Appendix 2 - ICT Output Specification

The Fundamental requirements in Sections 1a and 1b are based upon Becta's Functional Specifications for Learning Platforms and Institutional Networks respectively (as at 1 May 2006), and it is expected that solutions that are provided through BSF should at least meet and preferably exceed the standards and specifications defined within these documents. The Becta Functional and Technical Specifications for Institutional Infrastructure and the functional Specification for Learning Platforms are considered integral to BSF and care should be taken to ensure any solution is compliant with these, and any other Becta specifications that may emerge.

Introduction

The following key criteria should be used to inform the design and development of the ICT Provision. Becta's FITS standards, which are based on ITIL, are the minimum acceptable for technical support within a BSF managed service.

The specification is divided into four main sections. Section 1 (Design and Installation Requirements) is subdivided into two sections covering the Learning Platform and Infrastructure & Equipment. Section 2 (Transition and Implementation Requirements) details the support and services which the LA requires with regard to change management and staff training. Section 3 (Operational Requirements) sets out the expectations in relation to the on-going management, maintenance and support of the infrastructure and equipment. Section 4 (Financial and Management) sets out the management requirements and funding considerations. The ICT provision should support the work of the school and all those who use its facilities. It should be designed to enable its users to focus on teaching and learning and not be diverted into inappropriate technology and system management issues. There are many ways in which the ICT provision can be instrumental in making schools more efficient and effective - the most important being the improvement in educational standards. Other ways in which ICT can impact on school activities include:

Learning spaces equipped with data projection and interactive teaching technologies, where teaching staff have networked access to them from their own computers, can increase the flexibility of the use of school accommodation.

An integrated network within and across schools can mean that computer systems, telephony systems, broadcast technology and security systems can use the same network infrastructure reducing costs considerably.

The use of secure wireless networks can mean much less disruption in terms of cabling infrastructure installation, particularly in refurbishment projects.

School-wide access to robust, effective school management processes.

The ICT Provision is intended to be procured using conventional capital for the installation and revenue funding from schools' delegated budgets for the ongoing support. The specification envisages two phases - an initial installation phase and an operational phase - within a five year contract, extendable to ten years. In accordance with the BSF ICT Payment Mechanism, Payment for the installation will be made by milestone payments on the successful conclusion of the design and installation.

Due to the rapidly changing nature of technology, the recommended approach to procuring ICT services is to specify an affordability ceiling and then negotiate about the quality of proposals, subject to a range of fundamental requirements being satisfied. In the first instance, fundamental level requirements are considered to be the standard necessary to establish the baseline service provided under the BSF programme.

Defined Terms

Term	Definition
Business Continuity	The necessary processes and procedures put in place by the supplier to maintain resilience of service through system hardware or software failure not caused by a Major Disaster.
Core Hours	means the period from [08:00] hours to [18:00] hours each Monday to Friday during a School Day and any Additional Core Hours specified by the Authority
Off-Peak Core Hours	means the period from [18:00.01] hours to [22:00] hours on each School Day; Note that Authorities may consider extending to 24:00 on School Days and including weekend periods during school term.
Non-Core Hours	means any period which is not Core Hours or Off-Peak Core Hours
Filtering	The restriction of access to specific internet sites, which may be based on User profile.
ICT Cluster	Means a group of equipment for 6 users, which can be established in a Teaching Space or Teacher Base.
ICT Suite	Means a teaching space dedicated to the use of ICT, capable of accommodating a minimum of 30 Users.
Learning Platform	A broad range of web-accessed specialised tools that aid in the definition attainment of educational goals..
Legacy	Is used to describe any facilities and equipment that exist prior to the creation of the design and installation plan for a school.
Major Disaster	Means an incident such as a school building being destroyed so that service provision is not possible on the site for a [significant period of time]. This may also include the failure of a server farm or location where core services are provided from.
Managed Learning Environment	A range of software tools that enables the integration of the learning platform, the virtual learning environment and appropriate administration and management information data and processes.
Monitoring	The production of management reports for internet access, produced at regular intervals.
Refresh Pool	Means all user devices and peripherals for which the default lifespan will be four years.
Service	Means the ICT Managed Infrastructure Service, including any sub-contracted ICT services.
Syndicated content	Content provided under licence by external bodies, such as the provision of newsfeeds.

