Download Brief for Activity Plan Consultant Introduction

Brief for Activity Plan Consultant
Introduction
Aurora Wellbeing Centres (herein known as the Aurora Charity) is
requesting tenders in order to procure a consultant to lead on the activity
and interpretation for the Heritage Lottery Fund (herein known as the HLF)
funded project, Heritage and Health: Returning the Heritage to the Old
Library and Museum, Worksop (herein known as the Heritage and Health
project).
Organisation Background
The Aurora Charity was founded in 2002 in Doncaster and registered as
an independent charity in May 2011. It expanded into its current premises
in Worksop in 2012 and has been growing its services and offerings ever
since. In 2013, a decision was taken to investigate the possibility of
funding from the HLF to help rejuvenate the site and its potential for
inspiring others in the future. With the co-operation of Bassetlaw Museum,
a copy of the full inventory for the former Worksop Museum was obtained,
from which grew the concept of providing a virtual museum and which
gradually evolved into what is the Heritage and Health project.
Project Background
The Heritage and Health project will create new ways for the people of
Worksop and users of the Aurora Wellbeing Centre to engage with the
heritage of this 1938 Grade II listed, purpose-built library and museum
(the latter closed for some time). The Heritage and Health project will
renovate this architecturally important building, create new interpretations
and return heritage objects and heritage activities to this valued
community building.
Project Aims
The main aims of the Heritage and Health project are fourfold:
 Renovate, conserve and restore a significant heritage building
creating a multi-purpose centre
 Create a new space within the centre for the people of Worksop to
celebrate their heritage including physical displays and an
innovative virtual museum to tell the stories of the Old Library and
Museum and its journey to date.
 Develop heritage activity, volunteer programmes and partnerships
to significantly broaden opportunities for engagement with local
people and users of the centre.
 Develop innovative work exploring heritage and health.
Current Status
The Heritage and Health project is currently in the HLF development
phase, following the first round pass awarded in December 2015. The
Aurora Charity is now seeking to appoint a consultant to deliver an activity
plan and interpretation for the refurbished building.
The estimated budget is £25,000, inclusive of VAT. A payment schedule
will be agreed with the successful consultant.
The Aurora Charity is separately appointing a lead consultant for the
capital works elements of the project.
The Brief
The Aurora Charity wishes to appoint an Activity Plan Consultant to
support the delivery of the Heritage and Health project’s development
phase. The consultant will extend and develop the current interpretation,
learning and participation proposals, and devise and test further plans and
activities which will achieve the Heritage and Health project’s
engagement, learning and participation outcomes.
The successful consultant will produce a detailed Activity Plan for
submission with a Round Two funding application to the HLF. This will
include:
1) Plans for Audience Engagement and Development, Learning and
Participation and Interpretation.
2) A fully-costed, 5-year Action Plan for delivering the Activity Plan in the
format stipulated by the HLF.
3) A strategy and framework for evaluation of the outcomes of the project.
4) Sustainability plans for project activities, including how they can be
developed after the project.
The plans should fully comply with current HLF guidelines on Activity
Plans, as set out in their “Activity Plan Guidance” and “Planning Activities
in Heritage Projects” documents. The Activity Plan should be informed by
and consistently focus on the Aurora Charity’s priority audiences. Before
starting, the consultant must ensure that he/she is fully aware of the latest
requirements of the HLF (Strategic Framework 2013-2018) and be wellversed in the guidelines for this work.
Scope of Work
The successful applicant will work alongside the Project Manager, Project
Support Officer, Project Board and the established Heritage meeting
groups to deliver outcomes as follows.
Audience Engagement and Development

Identify potential priority audiences, analysing the nature and size of
each potential group.

In consultation with the Aurora Charity, propose a methodology for
developing an understanding of audiences which can support the
kinds of engagement, learning and participation which the Aurora
Charity seeks to achieve.

Commission and manage, or directly deliver, audience research
using the agreed methodology, and produce or supervise production
of summary reports based upon it.

Create consultative forums to support the development of the
Interpretation and Learning and Participation Plans, as well as
improved opportunities for volunteering.

Use the work of these forums to inform the audience development
process.

Work in conjunction with the HLF Project Manager in evaluating
visitor flow, access, engagement and response to proposed
interpretation areas and activities.

Where a need arises, test market response by devising and delivering
pilot activities.
Learning and Participation

Review the current offer for visitors and learning audiences (including
local schools and children participating in established programmes
but also primary and secondary schools, FE institutions and adult
education providers) to analyse the extent and quality of this offer.
This should include detailed consultation and evaluation with current
and potential users.

Extend this consultation to identify current and future needs, and the
learning and participation opportunities the Aurora Charity might
deliver to meet them.

