Name:  Russel  Sneyd
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
Email:  xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx.xxx
Bracken House

Bracton Lane
Our ref: FOI 7164
Leyton Cross Road
Dartford

Kent
Date: 24 May 2021
DA2 7AF

01322625700
www.oxleas.nhs.uk

Dear Russell,

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 – SECTION 8 REQUEST

Thank you for your request for information dated  20/05/2021. Your request has been managed
under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

You requested the following information under section 8 of the Act:
• Suppliers who applied for inclusion on each framework/contract and were successful & not
successful at the PQQ & ITT stages
Berkshire Consultancy Limited (successful)
MaguireIzatt LLP
Premier Partnership Limited
McKinsey & Company
Accelerator Solutions Limited

• Actual spend on this contract/framework (and any sub lots), from the start of the contract to the
current date
£9,301

• Start date & duration of framework/contract?
1 April 2019, 2 year term

• Could you please provide a copy of the service/product specification given to all bidders when this
contract was last advertised/procured?
Attached

• Is there an extension clause in the framework(s)/contract(s) and, if so, the duration of the
extension?
No

• Has a decision been made yet on whether the framework(s)/contract(s) are being either extended
or renewed?
The contract was terminated November 2020

• Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this contract?
Head of Organisational Development and Engagement

If you have any queries or concerns or are dissatisfied with the service you have received in relation
to your request, please do not hesitate to contact us. If you wish to request a review of the decision,
you should write to the Information Governance Manager, Julie Lucas via email at
xxxxx.xxxxxx@xxx.xxx in the first instance. If you remain unsatisfied with the outcome of your review
and wish to make a formal complaint, please address this to: Complaints, Oxleas NHS Foundation
Trust, Pinewood House, Pinewood Place, Dartford, DA2 7WG - Email: xxxxxx.xxxxxxxxxx@xxx.xxx

In addition if you are not satisfied with the outcome of your complaint or review, you may apply
directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision. Generally, the ICO cannot make a decision
unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the Trust. The Information
Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF (Telephone: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545 745 - www.ico.org.uk).

Kind regards,

Paul Bransgrove
Information Governance Officer
E: xxxxxx.xxx@xxx.xxx
Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust | Bracken House | Bracton Lane | Leyton Cross Road | Dartford | Kent | DA2 7AF

Leadership Development Programme

Service Specification

Issue date: Wednesday 22nd August 2018

Procontract Project ID reference is  DN356715

1

Overview of Requirement
1.1  The purpose of this tender is to secure a provider to design and deliver a tailored leadership
development programme for our staff in leadership and management positions at a variety of
levels in the organisation. The ultimate aim of the programme will be to support our leaders in
cultivating a culture of high quality care through compassionate, inclusive leadership; where al
staff are empowered, both as individuals and in teams, to act to improve care.
1.2  We expect al  our leaders, regardless of background, level of experience and position in the
organisation, to demonstrate the fol owing attributes:
a)  Compassion (attend to the people they lead, understand their chal enges, empathise
and help them)
b)  Emotional intel igence (understand themselves and others, manage relationships)
c)  Inclusiveness (listen to all respectfully, and engage with authenticity)
d)  Commitment (to quality, innovation and improvement)

1.3  We require a programme that will address the range of skills and behaviours our leaders are
expected to model in a variety of settings. These were considered in the context of:
a)  Our expectation that leaders work with their teams to consistently deliver excellent care
and continuously seek improvement
b)  The need to engage staff in their roles and in their contribution to the delivery of
consistently high quality services
c)  The need for leaders to always demonstrate our values
d)  The importance of prioritising and adopting leadership skills that will have the greatest
impact on staff engagement and involvement in our Quality Improvement Programme
1.4  Our preferred programme approach is one that utilises mixed learning methods and strategies,
both to actively support application of learning in practice and to reflect the range of potential
participant learning styles, preferences and needs. A standard training / workshop approach
wil  not meet our requirements. We seek a comprehensive development solution. Our
preferred approach will reflect a 70:20:10 model; that is, 70% experiential on the job learning,
20% job enrichment and 10% formal inputs (training). We require bidders to clearly reflect this
in their proposals, demonstrating the utilisation of multiple learning approaches and solutions
in their programme design.
1.5  The  successful provider will  have the capability  and capacity to take full ownership of all
aspects of programme implementation including more detailed needs assessment, (internal)
marketing design, content and associated materials development, delivery including associated
logistical / administrative activities,  as well as ongoing quality and impact monitoring
(evaluation) throughout the contract period.
1.6  We are taking the broadest definition of leadership in describing our target audience. Our
leaders  comprise both individuals with line / service management responsibilities, with or
without a clinical / healthcare professional background, and senior clinicians with leadership
(but without management) responsibilities.
2

