008. cpa1 a4e ltd - tender form redacted final

8/3/2019 008. CPA1 A4e Ltd - Tender Form Redacted FINAL

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RESTRICTED – COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE

EMPLOYMENT RELATED SUPPORT SERVICESFRAMEWORK AGREEMENT

MINI COMPETITION FOR THE PROVISION OFMANDATORY WORK ACTIVITY

Invitation to Tender Form

CONTRACT PACKAGE AREA TENDER FORMCPA 1 – SOUTH EAST

Tender Round title: Mandatory Work Activity

Organisation Name: A4e Ltd

CPA: CPA1 SOUTH EAST

MWA ITT Questionnaire FINAL V0.1 1




PART 1: ORGANISATION DETAILS

[1.1] Your response to Part 1 is for information purposes only. If any of this informationhas changed since the Framework Agreement application stage, please state this withinthe table below including a short explanation as to why. If you cannot provide any of theinformation below please explain this within the table.

DWP will not be responsible for contacting anyone other than the persons named in thispart of your form. If any of this information changes during the bidding period you mustinform DWP of the changes by email to:[email protected]

Name of the Legal Entity in whose name thistender is submitted and with whom DWP willcontract:

A4e Ltd

Trading Name (if different from above): N/A

Company Registration Number: 02631340

Company Registered address: Bessemer Road, Sheffield, S9 3XN

Head Office Address, if different: Queens House, 105 Queen Street,Sheffield, S1 1GN

VAT Registration Number: 598 6496 55

Website Address (if any): www.mya4e.co.uk

Name, address and company registrationnumber of parent company, where applicable:

Not applicable

Name and Job Title of main contact: Redacted

Address: Redacted

Telephone no: Redacted

Mobile telephone no: Redacted

Fax no: Redacted

E-mail address: Redacted

Alternative contact Name and Job Title: Redacted

Address (if different from above): Redacted

Telephone no: Redacted

Mobile telephone no: Redacted

Contact e-mail: Redacted


mailto:[email protected]

http://www.mya4e.co.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.mya4e.co.uk/




PART 2: TENDERER DECLARATION

[2.1] You must complete this Declaration by Tenderer. Failure to include this declarationmay result in your bid being disqualified.

To: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions

For the benefit of the Department for Work and Pensions, we hereby warrant andundertake as follows:

1. We have examined, read, understand and accept in full the proposed Contractdocuments and all other documents and Annexes provided with this declaration andthe clarifications issued during the Invitation to Tender period.

2. We have completed and submitted all information required in the Invitation toTender Form in the format and order required.

3. We confirm the information set out in our response is complete and accurate tothe best of our knowledge and belief .

4. We hereby acknowledge and agree that we have read, understand and acceptMandatory Work Activity Call-Off Terms and Conditions, Mandatory Work ActivitySpecification and the draft Order Form.

Scanned Signature: Redacted

Date:25/02/2011

Name: Redacted

Job Title: Redacted

Duly authorised to sign Tenders on behalf of:

Name of Organisation: A4e





PART 3: MANDATORY WORK ACTIVITY CALL-OFF CONTRACTTERMS AND CONDITIONS - ALTERNATIVE AND/OR ADDITIONALCLAUSES

[3.1]

3.1 The terms and conditions of Mandatory Work Activity will be the Standard Call-Off Terms and Conditions (set out in Schedule 4 of your Framework Agreement), asmodified by Mandatory Work Activity service requirements (“Mandatory WorkActivity Additional Requirements”).

3.2 Mandatory Work Activity Additional Requirements are set out in the ‘Call-Off Terms and Conditions for Mandatory Work Activity’ which is supplied with your Invitation to Tender. A document highlighting the modifications made to theStandard Call-Off Terms and Conditions to reflect Mandatory Work ActivityAdditional Requirements will be issued by Friday 18 February; for ease of

identification, the changes made since the draft version issued on 8 December 2010 are shown in boxes within the document.