Teaching Space	Means any place where classes happen, or learning takes place, including laboratories and libraries.
Teacher Base	Means a room or other place where teachers may work other than in a classroom.
User	Means any teacher, learner, other member of school staff or other accredited user who may use the Service.
Virtual learning Environment	A collection of integrated software tools which helps to share, deliver and search learning resources.

OUTPUT SPECIFICATION

Section 1a: Design and Installation Requirements - Learning Platform

A learning platform is not expected to be a single product but may be a collection of interoperable systems or modules from different suppliers. Each may perform discrete functions, but collectively they should deliver the requirements described below.

Ref	Item description	Fundamental	School Enhancements	School SfC Xref
1a1	Content Management It is intended that the Learning Platform will not be biased towards a model of content delivery but will also encourage creativity and collaboration. Nevertheless the requirement to manage content is an important one.	Assessment items shall be loaded and used. The user shall be able to launch digital content via a web browser or other application, including being able to use the hypertext transfer protocol. It shall be possible to load, store and make sharable content objects available to users. Run-time interactions with content objects should be supported. This includes being able to load bundled resources (content packages) and unpack them. It shall be possible to load digital content into a storage area that can be presented to learners and accessed via the platform interface. Users shall be able to classify content and tag resources. It shall be possible to load and store metadata records provided by suppliers and display information derived from them to the user. Users shall be able to create new resources, integrate them with the platform and export them.
1a2	Curriculum Mapping and Planning Curriculum mapping is the ability of the platform to be able to use a curriculum, in particular the National Curriculum, as a basis of search, navigation, assessment and learner tracking. This will include curriculum metadata (ingestion, creation and export) and navigation structures published by QCA and Becta. This will also include the ability to customise interfaces, learning design and provision of personalised learning experiences. The learner should have control as appropriate and should be easily able to create and share resources.	The platform interface shall be accessible to all users. Learners shall be given a variety of assessments and diagnostics to support learning plans. The user interface shall be capable of being customised to adapt to the learner's interface preferences. It shall be possible for teachers to produce and manage lesson plans. Curriculum information shall be used to search for and to navigate to resources within the platform. The user's learning experience shall be capable of being personalised. Users shall be able to create structured units and sequence learning resources or activities.
1a3	Learner engagement and administration There are many aspects to learner information management, including portfolios of learner artefacts, pupil enrolment records and interactions between various management systems. Financial and other management information is likely to be outside the scope of a learning platform but it is expected that there will be some components that require integration with systems that provide management of broader administrative information.	Users shall be able to access the learning platform away from locations other than those that are part of the WAN Users shall be uniquely identified and verified. Learner information shall be consistent throughout the platform with minimal duplication. This shall be automated to avoid errors and inconsistencies. It shall be possible for users be allocated to one or more groups and assigned roles. Users with appropriate privileges shall be able to access appropriate information and access to resources shall be controllable. It shall be possible for learner information to be exported from the platform. It shall be possible for learner information to be imported to the platform. Users shall be able to create and maintain portfolios for sharing content with others as and when required or to support personal development. Facilities shall be provided to track learners' support needs or performance. Information about individual and group usage of the resources shall be available Support shall be provided for the measurement and reporting of attendance. Users shall be able to organise resources, bookmarks, and learning content into play lists, and add their own comments, tags and ratings, which may be shared with others. A timetable, or an interface to it, shall be supported and manageable.
1a4	Tools and services There is a wide range of tools and services that can be provided as an integral or supplementary part of a learning platform. These will include, for example, collaborative workspaces and interactions with other systems such as the Curriculum Online portal via web services.	Users shall be able to post messages to discussion forums as appropriate/in line with agreed policy. Functionality shall be provided that supports and recognises various licensing conditions. The platform shall be capable of transparently interacting with a range of web services using standard protocols. Audio and video conferencing shall be supported. Users shall be able to create web logs. One-one and one-many messaging shall be facilitated. Knowledge construction tools, such as Wiki type facilities, shall be available. It shall be possible to send text or multimedia messages to individuals or groups of users. Support for non-teaching activities shall be provided, such as sports teams, clubs and societies, community action, and student projects. Syndicated content including newsfeeds shall be integrated into the platform.