1.7  They may be operating at any level of the organisational structure (excluding directors) and will
thus  collectively possess a varied range of experience. Some will be new to management /
leadership responsibility, whilst others will have a great deal of experience. There will also be
variability in whether they have participated in relevant prior learning. The proposed solution
will need to clearly acknowledge this, to ensure the ful  range of needs is catered to.
1.8  Given our broad definition, we estimate the total potential audience may comprise up to some
500 individuals over the  life of the contract  (maximum 5 year term). This is an illustrative
indication only, to support bid development and in particular appropriate consideration of cost
effectiveness.  As  not all our leaders will  necessarily require the same inputs,  initial needs
analysis will be required to support exact programme structure and approach definition and
help us define priority groups.
1.9  At this stage, we envisage early focus to be primarily on more junior / less experienced leaders.
We will require flexibility of approach on the part of the provider over the life of the contract,
to ensure the solution and offer continue to reflect shifting audience needs in terms of demand
and capacity  as well as Trust priorities.  We ask bidders to scope their proposed outline
programme structure and delivery model taking as the basis the notional audience numbers
supplied above, although we are clear that demand may fluctuate over the life of the contract.
For the avoidance of doubt, we make no commitment at this time to the ful  delivery volume
implied.
2.
Content Requirements
2.1  The programme will provide participants with a core set of skills and behaviours that all our
leaders should possess. We further envisage an additional layer of ‘bolt on’ options covering
specific competencies for more senior staff. This broad conceptual outline is summarised in the
diagram below. Beyond this, we wil  rely on the provider’s experience to suggest structure and
work with us to define  additional content and detailed  approach  to  proposed  development
activity, including specific learning outcomes.

3

2.2  Following internal discussion and taking account of the  Institute  for  Health  Improvement
‘Sustaining Improvement’ white paper, we have scoped indicative high level skills and
behaviours  required  within this framework, outlined in table 1 below. As noted above, we
expect to work with the successful provider to define final learning objectives  and  content
following more detailed needs analysis / scoping.
Table 1

Skil /behaviour
Rationale
Purposeful leadership
There is considerable research suggesting a positive link

between staff understanding the impact of their individual
-  Creating a climate to support quality  contribution on organisational goals and their engagement
improvement through feedback,
and productivity.
transparency and trust

-  Aligning organisational, team and
Our leaders need to take personal responsibility for
1
individual priorities
creating a climate where staff are supported to embrace
-  Maintaining a sense of purpose –
required practice, can adjust in response to problems and
reinforcing messages
incidents and honestly and openly consider opportunities
for improvement and integrate them into daily work.
-  Embedding learning from incidents

Our leaders need to make our values live and breathe and
compellingly communicate what we are doing, why are we
doing it and where our staff fit in what we achieve.
Understanding & managing a team
Our leaders require skills to help staff understand

organisational priorities and expectations, manage
- Creating clearly defined roles and
performance and support a climate of continuous
expectations for al  team members
improvement.
- Positively managing and monitoring
performance, and utilising
Our staff need a clear understanding of what is expected of
2
performance information
them in relation to their daily tasks.  Leaders should be
- Understanding team dynamics
able to define roles and expectations clearly, monitor them
on a regular basis and integrate improvements into daily
- Planning for your team – handovers,  work.  This includes the need to understand performance
managing shift staffing, role
information in a way that can guide change and
transition, interface with team
improvement.
members
Empowering others
Our staff should feel confident to speak up. This is crucial

if concerns about care are to be addressed and “improving
- Communicating (“what to do and
the work” is to become a feature of our roles.
how”)

- Coaching skills
We must encourage staff to work autonomously and think
3
- Mentoring skills
for themselves if we are to increase productivity; this will
require leadership behaviours that create a safe
- Facilitation skills
psychological space for open dialogue.
- Listening skills

- Problem solving
Rather than always providing direction, our leaders should

be able to release each individual’s potential by drawing
out their skills, ideas and solutions.