3.3 Any proposed amendments to Mandatory Work Activity Additional Requirementmust be detailed by completing the section below, giving full details of theclause(s)/Appendix you wish to amend and your proposed amendments. DWPwill consider proposed amendments strictly on their merits. Please note that youmay only propose amendments to Mandatory Work Activity AdditionalRequirements; proposed amendments to the Standard Call-Off Contract Termsand Conditions will not be considered.

Comments on Mandatory Work Activity Additional Requirements: -

Redacted

Other than those provisions identified above, A4e ltd confirms that it has reviewed theCall-Off Terms and Conditions for Mandatory Work Activity and agrees in principle toeach of their provisions.





Name: Redacted

Scanned Signature: Redacted

Position: Redacted

Telephone No: Redacted

Date: 25/02/2011

DWP reserves the right to amend any provisions of Mandatory Work Activity Additional

Requirements at any time during the mini-competition procurement exercise.





PART 4: SERVICE REQUIREMENT

[4.1] Customer Journey - Process

Please describe the end-to-end customer journey through your MWA proposal for this

CPA.

Your response should include:

• your process to ensure that the customer will commence placement within 10working days of the referral by Jobcentre Plus.

• an explanation of how you will ensure that a customer completes the four weekplacement;

• Confirmation that you will issue a completer certificate when a customer successfully completes placement, and when you will issue this certificate

Insert your response in the pre-set, shaded space of the following pages. Your response MUST be limited to 2 sides of A4





4.1 A4e’s Mandatory Work Activity (MWA) customer journey: key featuresA4e will build on our current and extensive experience of sourcing and managing workplacements, including Community Task Force, Job Services Australia and A4e’s FNDWork Boost (Mandatory Work-Related Activity), to secure high quality placementopportunities across the South East (SE). We will use our 10 years local delivery

experience and strong stakeholder relationships to deliver an end to end journey thatsupports local JSA customer groups, who have failed to engage with other programmes, to develop the universal employability skills that employers require.

Evidence: Since Jan 2010, A4e's Community Task Force has placed 2,062 customersinto community benefit placements across Mid/ North and South East Wales.A4e’s customer journey will:

• Utilise our experienced Support Centre staff as the one point of contact for JCP

• Dedicate local Placement Coordinators to source and support Placement Hosts

• Conduct engagement activities including a 20 minute phone call and issue of notification letters prior to MWA placement start date

• Ensure customers have clear understanding of participation responsibilities for their Allocated or Balance of Time and sanction consequences of failure to attend

• From day 1 of contract start, ensure all customers commence placements within 10days using our extensive network of pre-vetted Placement Hosts across SE

• Provide accountability through robust, timely reporting of attendance and participation

• Document all contacts with customers and JCP e.g. start notification letter,timesheets, Completers certificate, feedback forms, DMA form

• Work with local communities to identify and generate placement opportunities with aclear community benefit by engaging with LA’s, charities and community groups.

• Improve each customer’s work ethic through placements that build necessaryattributes valued by all employers e.g. timekeeping, dress, attitude, team working

• Increase four week sustainment through choice of placement, where possible.Ensuring all customers commence community benefit placements within 10 daysTo ensure that the number of placement Hosts continue to increase during the contractterm, A4e has three staff roles in place targeted to engage local Host providers:

• Placement Coordinator: sources and supports Placement Hosts across SE.

• A4e’s National Employer Solutions Team: experts who engage nationalorganisations operating community benefit projects/placements e.g. Barclays,Barnardo’s and Scope. The team will source multi-site, multi-discipline opportunities.In 2010, this team sourced 700 community placements and 1,464 jobs.