Section 1b: Design and Installation Requirements - Infrastructure and Equipment

Ref	Item and Description	Fundamental	School Enhancements	School SfC Xref
1b2	Institutional Infrastructure An institutional network *shall* be a secure, fast, reliable and sustainable resource that can be used by the institution to offer applications and services that can enhance the learning experience and readily support educational and administrative tasks for a range of different authorised users from a range of locations	The design solution for the ICT service shall optimise integration with the proposed built environment, support the inclusion policies of the Local Authority be able to accommodate future changes in technology and the curriculum. The LAN infrastructure shall in accordance with the Becta technical specifications : Connect all ICT equipment in the school, and link to other schools and Local Authority sites via the WAN infrastructure proposals made at 1b1 above Provide access to all networked services (including email. internet, educational and other services) using a single log-on from anywhere in the school estate or from other locations with a WAN connection. Interface to Local Authority or other corporate networks and systems necessary to maintain any such connectivity previously available. Incorporate a LAN-based telephony service with handsets, using voice-over-IP technology. Provide facilities for remote access by authorised users. Use cache technology as appropriate to bring major speed benefits in a school environment.
1b3	User equipment Provide user equipment and software.	A teacher toolkit shall be provided that consists of the following as a minimum: Personal user devices for every teacher that can access the BSF area-wide network (both in school and remotely), capable of supporting multimedia presentations (e.g. music, pictures, video) through connectivity to interactive teaching technologies and projectors; Networked data projectors and interactive teaching technologies in every teaching space; and access to the virtual workplace for teaching and learning materials. User devices such as desktop workstations and/or laptops or other devices for use by learners and other users. DfES guidance on the ratio of equipment to learners (currently 1:4) should be followed; innovative ways of linking learning with ICT can enable virtual ratios of 1:1. Baseline software configuration for users including operating system, email client, web-browsing, web-creation, word processing, presentation, spreadsheet, database, image manipulation, music, video, graphics design, plug-ins and viewers. Printers and peripherals to support the operation of the school (according to local choice at school level). A register of all equipment shall be maintained. Technology refresh recommendations and management arrangements.
1b4	Network Services Provide network services (inc system management facilities for use by teachers and staff). Allow for the capture and integration of administration and management data; sources may include cashless catering, e-registration, security systems etc. All network services to meet current, relevant Becta technical specifications	Email - each User shall have a secure personal mailbox accessible as required in school and elsewhere with filtering and user monitoring facilities that can be configured and managed by each school. Backup - a backup facility shall be provided so that backups can be taken at agreed intervals and critical times. Disaster recovery planning shall be included. Internet - a secure internet service with filtering and user monitoring facilities shall be provided that can be configured and managed by each school. Curriculum software servers shall be provided. Broadcast technologies and transmission for inter-school communication, wider communication and for remote delivery of lessons shall be provided.
1b5	Legacy Hardware Integration Integrate any appropriate Legacy Hardware within a school.	Proposed procedures shall be agreed with each school and the LA so that any legacy hardware can be tested for possible integration, and issues about suitability, sustainability, compatibility and refresh are resolved.
1b6	Legacy Curriculum Software Integration Integrate any appropriate legacy curriculum software within schools or licensed by the LA.	Proposed procedures shall be agreed with each school and the LA so that legacy curriculum software can be tested and decisions made about possible integration. Proposals shall address suitability, sustainability, compatibility and refresh.
1b7	Legacy MIS Integration Incorporate any existing School and/or LA Administration systems into the school network.	This shall include access to existing school management information systems, where these are not being replaced and where the systems shall function without impairing the network. This covers issues relating to interfaces, equipment, and equipment maintenance. The helpdesk shall manage any software and user issues that require to be passed to the software supplier.

Section 2a: Transition and Implementation - Change Management and Communications

Ref

Item and Description

Fundamental

School Enhancements

School SfC Xref

2a1

Change Management

Support shall be provided to the LA and schools to implement the transition to maximise the BSF investment.

LA and schools shall be assisted with the change management implementation necessary to ensure the benefits of BSF investment are fully realised.

