Information on non-acceptance of tender for SUMS Phonics (ESPO contract 959P)

The request was partially successful.

Dear Department for Education,

1. Please supply details of all correspondence, emails, or discussions, formal or informal, relating to the non-acceptance of SUMS Phonics as being suitable for ESPO Contract 959P (Systematic Synthetic Phonics Resources). The decision was notified to SUMS Online Ltd on 21st July 2011 by Jane Blois of ESPO, your agent in this matter.

2. Please supply information on all prior matters relating to the setting of the judgement criteria by which 'Supplementary resources' were to be assessed.

3. Please supply any information and discussions relating to how each of the 9 winning/awarded 'Supplementary resources' were assessed.

4. Please supply any information and discussions relating to the general principles of how any software product was to be assessed.

5. Please supply any information relating to the selection and appointment of the expert panel used to judge the award.

Yours faithfully,

David McAll
Director
SUMS Online Ltd

Department for Education

Dear Mr McAll

Thank you for your recent email. A reply will be sent to you as soon as
possible. For information, the departmental standard for correspondence
received is that responses should be sent within 20 working days as you
are requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number 2011/0054491

Thank you.

Central Allocation Team

Public Communications Team

Tel: 0370 0002288
www.education.gov.uk

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Department for Education

11 Attachments

Dear Mr McAll,
Thank you for your request for information, which was received on 22 July
2011. You requested the following information:

1. Please supply details of all correspondence, emails, or discussions,
formal or informal, relating to the non-acceptance of SUMS Phonics as
being suitable for ESPO Contract 959P (Systematic Synthetic Phonics
Resources). The decision was notified to SUMS Online Ltd on 21st July
2011 by Jane Blois of ESPO, your agent in this matter.

2. Please supply information on all prior matters relating to
the setting of the judgement criteria by which 'Supplementary resources'
were to be assessed.

3. Please supply any information and discussions relating to how each of
the 9 winning/awarded 'Supplementary resources' were assessed.

4. Please supply any information and discussions relating to the general
principles of how any software product was to be assessed.

5. Please supply any information relating to the selection
and appointment of the expert panel used to judge the award.

I have dealt with your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000
("the Act").

In relation to point one of your request, attached is a copy of the
information which the Department and ESPO holds relating to the
non-acceptance of SUMS Phonics and which can be disclosed. Attached is
the `Summary of Evaluation' spreadsheet. Only the data on the spreadsheet
relevant to the request is given. Also attached are other documents that
we and ESPO hold relating to the non-acceptance of SUMS Phonics. This
includes the `Evaluations Summary' (only the data relevant to the request
is given), the outcome letter relating to the non-acceptance of SUMS
Phonics and the `Product Evaluation Sheet' for SUMS Phonics.

You requested information relating to the judgement criteria by which
supplementary resources were assessed. All resources were judged against
the criteria that were published as part of the procurement exercise.
Attached is a copy of the tender documents that were published for the
procurement exercise. Also attached is the clarification log with further
information about the criteria for supplementary resources on page 4
(question 18) and on page 6, and information issued by ESPO following the
bidders day on 26 May. These documents detail the criteria that were used
to assess all resources.

You also requested information relating to the general principles of how
any software products were assessed. Software products were also
evaluated against the criteria that were detailed in the tender documents
that are attached.

The expert who evaluated the products was Gordon Askew from the
Department's Effective Practice Team. Information relating to his
selection is attached. This information is also in the note issued by
ESPO following the bidders day on 26 May as referred to above.

You also requested information relating to how the 9 winning/awarded
supplementary resources were assessed. These resources were assessed
against the criteria that were detailed in the tender documents that are
attached.

If you have any queries about this letter, please contact me. Please
remember to quote the reference number below in any future communications.

If you are unhappy with the way your request has been handled, you should
make a complaint to the Department by writing to me within two calendar
months of the date of this letter. Your complaint will be considered by
an independent review panel, who were not involved in the original
consideration of your request.

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint to the
Department, you may then contact the Information Commissioner's Office.
Yours sincerely,

Liz Majewska

Standards Division
Department for Education
Great Smith Street
London SW1P 3BT

[email address]
020 7340 7098

[1]www.education.gov.uk

Your correspondence has been allocated the reference number 2011/0054491.

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