• Partnership Managers: have excellent regional and local links with key stakeholders

e.g. LAs and Councils to ensure effective join up with community benefit initiatives.Placement Hosts will sign a Service Level Agreement confirming they will:•provide a short placement for 4 weeks, complying with EU Work Time Directive.• evidence the customer has attended • conduct induction, H&S and Risk Assessments• set standards of behaviour, responsibility, attendance & emergency procedures.Added Value: A4e will pay Placement Hosts an admin fee up to Redacted per month tosupport evidencing requirements and to designate a ‘workplace buddy’ to participants.Stage 1: A4e’s MWA Advisors will personally answer 80% of calls from JCP on firstattempt. Post-referral activities with JCP Advisors will facilitate seamless entry to MWAby gathering information relating to customer needs and behaviours e.g. repeatreturners to JSA, barriers requiring specialist support (deaf/blind/ESOL), we will ensure

that Hosts provider offers appropriate levels of support from day one of participation.Stage 2: Within 2 days of PRaP referral, A4e’s MWA Advisors will re-engage thecustomer by phone to undertake an initial customer interview. The Advisor will ask aseries of informal questions, designed to gain commitment to attend MWA. To maintainMWA ITT Questionnaire FINAL V0.1 7




4.1 Continued.momentum, within the 10 day engagement period. MWA Advisors will call customers:

• Be friendly, but clearly advise the customer of their participation responsibilities,explain the consequences of failure to start, attend or complete MWA hours.

• Discuss the benefits of participation (to the individual and community).

• Arrange funding to support child care, travel, clothing and equipment.

• Discuss conditionality restrictions in individual Jobseekers Allowance Agreements,Fortnightly Jobsearch Reviews, and specific needs e.g. health conditions or cultural

• Discuss and agree the MWA placements available, best suited to the customer’sneeds. A4e will, wherever possible, give the customer a choice of placements

• For ‘Balance of Time’ customers, discuss reasons for failing to complete their initialplacement and ensure appropriate strategies are in place to avoid FTA reoccurring.

A4e will make three attempts to contact the customer by phone. If no contact is madethe MWA Advisor will post a notification letter, as outlined in Stage 3 below.Added value: customers will have access to MyA4ecommunity, a web based customer portal. MyA4e offers on-line training, e.g. ‘Appropriate Workplace Behaviour’ and ‘Work

Experience to Work and links to current local vacancies and social networking.Stage 3: A4e will confirm by letter, placement details including start date, time, address,Host contact name and telephone number. The notification letter will be followed up bya friendly telephone call from the MWA Advisor to ensure travel routes and journeylength times are understood. During the call Advisors will confirm that childcarearrangements are in place with a registered provider, and where required, will makeprovision for the funding and administration of childcare claims. Obligations to attendwill be restated. Advisors will liaise with JCP to coordinate fortnightly Job SearchReview attendance and with Hosts to arrange work clothing/tools.Innovation: Start letter will be accompanied by a promotional newsletter of communitybenefit placement successes and an overview of customers’ obligations to attend MWA.

Added Value: The day before MWA start customers’ will receive a reminder contact.Stage 4: A4e will ensure customers attend and complete their placement by:

• Ensuring customers receive a high quality induction on day one of their placement

• Placement Host expectations (e.g. behaviour, dress, attendance times, breaks).

• Health, Safety and Risk Assessment to meet customer needs.

• How the placement is benefiting the community and MWA customer.Stage 5: Placement support MWA Advisors will contact customers at the end of thefirst day and weekly, to: address common difficulties (e.g. fatigue, work/life balance,anxiety and potential drop-out) and support the customer to reflect on the work skills,disciplines and experience they have gained through regular attendance. PlacementCoordinators will maintain contact with Hosts, addressing any emerging issues.Added Value: Support is based on A4e’s successful In-Work Support model, which hashelped 68% of our New Deal and Pathways customers to sustain paid work for a year.Monitoring: MWA Advisors, available 7 days per week, 8am to 8pm, will monitor participation. They will use the DMA Form to notify JCP, within 24 hours, when aplacement Host notifies us that a customer failed to attend (without prior arrangement)or is dismissed due to misconduct. A4e will record all contacts with the Host andcustomer on A4e’s IT system to ensure documented evidence of failure is available.Placement Completion and Completer CertificatesStage 6: A4e will support customers in SE to progress beyond their MWA placement.

