Building Schools for the Future programme support

The project issues
Solihull had been selected as a Wave 1 authority for the BSF programme.  Due to its unique circumstances the authority had decided not to set up a Local Education Partnership (LEP).

This required a different approach to the procurement of the programme and the need to consider how the authority would ensure that ICT was fully integrated with the new school building designs.

An added complication was the need to bring the Solihull Centre for Inclusive Learning (SCIL), a BSF quick win project, into the ICT procurement.  As the construction was at an advanced stage, this meant that ICT advice was needed prior to an ICT Managed Service Provider (MSP) being procured and this in turn placed pressure on the overall project timescales.

The Socitm Consulting solution
Working closely with the client and Partnerships for Schools (PfS) a decision was made to procure ICT in advance of the construction and PFI aspects of the programme.

This significantly shortened the timescale for procurement and meant very little slack was left in the overall project for ICT.

We managed the procurement process on behalf of the authority, ensuring close liaison with the construction aspects of the programme and the management of the other advisors to the project (legal, financial etc.)

This took the authority through specification, strategy development, school engagement and invitation to negotiate procedure from project start up to financial close in nine months.  Despite this project being the first of its kind to reach financial close the necessary timescales were met and the authority has now appointed Research Machines plc as its ICT partner for BSF.

We worked with construction team and schools head teachers for the SCIL to ensure that a fit for purpose ICT design was integrated into the new school in preparation for the procured ICT MSP to take over on contract signature.

Work is going ahead to finalise the ICT arrangements in the SCIL and the opening is on schedule for May 2006.

The ICT partner, RM, is now working closely with the authority, supported by Socitm Consulting, to finalise the procurement of the construction and PFI aspects of the programme.

The benefits to the client
Faced with unique and challenging project that needed to be completed in very short timescales, Solihull MBC was able to call on expert assistance with the procurement of an ICT managed service for its BSF schools. With its extensive experience of ICT strategy development and procurement, and its close involvement with many other BSF Wave 1 and 2 authorities, Socitm Consulting was able to assist Solihull and help it bring the project to a successful conclusion on schedule.

Project identification
Client organisation: Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
Client contact: Mark Fenton, BSF Programme Manager, mfenton@solihull.gov.uk
Lead consultant: karen.reddy@socitmconsulting.co.uk
Project no: 5204