivery
of the census
accord with the
Government’s
‘digital agenda’?
ONS is aligned with the Government’s approach to use of
digital technology in the delivery of public services, as is
described in “Government Digital Strategy (December 2013)”
(the Digital Strategy).
45. How are ONS
managing the
risks associated
with digital
exclusion?
ONS will be assessing respondent needs against the Digital
Inclusion Scale and providing a range of services to achieve
the highest possible response rates. The set of services is yet
to be tied down but could include Assisted Digital, field force
assistance or alternative channels such as telephone or
paper.
46. What is the ONS
policy on use of
open source
software?
ONS is aligned with the Government’s policy of ensuring a
level playing field for open source software when choosing
technology. ONS will demonstrate an active and fair
consideration of using open source software, taking account
of total lifetime cost of ownership.
47. Who will own the
IPR associated
with the census?
ONS recognise that many of the solutions or designs provided
by suppliers to deliver the 2021 Census may contain IP that is
owned and protected by that supplier. ONS will take account
of this ownership in developing commercial relationships.
ONS will ensure that the census digital services meet the
Digital by Default Service Standard.
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Supplier Day | Frequently Asked Questions
10. Security
Question
Answer
48. Will ONS be
adopting the
Government’s
Security
Classifications?
Yes.
All documentation and information across CTP will comply
with the requirements of the Government Security
Classifications (last amended April 2014). ONS will expect its
appointed suppliers to do the same.
49. What minimum
ONS are presently developing our security principles for CTP,
security standards and will confirm these with suppliers when they are confirmed.
will ONS require
These will be in line with industry good practice and
from its suppliers?
government guidelines. When confirmed, these will form the
basis of the security requirements for any census-related
systems or services used to collect, store, transmit or
disseminate Census data, whether they are developed by
ONS or provided by a supplier.
23
Office for National Statistics
Census Transformation Programme
Market Engagement Exercise | Supplier Questions
13 May 2015
Note: the following supplier questions were raised at the
Supplier Briefing event on 13 May 2015.
Questions raised at Supplier Briefing
Section1
1
Supplier Question
ONS Response Provided
2. Census
Given the assumption that the
Transformation 2021 Census will be
Programme
predominantly online, the
proposals presented at the
Supplier Briefing appear to be
better developed than may be
expected at this stage. Is this
correct, or are ONS expecting
further development of the
proposals through a more
iterative process planned in
the future?
To deliver the CTP, ONS are adopting
the use of agile technology, and are
using a much more iterative approach
than with prior censuses. ONS are
presently at the research, design and
planning stages of the census, and are
fully expecting to involve suppliers in
assisting with the development of the
detailed plans for the delivery of the
2021 Census. Further, ONS expect
there to be more involvement in the
development of the detailed delivery
plans during Phases 3 and 4 (a good
example of this are the large-scale
rehearsals planned for 2019, where
the approach to be adopted for the
delivery of the rehearsals will be
developed in conjunction with the
appointed suppliers).
9. Digital
Technology
What is ONS’ view and
approach to the GDS’ “Digital
by Default” strategy? What
guidance can you give
suppliers on the proposed
adoption of the principles of
this strategy in the delivery
plans for the census?
ONS are engaged with GDS in the
development of our delivery plans, and
GDS are very interested in the
proposals for the delivery of the 2021
Census. ONS will be paying close
attention to the implications of the
Digital by Default standard in
developing our plans for the 2021
Census, and ONS will ensure that the
census digital services meet the Digital
by Default Service Standard.
7. Supply
Chain
Management
ONS has asked suppliers to
engage with them now, yet the
majority of the procurement
activity won’t be undertaken
until later in 2016, and 2017.
Many of those organisations
you will be engaging with are
likely to be SME’s, and
therefore may not know their
capacity and appetite for
2017, at this stage. Does ONS
want suppliers to respond to
the Supplier Form on the
basis of their present capacity
and appetite; or for suppliers
to try and anticipate their
future capacity and appetite
for the Programme later on?
ONS are presently in the first phase of
market engagement, and are
undertaking a general assessment of
market appetite and supplier capability.