Within 3 days of placement completion the MWA Advisor will contact the customer to:• Issue a Completer’s Certificate • Ensure they include MWA in their CV and market it toemployers • Gather feedback on MWA to drive A4e’s continuous improvement •Advisors will sign and return the Feedback Form to JCP within 10 days, clearly detailing





customer performance and attendance.





PART 5: SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

[5.1] Delivery Strategy


Please describe in detail your delivery structure for all elements of Mandatory WorkActivity provision across this CPA, in terms of overall percentage of delivery andgeographical coverage, and explain why you consider your delivery strategy to be thebest approach for customers in this CPA.

If delivering of the Service includes by sub-contracting complete the followinginformation:

State clearly how you intend to work with your sub-contractors and describe how youwill ensure the needs of the customers in this CPA are fully addressed from within your supply chain.

Please also complete Annex 1 (Sub-contractor Declaration) for your proposed sub-contractors as appropriate.

Insert your response in the pre-set, shaded space of the following pages. Your response MUST be limited to 2 sides of A4.




5.11. A4e’s Mandatory Work Activity (MWA) Delivery Strategy for the South East A4e will manage 100% of the customer volume as sole provider across the wholeof the SE. We will be directly supported by a network of Placement Hosts who willprovide all work placements for customers. Delivery will draw upon A4e’s pre-vetted

regional network of ERSS partners and existing strategic relationships with LocalAuthorities, Health Services and Local Enterprise Partnerships.Our core delivery structure will comprise of the following three key elements:

1. A robust, scalable and efficient support function through A4e’sNational Support Centre, providing telephone based support to JCP and customers,7 days a week from JCP referral through to MWA exit. Conducting initialengagement activities, implementing robust monitoring procedures for all customers.2. Face to face engagement of Placement Hosts by PlacementCoordinators working across SE to identify and establish opportunities throughoutthe contract term. We will engage sufficient volumes of placements to provide eachJCP office with adequate numbers of spaces to starts MWA customers onto a

placement within 10 days of referral.3. Accessing community benefit placements across SE through anetwork of local Hosts receiving payment to support monitoring requirements. Thiswill ensure that A4e is able to access high volumes of community benefit placementsfrom day one of MWA go live and increase the volume of placement opportunities ona continuous basis.

2. Why this is the best approach for the South EastThis delivery strategy allows A4e to:

• Drive cost efficiencies through economies of scale, thus allowing us to offer anadditional 20% of placements over the life of the contract at the same cost to DWP.

•

Ensure a full service is available, SE-wide from Day 1 capitalising on A4e’s trackrecord to quickly implement contracts with appropriately qualified staff.

• Deliver a high level of service across all of SE.

• Support a wide range of organisations, including small voluntary sector Hosts, thatmight otherwise be unable to participate by covering their costs.

• Meet DWP Service Delivery Standards in all instances by ensuring Hosts havesufficient resource to meet participation reporting requirements.

• Deliver a locally driven solution, promoted by A4e through key strategic relationships,delivering explicit community benefit and wider public service MWA integration.

Evidence of A4e effectiveness: Seven of eight customers taking part in our CTF focusgroups said they felt more likely to get a job since they’d been doing their placement. ‘It

kick starts you looking for work again because, when you’ve been unemployed for six months, you just start laying in late and sitting around not doing much. When you’re upevery morning, you feel like you want to get a job.’ CTF Customer, Rhyl3.How our approach benefits to DWP/JCP in the South East:

•A4e will capacity build placement Hosts by cascading funds to local community benefitorganisations, generating positive local ‘buy in’.

•A scalable structure that ensures we can accommodate local volume fluctuations.

