Project Brief

Background and Vision

A web estate audit completed in 2018 revealed the existence of around 1,500 unique websites across the organisation. The organic evolution and devolved ownership of our web estate has led to fragmented technologies, standards, and online experience. 

The corporate University Website is the main shop window of the University. It attracts more than 13 million unique visitors globally, with nearly 40 million visits annually. Students are demonstrably using the website resources across their student lifecycle (prospective to alumni), for a variety of purposes. It runs on EdWeb, a custom Drupal 7 platform. While it counts as only one of the 1,500 sites, since EdWeb’s launch in 2014 more than 70% of the University’s business units have migrated to it. This has achieved a more coherent online experience. However, due to resource constraints, EdWeb has accumulated an increasing technical debt and backlog of features and requirements, and for this and other reasons a number of our schools have started to move away from it towards independent web platforms.

To address this resumed fragmentation, and the higher risks and costs associated with it, we have identified a series of activities to comprehensively transform the University’s suite of website services. We will use this procurement process to find a partner with whom we will develop an enterprise web publishing platform, and who will help us develop the people, processes and technology to deliver a new working approach of continuous improvement. The resultant solution will be high-quality, flexible and sustainable in the long-term, geared to improve iteratively in support of changing user and business needs from across the University. In a parallel project, we will also work to create a Website Development Procurement Framework, aimed at standardising third-party web development and site building services for projects or business areas that wish to, or are forced to, work away from our central provision – for bespoke technical solutions for example – ensuring that any resultant design, coding, hosting, etc. meets our standards while offering freedom of choice to our internal teams.

Our vision is a world-class offer, the obvious first-choice for anyone needing a website or services across the University: that will meet their needs now and into the future; one that is low-effort, low-cost or free at point of use; and has the network benefits of large, engaged communities of practice working to common standards, tools and governance. As we look to meet the needs of a broad set of users, we will seek consultation and representation across the University. The teams tasked with writing requirements and the procurement evaluation panel include representatives from a number of areas, including all three colleges. Engagement with these and other stakeholders will only increase as we move into the implementation project.

Drupal’s upgrade calendar, as published in September 2018 on Dries Buytaert's blog, states that Drupal 7 and 8 will reach end of life in November 2021. This effectively sets our deadline for delivery of the new platform.

Dries Buytaert - Drupal 7, 8 and 9

A process of auditing, editing and transitioning our current EdWeb sites to the new website publishing platform will need to be established, streamlining content to be more user-centred and reflect on user journeys.

We wish to establish a close working relationship with the successful bidder, with an emphasis on joint working and the gradual transfer of capability, knowledge and responsibility to in-house teams across all disciplines. The successful supplier will be able to demonstrate extensive experience of this approach in similarly complex environments, preferably within the Higher Education sector.

Examples of good practice

Harvard and Stanford offer excellent examples of what we expect to achieve. A coherent package combining website consultancy, user experience, design, training and support.

Harvard Web Publishing Service

Stanford Web Services

The Oxford Mosaic, though less coordinated with the wider web services, is a great example of a 'centrally maintained and fully supported' 'cost-effective web publishing solution' product. Oxford have proven adept at highlighting the benefits of community investment in the platform, and have been successful in attracting their users back to the central provision. 

Oxford Mosaic Web Publishing

Project planning

This Brief is for the procurement project. Documentation for the implementation project will be developed in partnership with the chosen supplier and our stakeholders across the University.

Scope

The scope of the procurement is to:

• Gather and document the high-level requirements for a new Website Publishing Platform and for our partnership with the eventual successful bidder.
• Decide on the best procurement strategy and follow this approach through to conclusion of a signed contract ready for implementation.
• Plan high-level activities for product development, deployment and content transition from EdWeb to the new platform before November 2021, to be delivered by a separate implementation project.

Objectives

Deliverables

• Prior Information Notice (PIN) [complete]

• European Single Procurement Document (ESPD) [complete]

• High-level requirements for ITT

• Invitation to Tender (ITT)

• Technical architecture documentation

• Recommendation report

• Supplier contract

• High-level implementation plan

Success Criteria

• Complete requirements gathering activities, ensuring all relevant stakeholder groups are identified and engaged throughout the process. 

• High-level requirements are documented and signed off by Supplier Evaluation Panel. 

• All stages of the procurement process are complete.

• Contract with the successful supplier is awarded and signed.

• The implementation project can commence. 

Dependencies

• Resource availability from relevant teams

  • Website & Communications

  • Procurement

  • IS Applications

• Recruitment completion 
  • Web Services Change Manager – to take the Project Manager role [complete]
  • Senior Drupal Developer – to take the Technical Lead role [complete]

Milestones