Phase 1 Functionality
Directory of local services
Item
Essential/
Supplier Response
Desirable
This directory must be able to hold multiple pieces of
Essential
Information about each service. Examples of such
pieces of information include (not exhaustive):
• Name of supplier
• Address 1
• Address 2
• Address 3
• Address 4
• Postcode
• Telephone number
• Email address
• Website address
• Description about background of supplier, services
provided, etc,
• Opening hours
1.1
• Categorisation of services available
• Photo of service
• Logo of service
• Embedded video files
• Cost of service
• Reviews of the service posted by other users of
the site
• Link to formally published reviews of the service by
groups such as the Care Quality Commission,
• Position on Google Maps (desirable)
• ‘How to get to there’ link with TFL Journey Planner
(desirable)
• Cluster map of different matching records on
single zoomable map – with alternatives if java
disabled (desirable)
• Charity registration number
The standard range of information held about each
Essential
service can be edited to reflect changing requirements
1.2
over time, solutions will be favoured if this editing can
be undertaken by Authority staff.
The ability to add in additional fields.
Essential
1.3
Blank fields in a record held within the directory do not
Desirable
1.4 display when viewing the website.
The directory must be able to hold information in a wide
Essential
range of formats to be able to support the multiple
pieces
1.5
of information specified above
Examples of such formats include (not exhaustive):
Phase 1 Functionality
Directory of local services
Item
Essential/
Supplier Response
Desirable
• Free Text
• Structured Text (i.e.: address format including
postcode)
• Numeric
• Hypertext
• Categorised options
• Image files e.g. Jpegs
• Date and time
• Metadata format e.g. XML files
Information can be loaded into the directory by
Essential
Authority staff.
1.6
(It would be expected that, in the first instance the
Supplier would be responsible for the initial upload of
the data to populate the directory)
Solutions must support mass-uploads of information
Essential
from structured sources (such as .csv, .xls or XML
1.7
files), solutions will be favoured if this can be managed
by Authority staff.
Solutions that can interrogate third parties’ Internet sites
Essential
and extract information to be displayed in the directory
will be favoured.
1.8
The process for collecting this information from other
sites should support validation by the Authority prior to
it being published.
The online directory must include functionality allowing
Essential
information to be bulk downloaded into a standard and
editable format (ie an xls file), so that it can either be
1.9
edited prior to a subsequent bulk upload by the
Authority or used to feed other information sources
(such as printed service directories)
The online directory should be quick and easy to
Essential
validate, edit and approve / or reject new entries
submitted, must include an easy check for duplicate
1.10 entries, and functionality allowing nominated Authority
staff to instantly remove inappropriate content from the
website 24/7 basis.
The online directory must include a caveat stating that
Essential
the inclusion of a service does not constitute
recommendation of the service by the Authority
1.11
Please note that the wording for this caveat would be
provided by the Authority.
Third party organisations which wish to add or revise
Essential
1.12 information are able to upload it to the website.
Phase 1 Functionality
Directory of local services
Item
Essential/
Supplier Response
Desirable
The ability for nominated Authority Staff to preview this
information before it is published on the site is a
necessity.
Entries need checking every 6 months – record owner
sent advance notice of record expiry 1 month and 1
week in advance.
Essential
Solutions must include a basic and advanced search
function.
Basic search function to search on full phrases and
individual words.
1.13 Advance search to include the ability to search all fields
held within the backend database.
The ability to search in different ways e.g. via A to Z
type format or key word search or category browse.
Solutions must include a search function with the ability
Essential
to find services (for example) within a 5 miles radius of
1.14 users post code.
Solutions must include the ability to categorise the
Essential
services available in the directory, solutions will be
1.15 favoured if this categorisation could be undertaken by
Authority staff.
Searching widgets available on our corporate website
Essential
1.16 to link directly into the database.
Ability to search for keywords (including tagged
Desirable
categories) which looks up a list of synonyms and
1.17 common misspellings to help users find the correct
entry.
Monthly reporting on how often records have been
Essential
1.18 viewed and most popular searches.
Phase 1 Functionality
Feed-back and Interaction systems
Item
Essential/
Supplier Response
Desirable
2.1
Shopping basket: This will allow users to add/delete
Essential
listings to their basket as they browse and search the
directory. They will also be able to link from the listing
directly to the point of payment or booking where this is
available at source. The shopping basket (or short list of
services) should be re-created if the user leaves the site
but returns later.