4

Skil /behaviour
Rationale
Having difficult conversations
Our leaders will interact with individuals in varying

emotional states and settings, but are stil  expected to
-  Dealing with aggression
maintain staff performance.
-  Identifying blocks to performance

-  Mediation between staff
Our leaders should be equipped with the appropriate tools
4
to address these extremes, identify the real root of issues
-  Difficult conversations in public
and remove barriers to performance.
spaces
-  Identifying and dealing with problem
behaviours (e.g. those that can
develop into bul ying and harassment
Understanding & adapting personal
Our staff should feel safe, engaged and confident that they
style
can learn from mistakes.

-  Self-awareness
Our leaders, therefore, need to understand their own
5  -  EQ
personal style and the style of others, so that they are able
-  Building personal resilience
to adapt and flex to elicit the best outcomes from
interactions. They must consider individual differences
-  Unconscious biases
positively as strengths, leading to a fully inclusive

environment for all staff.
Influential leadership
Whether dealing with staff, peers, line managers, directors

or external bodies, our leaders are required to convincingly
6  -  Influencing skills
convey their opinions, needs and expectations to others;
-  Negotiation skills
whilst maintaining positive relationships.
Financial management
Leaders at all levels need an appreciation of the current

available resourcing for and (financial and time) costs

associated with myriad aspects of service delivery. They
need to be equipped to assess potential efficiency
7
opportunities, both to release savings and to improve
quality (whether in terms of effectiveness, responsiveness
/ productivity). Underpinning understanding of cost drivers
and ability to interpret financial as well as wider resourcing
data is pre-requisite to achievement.
Strategic acumen (advanced skil s)
The higher our leaders progress in the organisation, the

more important it is for them to think strategically and
-  Managing the external environment
understand the wider environment. This may involve
8  -  System leadership
external scanning and benchmarking and an ability to
navigate an ever more complex political landscape. There
-  Political savvy
is also a requirement for advanced influencing skills and a
more in-depth knowledge of finance and contracts.

2.3  It is expected that there will be active and ongoing engagement from senior clinicians to review
programme content, so that it is not only customised and current, but also reflects our needs
over time. This may, for example, include involvement in the development of case studies.

2.4  We would also consider direct senior staff involvement in defined elements of delivery, where
this would support our over-arching aims. We welcome bidder suggestions on how this might
be operated in defining the proposed overall approach. For the avoidance of doubt, however,
the successful provider will need to have the capacity and capability to deliver the totality of
5

the solution in isolation to mitigate risk to delivery consistency (where our senior staff priority
needs to be our core NHS service delivery).

2.5  As noted above, the audience will comprise individuals across a broad range of leadership and
management roles (in NHS terms loosely at Agenda for Change band 5 and above). Alongside
those with formal supervisory, line management and service management responsibilities, we
are keen to support the leadership development needs of those senior clinicians who do not
have ‘people’ or ‘service’ / system management responsibility  but are ‘key influencers’. The
solution wil  therefore need to appropriately acknowledge requirements to manage col eague
and wider stakeholder relationships and support model ing of our core leadership ethos for
such individuals. The audience will be representative of the full range of our services and will
be operating at a variety of levels (excepting directors). The proposed solution will need to
appropriately take this into account, to ensure the ful  range of needs is met.

2.6  To support interpretation: Oxleas provides mental health services in differing contexts including
mental health services for children & young people, working age adults and older adults
(delivered both in in-patient settings and our clients' own homes), as well as specialist forensic
& prison and adult learning disability (ALD) services. We also deliver a wide range of physical
health services, in both community settings (including those delivered in clients' own homes)
and inpatient settings, employing staff from across a broad  spectrum of professions and
disciplines. Therefore, content of all learning formats should focus on transferrable leadership
skills, rather than specific technical / operational skills, whilst still ensuring that application is
explored in an organisational context. It is imperative that all materials, case studies, scenarios
etc. are recognisable to participants and reflect their working environment. This is particularly
important in terms of the wording used throughout and providers must be able to demonstrate
a good knowledge of NHS parlance. Providers are expected to research and tailor these
elements of programme delivery and ensure this is reflected in their solution (and costing).
2.7  The approach to programme design and delivery should be based on evidence that enhanced
application of learning occurs when employing a 70:20:10 model; that is, 70% experiential on
the job learning, 20% job enrichment and 10% formal training. Whilst we have included some
examples in table 2 below to illustrate, this is not intended as an exhaustive list of options, or
indeed a rigid required structure. It is intended to underscore our desire to offer a variety of
learning solutions, in line with the underpinning 70:20:10 principle.
Table 2

