blog.gov.jeToday we have published a pre-qualification questionnaire, the first stage in a tender for services relating to some of our core IT systems. The tender includes four lots:
- Management of Microsoft SharePoint infrastructure
- Design and development of websites
- Management of Microsoft Dynamics CRM systems
- Consultancy, configuration and customisation of a Microsoft Office 365 based intranet
Companies may wish to bid for one or more of these lots.
This blog post gives a broad introduction to the opportunity. Potential suppliers can register and log in to the Channel Island Tenders Portal to access the tender documents. These include an information pack which gives a fuller picture of what services we are looking for. After reading the documents we are inviting companies to complete a pre-qualification questionnaire. This needs to be submitted by Friday 21 September.
Background
The States of Jersey has had websites since 1996. This article provides a history of the evolution of our main site, gov.je over the last 22 years.
In 2008 the content management system that the www.gov.je site ran on was due for replacement. The chief officers of the time made a couple of key decisions:
- The government’s websites were of increasing importance and should be taken seriously. They warranted a significant investment – improving and standardising the look and feel, content style and technology platform.
- They agreed that the sites should be developed, hosted and managed by experts in the private sector, rather than recruiting an expanded team within the then States Computer Services Department.
A tender process followed, a new supplier was appointed, and then in 2009 there was a project to build the new infrastructure and to redevelop the gov.je site from scratch. The resulting site went live in February 2010.
The infrastructure, the website design and the code has been upgraded since then but some aspects are largely unchanged. It is time for some fundamental changes to take advantage of new ways that high-performance websites are built and operated.
Entrusting the day-to-day management of the websites to a private sector company was a bold decision back in 2008. It has worked well over the years, and now is the time to re-tender the contract. This gives other companies the opportunity to work with us, and enables us to check that we are still getting the best value for money.
The four lots
Lot 1 of the tender involves monitoring, patching, securing and supporting a range of States websites – ones accessible only by staff as well as the public ones. We need a company to provide support 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Lot 2 is for companies that can design, develop and enhance our websites such as www.gov.je, statesassembly.gov.je, jerseylaw.je, parish.gov.je and others.
The company that wins Lot 3 will manage and support our Microsoft Dynamics CRM infrastructure and applications. A range of States departments such as the Population Office use these to store information about customers.
Lot 4 is to provide advice, customisation, configuration and support of a new intranet based on Office 365 which we are intending to set up in the coming months.