2.2
The solution should include the ability for people who use
Desirable
.
Phase 1 Functionality
Feed-back and Interaction systems
Item
Essential/
Supplier Response
Desirable
social care services to provide feedback on the quality of
the care they have received from specific providers.
Please include the option for comments to be accessible
by an Authority administrator in the first instance until
verified.
This feedback system must include a ‘rating’ function,
Essential
.
where people can categorise the quality of service
received with a single click. In the example of
Amazon.com, this rating is divided into 5 categories:
• 5 (Excellent)
2.3
• 4 (Good)
• 3 (Fair)
• 2 (Poor)
• 1 (Awful)
The Authority will define these categories at a later date.
The feedback system to include questions which people
Essential
can respond to with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer (via radial
button or drop down list).
2.4
These questions will be defined by Authority staff.
The feedback system to include a space for free text
Essential
comments.
Please include the option for Free text comments to be
2.5
accessible by an Authority administrator in the first
instance until verified as well as comments being posted
on the site immediately.
The feedback system must collate responses so that
Essential
people can see a summary of people’s views of the
service provided by a supplier.
2.6
Please include the option for comments to be accessible
by an Authority administrator in the first instance until
verified.
The feedback system must include functionality allowing
Essential
nominated Authority staff to instantly remove inappropriate
2.7
content from the website on a 24/7 basis.
The feedback system must include a caveat specifying
Essential
that the comments posted do not represent those of the
Authority or the site provider. This should also specify that
2.8
the site is not actively monitored by the Authority, which
will only actively review comments when they are ‘flagged’
by a user as inappropriate.
Phase 1 Functionality
Feed-back and Interaction systems
Item
Essential/
Supplier Response
Desirable
Please note that the wording for this caveat would be
provided by the Authority.
Phase 1 Functionality
Online events Calendar
Item
Essential /
Supplier Response
Desirable
The solution should include an online calendar which can
Desirable
be used by people to find out events relating to social
3.1
care which are taking place in the area.
Solutions will be favoured if this calendar can be populated by
Desirable
3.2
trusted third parties, as well as nominated Authority staff.
People viewing this calendar can ‘click through’ to more
Desirable
information about the event or supplier, either via a pop-up
box or through a hyperlink to another web page (ie: one
3.3
holding publicity materials about the event, or a separate
webpage where people could book a place online).
People can email a nominated member of staff to suggest an
Desirable
3.4
event to add to the calendar.
Phase 1 Functionality
Reporting Facility
Item
Essential /
Supplier Response
Desirable
The solution must include the ability for nominated
Essential
Authority staff to generate reports on trends of use of the site.
Examples of reports that would
be of use include (not exhaustive):
4.1
• Most popular search,
• Number of unique visitors,
• Number of repeat visitors,
• Popular days / times the website is being used on.
Phase 1 Functionality
Reporting Facility
Item
Essential /
Supplier Response
Desirable
Solutions must include the ability for Authority staff to run
Essential
these reports on demand or for the solution to potentially
4.2
integrate with a third party monitoring tool.
Authority staff to specify and set the parameters of reports
Desirable
4.3
themselves.
Solutions to include a reporting functionality including an opt-
Desirable
in mechanism for collecting demographic user information
about site visitors (i.e. a pop-up box that appears during the
users visit to the site), which could then be included into
reports. Examples of demographic information that would be
of use includes:
4.4
• Categorisation of reason for visiting site (i.e. service
user, carer, professional, other)
• How person heard about the site
• Whether person has disability
• What their interest is in social care
The ability to turn this function off and on will be required.
Solutions will be favoured if they provide people with the
Desirable
option of leaving their email address to receive more
4.5
information about social care from the Authority.
Phase 1 Functionality
Accessibility
Item
Essential /
Supplier Response
Desirable
Solutions must be at least AA standards, suppliers will be
Essential
5.1 favoured if the site is of AAA level.