70%
20%
10%
Experiential learning
Job enrichment
Formal training
Secondments, job swaps, projects,
Action learning sets, buddying,
Process, procedure & policy:
assignments, placements, working
shadowing, coaching, mentoring, in-  - intranet, manuals, guides
parties
role observation, feedback
Skills, knowledge & behavior:
- courses / workshops, e-learning

6

2.8  For the avoidance of doubt, we will also consider additional support in the form of relevant
psychometric-based coaching or tailored leadership 360° feedback. Whilst  we do not
necessarily see these as forming part of the ‘core’ offer (being mindful of overall solution cost),
we may consider such inputs for specific targeted individuals where this can be offered by the
successful bidder.
2.9  We require bidders to define their proposed overal  programme model in line with the above
principles  at the tender stage. Once finalised  and agreed  (following more detailed needs
analysis, scoping and design),  the successful provider will take full responsibility  for  total
solution delivery and its ongoing management  and associated monitoring.  This requirement
should be borne in mind in developing the proposed solution approach for your bid, to ensure
your organisation has both the capacity and capability to effectively deliver all components of
the proposed solution (to the anticipated maximum potential volume).
2.10  For relevant programme elements (primarily ‘formal training’ and ‘job enrichment’), we expect
the provider to utilise experienced facilitators (and coaches if applicable) with strong
questioning and listening skil s and an appropriate range of concepts and / or techniques to
help participants consider different perspectives, transfer their learning to practice, clarify their
ideas, raise their self-awareness, solve problems and make informed decisions.
2.11  Development at the ‘experiential learning’ stage of the programme will require work to be
undertaken with senior staff to determine the type of experiences that can be provided, such
as observing investigations (root cause analysis), disciplinary processes and supporting and/or
leading quality improvement programmes.
2.12  For development activity in support of the ‘job enrichment’ element of the programme, we
expect the provider to use their experience of delivering similar activity and propose the most
effective and cost efficient ways of grouping participants, if applicable (e.g. by pay band cluster,
to ensure facilitation can be pitched at an appropriate level; by service context, to more closely
reflect the participant work environment).  The solution should careful y balance enhanced
effectiveness with cost implications associated with greater solution complexity.
2.13  In terms of ‘formal training’, it is our expectation that learner groups may  comprise of
individuals of mixed backgrounds and levels of relevant experience and / or depth of
leadership knowledge. Some participants will have received prior leadership development, but
new to role managers / supervisors as well as senior clinicians who may likewise have
benefited from no prior relevant input may access the same sessions. We expect the provider
to effectively manage such mixed learner groups appropriately, to ensure the ful  range of
needs is met. The aim of the programme is ultimately to ensure consistent application of best
practice across the board.
2.14  A facilitative approach should be adopted to draw on the existing learner  knowledge and
experience, supporting engagement of experienced learners who are accessing sessions with
less experienced col eagues. Sessions should employ a range of learning methods, catering to a
variety of learning styles, and include an appropriate focus on practical application of learning
in the work environment and identifying solutions to any perceived barriers.
7