•Clear lines of accountability, with A4e providing a single interface between JCP, Hostsand customers, ensuring rapid information exchange and consistent judgements one.g. legitimate reasons for failure to start

•

A4e is a ‘safe pair of hands’, an experienced provider with a proven track record of delivering high profile welfare to work services.4.How our approach benefits customers in the South East:Services that are responsive to the needs of local customers: A4e has delivered





5.1 continuedservices in SE since 2000, including Pathways to Work, JPCSC, Recruit Older Workers(ROW), Train to Gain and Young People and Money. MWA customers will benefit fromour in-depth understanding of the needs of local customers.Evidence of A4e effectiveness: In Thames Valley, Hampshire and the Isle of Wightwe deliver ‘Launch Pad’ a motivational and work preparation course for Lone Parents

(4 weeks training & 4 weeks job placement) this has achieved a 31% JERFast access to placement opportunities: A4e’s payment model for Placement Hostswill generate new placement opportunities more quickly; ensuring customers are able toaccess placement opportunities across SE within 10 days of referral.Specialist Placement Hosts: MWA customers across SE will benefit from A4e’spartnerships with niche Placement Hosts; engaged for their ability to provideappropriate levels of support to all JSA customer groups including lone parents,partners, carers, ex-IB claimants and young people.Evidence of effectiveness: Wheatsheaf Trust delivered Future Jobs Fund to 180young people (6 month+ JSA) who were placed in employment opportunities - 100% ontarget (in Southampton, Eastleigh and New Forest)

Services that prepare customers for the demands of local workplaces: Customerswill benefit from A4e’s extensive knowledge of what local employers require whenrecruiting, developed through our contact with our network of 20,00 strong national andlocal employers. A4e’s Placement Coordinators will ensure that all MWA placementsequip participants with work disciplines that enable individuals to complete effectively inthe jobs market. Accessibility of placements: A4e’s existing networks in SE, including relationshipswith over 100 community organisations and Local Authorities in the area, will ensurethat every customer in SE has access to placements accessible by public transport fromDay 1 of MWA delivery.Evidence: we engaged with 500+ local stakeholders, including all 4 LEPs, all 33 LocalAuthorities (LAs), 40 Colleges, and Probation Trusts. 80 local stakeholders attended our 3 stakeholder consultation events (25 from the 3rd Sector).Added Value: Customers will also benefit from access to A4e’s broader range of services including Community Legal Advice and Money Guidance, supporting them tosuccessfully complete their placements.5.Benefits to community based Placement HostsVariety of placement opportunities: Our strategy to pay Placement Hosts will enableA4e to engage a wider range of organisations, including small organisations that wouldnot otherwise have the resources to enable them to host placements. This meanscustomers in SE will have access to broader range of placement opportunities,

increasing engagement and participation.Improved support from Placement Hosts: Paying Placement Hosts will ensure thatthey allocate resource to support the customer throughout their placement, e.g. ‘workbuddies’. This will increase completion rates and ensure the customer has the bestpossible opportunity to develop a good work ethic and transferable skills.High-quality support: A4e’s extensive delivery experience including services similar toMWA (Community Task Force, Job Services Australia, Flexible New Deal Work Boosts)will ensure Hosts, customers and employers in SE benefit from tried and tested servicestrategies. E.g. our FND Work Boost provision result in more than 20% of participantsmoving into paid employment.





[5.2] Management Structure

Please provide:

• A description of the proposed management structure for this CPA and how the

required management skills and expertise, including working with localstakeholders, have been identified and will be delivered. You should also includea description of associated responsibilities and reporting lines ;

• A description of how you will work with the management teams of any supplychain organisations and key delivery partners; and

• An explanation why your management structure is appropriate for MandatoryWork Activity within this CPA.

Please include an organisation chart (attach as Annex 2) showing the proposedmanagement structure for Mandatory Work Activity for this CPA.

Insert your response in the pre-set, shaded space of the following pages. Your responseMUST be limited to 2 sides of A4.

Note: Format requirement and page limit does not apply to the organisation chart(s)which you must insert as Annex 4.