ONS would therefore like all suppliers
to complete the Supplier Form using
the most accurate information that they
are able to provide. This should,
therefore, be based on present
appetite and capacity, and (where
appropriate) an assessment of shortterm future needs. In due course, ONS
will continue to engage with the market
as the plans for delivery of CTP
emerge.
The suggested Section of the “Model Questions and Answers” document that the question may relate to.
25
Questions raised at Supplier Briefing
2. Census
Based on the evaluation that
Transformation ONS has already undertaken,
Programme
what went:
a) particularly well, and
b) not so particularly well
in the delivery of the 2011
Census.
Chapter 10 of the 2011 Census
General Report (published March
2015 and available from the ONS
website) contains an evaluation of
lessons learnt from the delivery of the
2011 Census.
What went well with the 2011 Census:
 The overall response rate of 94%
was good, with no local authority
achieving a response rate of below
80%;
 The communications and
stakeholder engagement activities
with local authority and community
groups in particular were very
good, and helped manage the
delivery of the census operations
at a local level far easier;
 ONS made good use of the
outsourcing of 2011 Census
operations, resulting in a sound
approach to managing the risks of
delivering the 2011 Census with
our suppliers;
 The prioritisation of our available
field staff resources alongside the
development of our quality and
success criteria was very well
done, and resulted in good
efficiencies in the use of census
resources.
What didn’t go so well with the 2011
Census:
 ONS experienced some issues
with recruiting and assembling the
numbers of the field force on day
one of follow-up that ONS had
identified as being needed to
deliver the census;
 In addition, there were some
logistical challenges associated
with getting laptops and other
equipment to field force staff;
 There were several small-scale
logistical challenges with the
operations;
 The online response rate could
26
Questions raised at Supplier Briefing
have been better than that
achieved;
 ONS could have had the systems
for the census in place earlier (eg
processing and dissemination
systems) than was the case, in
order to ensure their use during the
rehearsal testing phase of census
delivery.
27
Questions raised at Supplier Briefing
6. Programme
Procurement
Strategy
How does ONS propose to
ensure that it is able to source
innovative solutions from the
supply chain through the
procurement procedures that
will be adopted?
3. Use of
ONS have identified that the
Administrative use of administrative data will
Data
feature prominently in the
delivery of the 2021 Census.
Are there any government
departments or agencies that
have been through the process
of migrating the delivery of their
services online that may be of
relevance to ONS and the 2021
Census.
ONS are committed to sourcing the
right solutions to the right challenge,
and will focus on adopting the
procurement procedure that will best
allow this to take place. ONS will also
ensure that the right suppliers are
appointed to manage the right levels
of risk associated with the delivery of
their services. In practice, this will
mean using a variety of different
procedures that will allow suppliers to
propose innovative solutions that help
with our challenges.
Yes.
The ‘Digital by Default’ agenda has
already been mentioned. Most of the
government departments and
agencies that have transactional
relationships with their end-users
(such as DVLA, or DWP with
Universal Credit, for example) are
moving the delivery of their services
online and adopting Digital by Default
standard, and some of their
experiences are relevant to ONS.
However, ONS are slightly different to
these organisations, in that ONS are
not providing a service, in the way that
these organisations do. ONS want our
respondents to the 2021 Census to
respond in the best way that suits
them. Therefore, whilst there may be
some lessons to be learnt from the
experiences of these organisations,
the similarities are not entirely
analogous to each other.
ONS are working with HMRC and
DWP, to source the sets of
administrative data that are held by
these organisations, as this
information will be useful to the
census. However, the sourcing of this
information will not be possible without
the relevant parliamentary approvals.
5.
Government
Policy
What elements of the
‘Government as a Platform’
strategy are ONS focussing on
when planning for the delivery
of the 2021 Census?
ONS are presently developing their
proposed approach to the delivery of
the 2021 Census, and the detail on
how this will support the Government
with their agenda for reuse will form a
part of this approach. Some of the
areas that ONS are presently
28
Questions raised at Supplier Briefing
considering include the use of online
data collection, which may be of some
assistance to other government
departments in managing their
interactions with their customers
(through business surveys and
household surveys, for example).