2.15  A scenario-based approach for ‘formal training’ elements will be preferred, providing learners
with an opportunity to practice skills in a safe environment and receive feedback to develop
their skills. Where  possible, sessions should reflect the range of backgrounds of the
participants involved in the programme, allowing for tailoring to the different contexts
represented within each session, to maximise transfer of learning.
2.16  All aspects of the programme (ie ‘formal training’, ‘job enrichment’ and ‘experiential learning’)
should be underpinned by current best practice principles and models, challenging historical
approaches as appropriate (e.g. how our understanding of neuroscience is now questioning
traditional models of motivation, learning, engagement etc).
2.17  Prior to contract commencement, the provider wil  work with us to develop their
understanding of the particular emphasis we require in delivery  /  facilitation, in particular
understanding our purpose, values, services, professions and wider context.
2.18  Relevant equality and human rights considerations should be embedded in both content and
delivery approach of each programme  element  in line with our policies and values (e.g.
promoting diversity as good for business, creating the best environment for all staff to achieve
their aspirations, chal enging misperceptions). Alongside, all materials including images should
represent our diverse workforce (e.g. in terms of age, ethnicity, gender etc).
2.19  Where required, adaptation to support learners who present with particular requirements (e.g.
hearing or visual disability) should be built into the overal  approach.  The successful provider
will demonstrate an inclusive and flexible approach to programme  delivery, aimed at
maximising each learner’s participation and supporting learning  achievement.  Appropriate
identification and sharing of individual reasonable adjustment needs should be built into the
participant engagement and co-ordination process.
2.20  The provider will develop all resources to support full programme delivery and participant
reflection e.g. e-learning content, handouts, guides, action plans, reference material such as
journals etc. We expect reference materials to be made available to all participants, enabling
them to easily review key learning from the programme. These should draw upon current and
relevant  best practice and include reference to any practical tools, techniques models or
additional resources that may be useful in supporting transfer of learning into practice.
2.21  The provider will likewise be responsible for designing and producing all associated (internal)
marketing materials, in support of the programme. All such resources (e.g. electronic / physical
brochures, flyers, posters etc.) should be reflective of key programme and trust aims, clear,
concise and engaging.
2.22  Al  elements of the programme should take into account the local context of Oxleas NHS
Foundation Trust and the variety of roles represented by our learners. The provider will work
with us to ensure the programme and its delivery are appropriately sensitive to the needs of
the organisation, take into account our approaches, and are grounded in our reality, making
clear reference to our services, and our staff roles and responsibilities.
8

3.
Scope / Capacity

3.1  Bids should be based on even distribution of delivery volume across the maximum five years of
the contract, taking into account the indicative maximum total volume of up to 500 staff.
3.2  We require the provider to submit a realistic model and proposed delivery plan. This should
take account of the need to contain solution (per head) cost, manage staff release implications
(eg acknowledging key staffing pressure periods associated with peak holiday times), as well as
own capacity to sustain consistent delivery.
3.3  Please be aware that all our learning can be impacted by changes in our service profile, which
may at times result in transfers in / out of the organisation of whole staff groups. Indicative
numbers presented here  to support bid development and costing thus do not constitute
commitment to purchase the implied total volume of learning over the life of the contract.
3.4  Following more detailed needs analysis, we anticipate scheduling both initial and subsequent
ongoing  programme  volume in blocks per financial year  (or part thereof),  to reflect actual
requirements over the life of the contract. Ongoing delivery wil  at al  times be determined
based on live demand indications and current Trust needs.
3.5  For participatory elements of the delivery model, bidders are asked to be clear around any
proposed minimum / maximum participant numbers to enable the trust to effectively assess
costs. Bidders should however note that the Trust reserves the right to request ‘over-booking’
of any programme elements as required, to mitigate typical attrition rates and thus make best
use of all available capacity.
3.6  Further guidance on other considerations to support costing your proposed solution can be
found in document 4. Commercial Pricing Schedule.
4.
Logistical & Contract Management Considerations
4.1  The successful bidder will demonstrate the capacity, capability, and appropriate systems to
effectively deliver al  aspects of the proposed solution and meet our  contract  performance
monitoring (evaluation and reporting) requirements. They will be in a position to deliver to a
project plan aimed at initial programme delivery beginning 2 - 3 months post contract award.
4.2  The provider will be responsible for the totality of programme design and subsequent ongoing
programme management. The provider will need to deliver a full end-to-end service. This will
include (but not necessarily be  restricted to) marketing  design and delivery, scheduling,
participant  booking process,  delegate and facilitator communication (eg invitations, joining
instructions, attendee lists for facilitators etc). Your approach to this should be clearly set out in
your bid (although of course the approach may be amended following contract award, to
reflect the final programme structure as well as learning from initial scoping and delivery).
4.3  Once the provider has delivered an element of the programme for the first time, they will be
responsible for evaluating its effectiveness and making revisions to improve the quality of
subsequent delivery.  This learning / feedback wil  also be shared with the Trust.
9