5.2 A4e’s management structure for Mandatory Work Activity (MWA) has beenspecifically designed to:

• Ensure a consistent pool of high quality community benefit placements acrossSE, supporting customers to commence a work placement within 10 days of referral.

• Engage local stakeholders to embed MWA into the community to generateplacement opportunities that provide maximum impact for local residents

• Implement robust control mechanisms to maximise participation on MWA

• Provide equal geographic coverage across a large, diverse geography1. Proposed Management StructurePlease find attached A4e’s Organisational Chart enclosed in Annex 2.A4e’s management structure takes account of the specific delivery challenges of thelarge geographic area within this CPA and the need for close partnership working withstakeholders, local organisations and employers.

• Area Manager: Responsible for A4e’s operational delivery in SE. Inspirational

leader who will drive fairly yet insistently to deliver a flexible, responsive, high qualityservice. Responsible for the delivery of all contract outcomes, including an ongoingpipeline of high quality community benefit MWA placements. The Area Manager hasexperience delivering welfare-to-work, our delivery will be enhanced by their existingstrategic relationships across SE. The Area Manager represents A4e within localnetworks and will continue to build upon existing partnership links to ensure acontinual pipeline of new placements, with clear community benefits to the localarea. The Area Manager line manages local Placement Coordinators and MWAAdvisors.

• Placement Co-ordinator (PC): Will manage the interface between Placement Hostsand A4e. Although Hosts are not formal sub-contractors, Placement Coordinators

will agree Service Level Agreements with each Host, to ensure accountability inrelation to reporting requirements and overall compliance with Health and Safety.The Placement Coordinator will conduct pre-vetting activities and will effectivelytrack MWA customers ensuring that Allotted Time or Balance of Time is completed.The Placement Coordinator will achieve this through regular communication with theplacement Host and will be the point of contact for the Placement Host should anydelivery issues arise.

Added Value: Support from A4e’s Group management structure The following roleswill support the delivery of MWA. These roles form part of A4e’s overall managementstructure.Executive Director: Reports to A4e’s CEO and Group Board, overall accountability for

delivery of the MWA. Line manages the positions below.Customer Services Director: Manages A4e’s National Support Centres, offering MWAcentral administrative support through functions in Manchester and London.Business Finance Director: Responsible for commercial and financial management,supported by Financial Controller and Finance Business Partners.Senior HR Business Partner: Oversees all MWA people strategy and related issuesincluding resourcing, recruitment, training and professional development.Regional Delivery Director: Reports to Executive Director, responsible for A4eoperations in SE Line manages Area Managers. Has excellent local knowledge andexisting links with key stakeholders in SE, which will enable them to promote MWA andensure effective join up with other relevant initiatives.DWP Account Director will manage the relationship between A4e and DWP across allDWP contracts, including MWA.Partnership Manager: responsible for managing relationships with regional and local





5.2 continuedstakeholders e.g. LAs and Councils to ensure effective join up of A4e services with localinitiatives.Added Value: In the SE, our management team have formed an extensive network of stakeholder relationships, specifically, our Local Business Managers (LBM) clear geographical focus ensures localised community, employer and stakeholder integration.

E.g. Redacted, LBM Aylesbury, has strategic partnerships with Community ImpactBucks, Bucks Strategic Partnership, Connexions, Next Step, JCP, Learn direct, RuralMobility Scheme, Aylesbury College, CAB and is engaging with the Council regardingthe opening of Aylesbury’s Enterprise Academy.Identification of required skills and expertise: As the largest UK welfare to workprovider, delivering large scale services, A4e has identified and understands the skilland expertise requirements needed to drive quality provision. All A4e managers haveproven management experience, the ability to make the quality of judgement needed todeliver contracts/services and technical expertise appropriate to their role.2.Working with management teams of Host ProvidersA4e’s Placement Coordinators will be responsible for developing a strong relationship