However, these discussions need to
involve all of the relevant stakeholders
(including GDS) as they develop, so
as to ensure ONS are fully aligned
with the Government’s emerging plans
for reuse.
29
Questions raised at Supplier Briefing
(New Section:
How does ONS plan to ensure
“Accessibility”) that the 2021 Census will be
accessible to deaf people who
perhaps don’t have English as
their first language?
In delivering the 2011 Census, ONS:
 made the questionnaire accessible
in 56 translations (for download);
 worked closely with various
disability groups (and
representative bodies), including
the Royal National Institute for the
Blind, to ensure a version of the
questionnaire was published for
blind people;
 provided a DVD with sign language
for deaf and hearing-impaired
people to assist them with
completing the census.
ONS recognises the need to enable
respondents to complete the census
independently; it is right for them and
for us. ONS presently continues to
develop our plans for the delivery of
the 2021 Census, and will look
forward to working with many
specialist groups to ensure the
maximum take-up and participation
with the 2021 Census is realised.
1. General
ONS has made mention of
lessons learnt from previous
censuses, and of learning of
best practice used in other
Government departments /
agencies. Does ONS interact
with other countries and benefit
from any lessons learnt that
they have on censuses taken
in their countries?
The best way to learn about
challenges and issues in delivering a
census are from other national
statistical institutes.
ONS instigated the International
Census Forum in 2003, which has
met every year since. The Forum is a
useful body for sharing knowledge on
best practice and new technology.
Some of the benefits of ONS being a
part of this Forum have included:
 the US Census Bureau are
planning to deliver their census in
2020, and they held a two-day
workshop last year that involved
other countries discussing current
trends, which was of great benefit
to the US Census Bureau. By
being a part of this workshop, ONS
were able to hear from countries
recent experiences of online
responses. For example, Estonia
has recorded the highest online
rate of any census , whilst Canada
achieved an online response rate
of 58% in 2011
30
Questions raised at Supplier Briefing
 Canada, Australia and New
Zealand typically complete fiveyearly censuses. ONS has been
able to share the experiences of
these countries mid-decade.
The next meeting of the Forum is in
Canada in the autumn, and Shaun
Garvey will be attending
31
Questions raised at Supplier Briefing
6.
Programme
procurement
strategy
Does ONS see any value in
using the Crown Commercial
Service (CCS) Framework
Agreements? Will ONS be
sourcing the census using these
Framework Agreements?
The CCS Framework Agreements (the
“CCS Frameworks”) are a great source
of assistance to public sector
organisations like ONS, and we have
used them to great effect to assist with
delivery of some of our scope already.
We also anticipate using CCS
Frameworks again, in sourcing for the
Programme.
However, like all framework
agreements, there are constraints
associated with their use, particularly in
respect of the census. For example:
 the CCS Frameworks are
established for a general,
widespread public sector
requirements; whereas delivering the
census will involve some specific
procurement challenges that may not
be suitable to a framework
agreement;
 some of the appointments we will
require, on a programme with the
scale / complexity of the Programme,
may be required to be longer in
duration than the ‘rules’ of the CCS
Framework may permit;
 some of the opportunities associated
with the Programme will be larger
than is typically permissible to be
sourced via one of the CCS
Frameworks.
ONS will therefore use whichever route
to market is appropriate for the package
of scope that we are required to source.
The decision on which route to market
will involve consideration of all relevant
factors (which may or may not include –
but not be limited to – the scope,
duration, and specific terms and
conditions relevant to the opportunity;
assessment of procurement risks; CCS
and government policy; our mandatory
and statutory obligations; and finally the
availability or otherwise of an
appropriate existing contract).
ONS is liaising closely with CCS (and
their Complex Transactions Team in
particular) to ensure that our planned
future procurement strategy (and the
delivery model and packaging strategy
32
Questions raised at Supplier Briefing
in particular) meets CCS expectations
for an appropriate route to market.