4.4  We expect the provider to ful y evaluate the programme (ie all  ‘formal training’, ‘job
enrichment’ and ‘experiential learning’ elements), collecting and collating experience and
impact data on an ongoing basis. We expect evaluation to follow an effective and tested model,
and provide feedback regarding participant reaction and increase in skills and knowledge. We
wil  require the provider to translate data gathered (e.g. feedback and ratings) into trend
reports to be shared with relevant stakeholders (at a frequency to be agreed).
4.5  As noted above, in addition to experience, we are keen to evaluate impact. Post-programme
(e.g. six months fol owing an input element / combination of elements) we expect to measure
the transfer of learning to the workplace. Bidders are asked to propose the approach and
mechanisms to be employed to achieve these aims, the final shape of which will then be
agreed as part of contract initiation (or during the development stage).
4.6  In addition to ongoing evaluation data being routinely shared (at a frequency to be agreed at
contract award), we expect more comprehensive cumulative summary trends reports to be
generated. These wil  identify relevant common themes, trends and issues, and summary
evaluation of programme effectiveness in increasing skills, awareness and knowledge aligned
to programme objectives, alongside overall impact in the workplace.
4.7  For the avoidance of doubt, we are happy in principle to accept the provider’s proposed
evaluation approach / questions as per bid submission, although do expect to check that this
will provide us with information required as part of quality monitoring of the provision. We
reserve the right to amend the evaluation approach  (or opt instead to apply our in-house
evaluation process), to ensure we receive information which is comparable to that which we
hold in relation to our other provision.
4.8  Assuming successful performance and thus on-going contract extension to the maximum
contract term, we expect the provider to review and update (where  required) programme
content and supporting materials, at a minimum on an annual basis, to ensure that delivery
continues to meet the Trust’s needs and reflects the changing profile of our services, and
current best practice guidance and/or evidence base. More minor content adjustments, for
example to reflect changes in relevant Trust policy or trends in participant feedback, should be
made in a responsive manner throughout the life of the contract.
4.9  Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust does not have dedicated facilities for staff development and the
provider wil  therefore need to be able  to operate flexibly in making the best use of those
available. During the life of the contract, programme elements may be delivered in any suitable
location within the geographical area covered by the Trust's services, which currently includes
the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich as well as Kent.
4.10  We require a high degree of flexibility and excellent communication on the part of the provider
to manage the delivery of the programme on Oxleas and / or partner organisations’ sites.
4.11  We wil  expect facilitators to arrive with their own projection equipment as required, as well as
supplies of all supporting materials and resources. For all venues this will include participant
resources  and in some venues this may include flipchart pens and flipchart paper etc. as
10

determined by the facilitator. It is also important to note that no staff will be on hand at the
start of sessions to assist facilitators.
4.12  Some elements of the programme may be scheduled at venues with some access restrictions
resulting in practical challenges requiring a high degree of flexibility on the part of the
facilitator. We expect the provider to be able to operate ful y autonomously in this context,
taking full responsibility for ensuring an effective and safe learning environment and working
with staff / partners locally (on site) to flag and resolve any unforeseen issues with the venue.
Depending on venue, facilitators will be required to arrange rooms to meet their requirements
and then return them to their original state at the end of the day (typically as meetings rooms).
Early arrival to prepare the space and address any such issues will be necessary. In some
venues, facilitators may additionally be required to take  responsibility for managing learner
access to the venue / space to support maintenance of site security.
4.13  Facilitators operating on our sites will be required to familiarise themselves with local
arrangements (eg fire exits, kitchens / drinking water access etc) to support maintenance of
their own as well as participant health and safety.
4.14  We are keen to be kept abreast of up to date participation trends and manage any failures to
arrive for scheduled input. Bidders should outline their proposed mechanism for achieving this,
being mindful  of the requirement for secure data transfer. Alternatively, the Trust’s learning
management system (LMS) can be employed. In this case, we would require attendance details
to be updated in our LMS within 2 working days post-delivery, to maintain the currency of our
overall learning participation data.
4.15  The successful provider wil  demonstrate excellent communication throughout the contract
term, working in partnership with us to monitor the programme and  its  delivery, being
responsive to any concerns raised and working with us to identify solutions to unforeseen
circumstances impacting the programme.
4.16  Linked to this, we expect the provider to have in place robust, demonstrable  contingency
management / business  continuity arrangements and guarantee consistent delivery of
scheduled learning.  We likewise expect the successful bidder  to have robust quality and
complaints management policies and processes.  This should also be clearly evidenced in your
submission.
4.17  As indicated above, we expect the provider to keep us abreast of relevant common themes,
trends and issues throughout the life of the contract.  Alongside supporting contract
monitoring, this regular contact will ensure that the programme  remains appropriately
sensitive to the Trust's needs and reinforces key messages.
4.18  The provider wil  ensure that their staff are appropriately briefed in relation to our policies and
approaches (to support tailoring for each learner group), both at the outset of the programme
and throughout the contract period. Any changes (e.g.  to our service profile) will be
communicated to all facilitators involved in programme delivery in a timely manner.
11