The change management shall include a communication strategy, implementation strategy and a process for transition mentoring for LA professionals. In addition it shall also include but not be limited to:

Personalisation - individual choice in how, where and what to access

Flexible access - flexible ways in which pupils can retrieve or submit information

Demand for content - the demand for personalised information and tailored applications

Content - the information that learners will access

Supply - changes to the way in which information is generated for learners

Maintenance - the governance and upkeep associated with new types of content /channels

Environment - the physical space that learners inhabit

IT capacity - the change in the provision of e.g. hardware which would have to happen

Security - the change to security (physical, virtual, actual) which would need to be made

Monitoring - the way in which progress and performance will be tracked & reported

For pupils, schools, teachers, LEAs - what changes will need to be made for each group

Workforce

Mix - the potential change in ratios of teachers to support staff to pupils

Skills - the training and development needed

Management and Administration

Efficiency - the changes that will impact how efficiently processes are executed

Costs - the changes to the costs

Relationships - how interactions will be impacted

Communication - changes to the way in which people relate to one another

Networks - changes to the types of relationships that people have

Section 2b: Transition and Implementation - Staff training and continuing professional development

Ref	Item and Description	Fundamental	School Enhancements	School SfC Xref
2b1	Operational Training Provide technology training for teachers ,school staff and others who support learners. Develop a training plan to support the process.	The following operational training shall be provided: Induction training for teachers and staff Differentiated training for varying ICT skills levels Training in operating peripherals and new systems
2b2	Curriculum Training for teachers and other relevant staff. School workforce should develop their confidence and professional effectiveness to ensure: ICT is used effectively in teaching and learning ICT is utilised where and when appropriate ICT is utilised to develop personalisation ICT is used to raise standards where appropriate Potential new approaches are identified for the use of ICT in their teaching/subject/professional role	The following curriculum training shall be provided to ensure teachers and relevant staff are confident in: using ICT where it is the most effective way to achieve teaching and learning objectives avoiding the use of ICT for simple or routine tasks which would be better accomplished by other means; knowing that, where ICT is to be used, appropriate preparation of equipment, content and methodology is required; avoiding giving the impression that the quality of presentation is of overriding importance and supersedes the importance of content; structuring pupils' work to focus on relevant aspects and to maximise use of time and resource, having high expectations of the outcomes of pupils' work with ICT including expecting pupils to use ICT to answer valid questions appropriate to the subject matter being taught; and making explicit the links between the ICT application and the subject matter it is being used to teach;
2b3	Administrative Training for teachers and other relevant staff Develop a training plan to ensure staff are confident in their use of ICT to assist with administration and management tasks Develop a professional development plan that enables the school workforce to utilise ICT in their management and administrative roles/tasks	The following Admin training shall be provided to the school workforce to develop their confidence and professional effectiveness to ensure: ICT is used effectively in personal and professional development. ICT is used effectively to aid administration, record-keeping, reporting and transfer of information and other relevant Management Information tasks Utilise ICT and e-learning resources to enhance their professional role Knowledge of current ICT practice is utilised to develop outcomes

Section 3: Operational Requirements

All operational services must meet FITS/ITIL/BS15000 standards as a minimum requirement.