Undertake a full review of current participation opportunities within
the Aurora Charity, including volunteering opportunities, with a focus
on the quality of these opportunities and on participants’ aspirations
in respect to these.
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Extend this review and consultation to identify current and future
needs, and the opportunities the Aurora Charity may have to meet
these needs.
Devise a Learning and Participation plan, identifying a range of
potential activities and projects, with a strong focus on audiences and
delivery, which references best practice in learning and volunteering.
Test viability by devising and delivering a number of pilot activities,
taster sessions, events etc. for specific audiences.
Produce a detailed Activity Plan, including strategies for Audience
Development and Learning and Participation, plus a detailed, fully
costed Action Plan for delivery.
Propose a sustainable framework on which the development and
delivery of learning outcomes for different target audiences can be
based.
Ensure the Activity Plan proposes the most effective means of
achieving engagement, learning and participation for priority
audiences, including:
o Local people and tourists from the UK
o Potential International Visitors and Tourists
o All those interested in new learning opportunities
o Young people and hard to reach groups
o Those interested in participating in educational and cultural
activities
o Potential volunteers, particularly in relation to Welcomers,
Stewards and Guides
o Potential partner organisations among community, education
and other groups.
Interpretation
The successful consultant will be required to develop plans for the new
interpretation of the building in line with the overall learning aims of
activities and exhibition materials and to ensure consistency at all times.
The successful consultant will be required to develop a visual record of
the finalised work, either as an artist’s impression or using digitally
manipulated photography. This will demonstrate to the Aurora Charity
what will be delivered within the advertised budget and confirm to the HLF
that what will be delivered will be reasonable and within the scope of the
Heritage and Health project.
Evaluation
The successful consultant will be required to assist the Aurora Charity in
developing an effective and achievable Evaluation Plan and feedback
facilities that can be used to monitor audience responses, ongoing
activities and sustain an awareness of audiences’ expectations of, and
responses to, the Aurora Charity.
Development of Job Roles
The successful consultant, in conjunction with the Project Manager, will
be responsible for the development of role descriptions for volunteers
involved in formal and informal learning.
Reporting
The successful consultant will report to the Project Manager, submitting
regular reports and attending Project Board and the HLF meetings as
required. These should be provided electronically to the Project Manager
and then the requisite number of hard copies provided at the meeting. The
Project Manager will advise the successful consultant of the membership
of the relevant groups.
Project Timescales
The work should be carried out between July and December 2016, with a
draft plan available for the HLF review meeting at the end of January 2017,
with a final plan submitted for approval by the Aurora Charity by March
2017. It is not expected that the Aurora Charity would need to make more
than typographical/ stylistic tweaks to this document in the run up to a
round 2 application submission in May 2017. The successful consultant
should be available for comment in the weeks leading up to the
submission.
The Aurora Charity will also be developing internally, with the assistance
of finance specialists, a Business Plan for the Heritage and Health project.
It is anticipated that input from the successful consultant into this
document will be required during Autumn 2016. The fee for this has been
included in the budget quoted at the start of this document.
Tender Requirements
The Aurora Charity requires all those invited to quote to submit a proposal
to carry out this project that covers the following:
 Project methodology and programme – short, succinct and practical
in nature
 Outline of the project team (including CVs)
 Fixed price project fee, plus estimate of reasonable expenses
 Two references
The tenderer should be able to demonstrate:
 Previous experience of preparing and delivering successful
audience development/ activity plans within a historical setting.
 Methodology for delivering an effective activity plan within the time
frame of the Round 2 application to the HLF. This must include an
adequate consultation programme.
 Demonstrable understanding of the HLF process.
 Experience of working with local groups and communities.
 Proven skills in consultation and education.
 Proven experience of working with large groups of volunteers and
delivery of cultural change within third sector organisations.
The tender should be provided in both electronic and paper format.
Tender Evaluation
The criteria for the recruitment of a consultant is as follows:
Selection criteria
Weighting
Quality and experience
40%
Methodology and approach to
commission
30%
Tender Price
15%
Interview
10%
Location of supplier (ease of
meeting at the Aurora charity’s
premises in Worksop)
5%
TOTAL 100%
The award of the contract will be based on the most economically
advantageous tender in terms of the stated criteria.
Contact Details
Please email any questions regarding this brief to:
[email protected]
or please telephone: 01909 470985 and ask to speak to Benjamin
Eckersley, HLF Project Manager.
Submission of Tenders
Quotations must be received by Noon on Friday 10th June 2016.
Quotations may be submitted either electronically or via post. If sent via
post, envelopes must be marked on the front with the phrase “Activity Plan
Tender”. There should be no other identifying marks or company details
on the envelope.
Any quotations received after the deadline will be immediately disqualified
from the process.
All proposals should be a maximum of 20 pages in length – preferably
shorter – excluding appendices.
Short-listed candidates will be invited to attend a presentation and
interview process on Wednesday 22nd June 2016.
All those involved in the tender should be available to attend on this date,
as short listed candidates will be required to provide a short presentation
outlining why they are best suited to the work tendered.
Please ensure that a fixed price is included with all quotations and send
completed tenders to:
Benjamin Eckersley
HLF Project Manager
Administration Office
Aurora Wellbeing Centres
The Old Library
Memorial Avenue
Worksop
S80 2BJ