Phase 1 Functionality
Accessibility
Item
Essential /
Supplier Response
Desirable
Examples of accessible functionality which support a site’s
Essential
functionality (not exhaustive) are:
• A tool to enable users to listen to website content, for
example BrowseAloud,
• The ability to change font size (if possible, by selecting
from a simple ‘Small’, ‘Medium’, ‘Large’ set of radial
buttons,
• The ability to reverse colours, so that light text sits on a
5.2
dark background,
• The ability to include images next to information to help
people with limited reading abilities (such as some people
with learning difficulties) to understand the meaning being
conveyed.
• The ability to generate printable pages for users supported
by brokers, advisers and advocates, where they are not
directly accessing the site themselves.
Solutions to provide a translation function. This should only
Desirable
be provided if it is at no extra cost to the Authority. This
5.3
reflects the availability of free translation services on the
internet.
Solutions that include a ‘text only’ version, available directly
Desirable
from the site’s ‘front page’ will be favoured. This will enable
5.4
the site to be used by people accessing it with dial up or
equivalent connections.
Phase 1 Functionality
Technical Requirements
1. Hosting Requirements
Item
Supplier Response
Essential/
Desirable
Essential
Provision and management of infrastructure in a 24 x 7 hosting
6.1
environment. Supplier to document the proposed infrastructure
solution.
Phase 1 Functionality
Technical Requirements
1. Hosting Requirements
Item
Supplier Response
Essential/
Desirable
Essential
Supplier to ensure infrastructure is kept up to date with latest
6.2
patches.
Essential
6.3
Provision of backup and recovery including verification.
Essential
Scalable bandwidth and data storage requirements based
6.4
upon usage.
Essential
Provision and management of firewalls (e.g. Cisco PIX),
6.5
routers and switches.
Essential
Monitoring of performance, capacity, connectivity and other
6.6
key thresholds to ensure availability of web pages.
Essential
Supplier to inform the Authority of planned maintenance at
least 72 hours in advance and out of normal business hours
(9:00 to 17:00 hours). Uptime to be in excess of 99.5%
6.7
(excluding planned maintenance). Any overrun will be counted
as unplanned downtime.
System performance and up times to be independently verified
by third party monitoring service and functionality (such as
6.8
harvesting, XML and RSS feeds) to be regularly checked and
verified.
Desirable
XML outputs to be made available – meaning subsets of
6.9
information kept on directory can be used on another directory
where appropriate.
Essential
Intellectual Property Rights – the Council must have
6.10 confidence in its retaining these rights
2. Data
Essential
The ability to link to other systems through: CSV, delimited,
7.1
XML, web services
Essential
7.2
Ability for council to configure bulk data import/export
3. Systems Management and Security
Essential
8.1
Provision for the maintenance of the database environment.
Essential
Supplier to state licensing options (e.g. per server / CPU /
8.2
Editor / Author / Administrator / Client / Concurrency)
Essential
All administrative transactions to be done securely using
8.3
secure internet protocols.
Phase 1 Functionality
Technical Requirements
1. Hosting Requirements
Item
Supplier Response
Essential/
Desirable
Essential
User friendly interface for system administrators to access
8.4
reports on website usage and data analysis.
Essential
User friendly interface for system administrators to act as
8.5
moderator in a real time scenario with ability to approve or
reject any editorial changes if required.
Essential
Ability to archive data and back up files on a regular
8.6
automated basis (preferably weekly)
2. Design and Reporting
Essential
9.1
Use of style sheets to enable easier change of look and feel.
Essential
9.2
Layout should be restricted by centrally managed template(s).
Essential
Editors should be able to view the status of all content in a
state other than archived or published (e.g. ‘due for review’;
9.3
‘under review’; ‘to be archived’; ‘checked-out for too long’) for
sections for which they are responsible
3. Look and Feel
Solutions must be built utilising style sheets to ensure that the
Essential
10.1 site is maintainable.
The solution has the ability to follow the Councils corporate
Essential
style but with the flexibility to allow other branding to sub-
10.2 pages.
Solutions that are flexible enough to apply these guidelines
Desirable
10.3 while also having a unique, site-specific, feel will be favoured.
Solutions will be favoured if they can present the content of
Desirable
10.4 the site through a number of different ‘skins’ or brand designs.
The look and feel of solutions must be able to adapted over
Essential
time, solutions will be favoured if this adaptation could be
10.5 done by Authority staff.