33
Questions raised at Supplier Briefing
1.
General
How does the ONS plan to turn
the response rates ‘on their head’
(from 15% online / 85% paper –
to 15% paper / 85% online)? Why
did only 15% respond online last
time? What do ONS see as the
biggest challenges to raising this
rate?
The experiences of other countries have
shown that the biggest barrier to getting
somebody to respond online is actually
sending them a paper questionnaire.
Therefore, those countries that have
achieved a high percentage of online
responses (e.g. Canada with 58% in 2011)
have done so by not issuing paper
questionnaires, and instead issuing a
letter or a card with a unique access code
that respondents simply log-on and enter
to gain access to their questionnaire. The
issue of paper questionnaires is then only
given as an option which respondents
must request (thus online is the ‘default’
means of responding to the census). That
model has been adopted by other
countries (e.g. Australia, New Zealand)
with similar degrees of success.
Furthermore, in delivering the 2011
Census, ONS adopted a cautious
approach to promoting online responses,
and we didn’t push online response until
nearer to census day itself. Therefore, the
communications were more focussed
around paper questionnaires, and
receiving / returning questionnaires by
paper.
These are some of the issues that ONS
and the Programme need to test further,
during the testing phase of the
Programme; in order to understand what
messages work (for instance, ONS will
likely prototype, during testing and
rehearsal, various types of invitation letter;
as this could have a positive or negative
influence on achieving a successful online
response rate).
34
Questions raised at Supplier Briefing
7.
Programme
procurement
strategy.
One of the diagrams presented
suggested the design /
development would be
undertaken during 2017; whilst
in the procurement diagrams, it
talked about awarding the main
contracts for delivery in late
2017. Therefore, is it the
intention of ONS to do most of
the design and build in-house,
or will you be using more off-line
/ outsourced processes to assist
with delivery?
In order to deliver the 2017 tests, ONS
will be looking at what we need to
enhance our present internal capability,
and sourcing this appropriately, given
the timescales available. ONS will then
look at the outcomes of these activities,
and what ‘lessons learnt’ can be taken
from the 2017 tests. ONS will then build
on these lessons with those suppliers
that are appointed during 2017 (i.e. in
advance of the 2019 rehearsals and
2021 Census delivery phases), to
ensure that ONS has the optimal
solution of in-house and outsourced
capability to deliver the 2019 and 2021
activities.
It is also worth noting that, at its peak in
delivering the 2011 Census, the
Programme comprised almost 40,000
people; whilst ONS normal staff count is
approximately 3,500 staff.
Notwithstanding that one of the strands
in the Programme is looking at re-use
capability, it doesn’t make any common
sense to permanently recruit these
sorts of numbers of staff for what may
only be a short-term need every so
often. Therefore, it is presently
anticipated that there will be a high
utilisation of supply-chain partners, who
can assist with the progressive
assembling of a temporary workforce.
9. Digital
Technology
Has ONS developed its plans
for the proposed location of its
data, web servers, or collection
servers, at this stage; or is this
still to be developed? Also, do
you propose to use in-house
data storage hardware, or will
you use cloud technology?
These decisions have not yet been
made, and will be considered further
during the course of Phase 2 of the
Programme. There are several
considerations that will influence our
decision-making process, including (but
not limited to):
 the use of cloud-based technology
and systems, and the ability to
alleviate the need for large-scale
semi-permanent storage facilities
under the control of ONS;
 the overriding needs of ONS to be
able to guarantee the highest levels
of security of people’s data (in order
to protect the confidentiality of
respondent’s personal information);
 the need for ONS to be able to
access and disseminate the data, in
35
Questions raised at Supplier Briefing
order to produce the outputs of the
census, which must be free and
unencumbered from any
jurisdictional (regulatory) issues;
 the ability of the Programme to
source the right levels of support (in
terms of local and remote-based
assistance) to enable ONS to
manage its outputs.
These issues (and others) will be
explored further over the course of the
forthcoming period of Programme
activity.
36
For more information
Visit our website www.ons.gov.uk/census
Email: [email protected]
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