01804 Provision of an Externally Hosted Online Recruitment System

Concepts

• recruitment services
• edinburgh
• information systems
• externally hosted online recruitment system
• an externally hosted online recruitment system
• system
• hosted
• recruitment
• externally
• business services

Location

All of Scotland

Description

This is a voluntary ex ante transparency (VEAT) notice. This notice is to indicate that the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) intends to contract with Oleeo PLC for the provision of an externally hosted online recruitment system for a period of 2 years.

Total Quantity or Scope

The SPS has issued this VEAT notice in good faith and with the intention of issuing a new contract to Oleeo PLC for a period of 2 years, from 1st February 2021 until 31st January 2023. During this time, SPS will continue preparations in the background for a next generation contract, which will see an Invitation to Tender (ITT) issued on approximately 1st February 2022.

Award Detail

CPV Codes

• 79600000 - Recruitment services
• 79000000 - Business services: law, marketing, consulting, recruitment, printing and security
• 48000000 - Software package and information systems

Indicators

• Award on a basis other than price and quality.

Legal Justification

The SPS has a contract for an externally hosted online recruitment system with Oleeo PLC, which expires on 31st January 2021. Going forward, SPS requires continued provision of a reliable, on-line recruitment system that supports the SPS Human Resources Directorate. For any new recruitment system, SPS anticipates a minimum lead time of 12 months for the end to end procurement process from strategy to acceptance testing. In addition, SPS would also have to maintain the parallel operation of the existing system to act as a backup should any new system encounter technical issues. As a result of the impact of the current Covid-19 disruption on SPS operations, the work required to prepare for a new contract has been delayed. Awarding a new contract with the incumbent supplier for a period of time to cover the procurement and implementation of a new system would ensure continuity of service at a time of operational need for SPS. Covid-19 has placed additional pressure on SPS’s ability to recruit Prison Officers. The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 33(1)(c) permits the award of a contract where for reasons of extreme urgency brought about by events unforeseeable by the contracting authority, the time limits for open procedure, restricted procedure or competitive procedure with negotiation cannot be complied with. Furthermore, the complex configuration and interface of SPS’s existing recruitment tool with other SPS applications, precludes competition in the short term for said technical reasons. A reasonable amount of time is required for SPS to engage with bidders in order for them to fully familiarise themselves with the SPS infrastructure and gain a better understanding of the requirements. This is in line with The Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015 33(1)(b). The period for the new contract on the back of this VEAT notice will be for a maximum of 2 years, from 1st February 2021 to 31st January 2023, with no extension options. During this time, SPS will continue preparations in the background for a next generation contract, which will see an Invitation to Tender (ITT) issued on approximately 1st February 2022, opening up competition to the wider market as part of an OJEU Procedure.

Other Information

(SC Ref:754575)