Ref	Item and Description	Fundamental	School Enhancements	School SfC Xref
3.1	Continuous Improvement Support the ongoing delivery of the SfC and ICT Strategy by proposing changes to the Service.	Ongoing monitoring of service delivery shall be undertaken by the LEP to ensure it contributes as specified to the achievement of the Local Authority's ongoing education and business strategy. This will include but not be limited to reviewing and monitoring services. proposals for modifying existing services. proposals for new services and forecast requirements. Proposals for the deletion/removal of obsolete services and the archiving of data and content.
3.2	Helpdesk Provide a helpdesk service , via a single point of contact for each school/academy.	Accessed by nominated teachers and staff (including non-school-based staff), the helpdesk shall manage resolution of all incidents including those passed to third-party second level helpdesks. Helpdesk shall be available during Core Hours and Off-Peak Core Hours, and a voicemail/email service shall be available at all other times for Users to report incidents. Helpdesk staff shall be familiar with school use of ICT and able to relate to teachers timetabling and curriculum needs. The helpdesk shall manage any software and user issues that require to be passed to the software supplier.
3.3	Maintenance Provide a maintenance and engineering service for all ICT equipment.	This shall provide both preventative and reactive maintenance to ensure full functionality of all equipment, services and access to resources within agreed time constraints.
3.4	Anywhere Access Provide a Remote Access Service	7/24/365 internet based access shall be provided to an agreed proportion of digital resources according to User profile: Teachers Other Staff Pupils Other Learners Guest. Information on access for inclusion in Local Authority and school communications with stakeholders shall be provided. The service shall be available to the school community from all agreed locations including home use.
3.5	Backup Provide a daily data backup facility which at least meets the current, relevant Becta technical specification.	The following Back up facility shall be provided: A back up facility for each project site. Periodic confirmation to the Local Authority of the efficiency of the backup facilities. The backup service to reflect guidance provided to schools by Becta including recovery from off site resource/backup taken at agreed critical times
3.6	Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity Provide a Disaster Recovery facility so that the Service can be fully restored within the timeframe specified by the LA. To develop a Business Continuity plan for associated ICT in schools/academies and associated LA support functions.	Contingency plans shall be developed and maintained both Local Authority and LEP. At regular intervals, agreed with the LA, the recovery plans shall be tested. The plans shall include disaster recovery of software and hardware (including servers and other mission critical equipment and applications) within a timeframe as specified by the LA to take into account known pressure points. The contingency plans shall be reviewed annually and within 5 days of any major disaster. The recovery plan shall be actioned annually, and the results reported to the LA within 10 days. Any failure in the plan to be rectified within 5 days. All necessary processes and procedures shall be in place to ensure resilience of agreed services of the agreed services in all core [and other as appropriate] times. The business continuity plans shall be reviewed and updated annually as required.
3.7	Virus Protection Provide protection against viruses and other offensive mechanisms which, at least, meets current Becta technical specifications.	Virus Protection shall at minimum: Protect against virus, worm and Trojan infestation, and protect against other forms of virus or security breaches. Exhibit zero tolerance for a known virus and operate an agreed procedure for responding to an unknown virus. Be no more than 12 hours behind manufacturers' latest definitions. Be responsible for the application of updates and patches to operating systems and management software as required. Virus protection systems shall also included: An agreed procedure for informing users. Periodic confirmation that the system is free from viruses.
3.8	User Account Management Provide User account management facilities to enable nominated teachers and other staff to enter, maintain and delete User Access Accounts and related access permission.	Appropriate procedures shall be proposed and provided to safeguard the integrity of the service. Teachers shall be enabled to control key user privileges. User accounts shall be replicated across all systems without manual interventions. User rights shall be able to be modified within one hour User ids shall be removed in accordance with documented procedures.
3.9	Change Control Provide and manage a Change Control service.	Manageable and efficient Change Control procedures shall be proposed, developed and operated to support changes to the service, such as movement of equipment and introduction of new equipment and software. The change control procedures shall apply to changes invoked by the LA or by the LEP. All system records and updates to the configuration of the school system shall be maintained.
3.10	Security Ensure ongoing security and privacy of data.	Appropriate procedures shall be in place to maintain the security and privacy of data stored. Firewalls and other security systems shall be provided and maintained. All systems will adhere to data protection legislation.
3.11	Reports Provide reports on the operation of the Service.	Formal reports detailing the efficiency / effectiveness and rectification of service delivery as required by the BSF ICT Payment Mechanism..

Section 4: Finance and Management Requirements

Ref	Item and Description	Fundamental	School Enhancements	School SfC Xref
4.1	Strategic Business Case/ Strategy for Change Contribute as required to the annual updating of the Strategic Business Case (SBC)/ Strategy for Change (SfC) and associated review of the Local Authority Strategy for ICT in Education (ICT Strategy)	The LEP, after evaluating the previous year's performance and monitoring best practice, shall participate actively with the Local Authority to update the SBC for the next phase of investment. Updating the SBC should reflect: continuous improvement technological innovations lessons from ICT pathfinders and earlier waves of BSF. curriculum change educational policy developments the Local Authority's ICT strategy other relevant Local Authority policies such as pupil motivation opportunities presented by emerging technologies learning practice development community engagement
4.3	Refresh fund Provide Refresh service of all appropriate equipment., software and systems.	Appropriate procedures for managing the Refresh Fund, and for implementing Refresh activity shall be provided. The `Refresh' will cover a defined set of equipment and software as appropriate. A register of all equipment together with a Refresh recommendation shall be provided. All details in relation to the management of the Refresh fund shall be made available to the LA.
4.4	Health and Safety All equipment, cabling and installations should comply with relevant Health and Safety legislation.	The LEP shall be responsible for all Health and Safety issues regarding the Service, including informing users of their responsibilities and liabilities.

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