4.19  For the avoidance of doubt, al  of the expectations set out within this section, alongside (a)
satisfactory evaluation trends throughout the contract period (see 4.3 to 4.7 above) and (b)
consistent programme delivery (to the agreed programme outlines, which will be finalised
following contract award and  familiarisation), will constitute the contract key performance
indicators (KPIs).
4.20  For ease of reference, the contract KPIs (subject to agreement of specifics post contract
award), will reflect the fol owing elements:
i)  Consistent  and quality delivery  of all expectations defined in this Service Specification
document, over the life of the contract.
ii)  Quality of delivery  (with  the exception of any  feedback  relating to factors outside of the
facilitator’s immediate control, e.g. relating to the venue / facilities).
iii)  Concerns / complaints relating to delivery acknowledged and  mutually acceptable action
plans in place within agreed timescales.
iv)  As required during the life of the contract, timely review and updating of al  programme
content and, where applicable, supporting materials.
v)  Notification of any best practice developments which the Trust should consider to maintain
delivery currency.
vi)  Effective co-ordination, implementation and fulfilment of all  logistical / administrative
requirements as set out in this Service Specification document, delivering effective and
responsive end-to-end programme management (planning, scheduling, logistics, participant
communication and progress tracking, evaluation data collection and collation etc).
vii)  Invoicing agreement adhered to throughout the life of the contract.
viii) Required evaluation data and trends  reporting  delivered  at agreed level, in  agreed  format
and to agreed timescales.
5.
Provider Experience and Accreditation
5.1  The provider will have an extensive history of providing a wide variety of leadership
development solutions, ideal y in an NHS environment. The provider wil  ensure that any
employees working on the design, delivery, administration and evaluation of this programme
have a wealth of experience implementing the components of delivery for which they are to be
responsible and are suitably qualified where applicable (e.g. CIPD).
5.2  Inputs  will need to be delivered by appropriately skilled  facilitators  and/or  coaches  with a
wealth of experience in leadership development,  ideally gained within a health care setting.
They wil  need to demonstrate an understanding of the differing contexts within which our
staff operate.
5.3  Facilitators  will be able  to evidence their own continued professional development (CPD),
supporting an up to date understanding of the current evidence base / best practice in the
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contexts of leadership and learning. They should hold relevant individual qualifications (e.g.
AIF, AoF facilitator accreditation or EMCC, AC, APECS coaching accreditation) and be able to
demonstrate relevant experience  /  evidence of regular  development,  updating  and
supervision.
5.4  We expect the provider to demonstrate equivalent organisational experience via sample case
studies evidencing experience of full implementation of similar programmes in an appropriate
context / environment (NHS, particularly mental health and / or community health, would be
of most relevance).
5.5  Please evidence that your proposed team, as a minimum, are able to deliver sufficient capacity
to meet the contract volume set out in the scope section above.

5.6  Please submit proposed facilitator CVs with your response  (referencing 5.2 and 5.3 above),
along with your organisation’s current and past client list (please only include details of work
undertaken with clients in areas relevant to this tender).

5.7  Where applicable, please also include in your response the  details of your organisation’s
accreditation status, clarifying the nature of the accreditation and assessment approach used
to gauge the quality of provision and/or systems.
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Document Outline