with all Placement Hosts and managing the overall quality of the MWA customer experience. Due to the large geographical spread of MWA Placement Coordinators willbe targeted to maintain a wide mix of community benefit placements, available at shortnotice, across SE. Hosts will agree to provide activities that develop crucial disciplines.Performance Management of Placement Hosts: Every active Placement Host willreceive an administration payment from A4e. To qualify for payment each Host will berequired to contribute to managing the customer journey. Placement Hosts will reportthat a customer has started provision on the agreed start date; contact A4e within 1hour of the agreed start time if a customer fails to attend and report, within 2 hours if acustomer is dismissed through misconduct or leaves without notice. PlacementCoordinators will conduct fortnightly reviews with active Hosts to ensure placementsdevelop workplace skills, record attendance and provide evidence of specific tasks.Innovation: Continuous Development - A4e strives for partner relationships basedaround continual development. A4e will act as a conduit to share “what works” and togain local information to create locally relevant community benefit work placements.3.Why this structure is appropriate for MWA in the South East• Our management structure combines A4e’s management experience with the

expertise of our community benefit Placement Hosts.• Allows A4e to cover the large geographical area of SE providing coverage to JCP

offices.• It ensures that customer and Host needs are met through local operational

leadership and support from A4e’s central operational support.• The structure has been designed to be highly cost effective and efficient through a

combination of empowering local managers to make decisions rapidly and thesharing of support functions with other complementary A4e services across SE.

• The Management structure will incorporate A4e’s established managementexpertise in SE from delivery of contracts such as JCPSP and Pathways to Work.Our strategy is to maximise existing local experience, knowledge and stakeholder network links to ensure MWA is effective from Day 1 This will include the extensivelocal knowledge and relationships developed by Redacted, Regional Manager andthe Area Manager who has over 20 years of welfare to work managementexperience

It delivers cost efficiencies and more money to the front line by using shared supportservices (HR, IT, Audit). This enables local operations teams to focus on performanceand draws on national specialists where needed.





[5.3] Management of Delivery

Please clearly describe:

• How you and your supply chain will manage and monitor the quality of delivery of Mandatory Work Activity to ensure that the whole provision within this CPA is of aconsistently high standard and meets the Service requirements;

• Your approach to performance improvement activities for your supply chain as awhole, outlining how you and your supply chain will act on the findings of anymonitoring activity including the resolution of issues from within your own supplychain, partners or other bodies.






5.3 A4e’s approach to management of delivery is based on ensuring a high performing,high quality service environment which delivers significant customer MWA starts andretention levels throughout delivery. A4e has adopted the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence model to ensure the high quality delivery of allof our services, including MWA.

As an overarching quality management framework, the EFQM coordinates the industrystandards we have adopted, including Investors in People, the Matrix IAG standard, aswell as A4e’s own quality management tool the ‘Balanced Scorecard’. A4e’s use of theEFQM is overseen by Group Assurance Director, Redacted. It provides us with acomprehensive diagnostic tool for self-assessment, where we can grade our serviceagainst detailed criteria under nine headings. The overall score acts as a Europeanbenchmark and helps us identify areas for improvement. For MWA, improvementactivities will be owned by the Area Manager.1.A4e’s Quality Management Framework – monitoring the quality of deliveryThe key EFQM principles that underpin our approach are described below, along with a

description of how they will support A4e’s management and monitoring of the quality of our MWA service:i) Achieving balanced results – MWA Performance Management Framework: Weare committed to planning and achieving a balanced set of results that meet the needsof our customers and the service standards of MWA.A4e’s MWA Performance Management Framework will be operated via a balancedscorecard approach used by all operational managers. This will ensure main KPIslinked to minimum service standards are being met e.g. referral times. It will assist us tomanage our MWA service by giving consideration to the following critical areas:

1. Customer Perspective - Are we meeting our customers’ needs and expectations?2. Financial Perspective - Are we achieving outcomes required?3. Internal Perspective - Which processes must we improve to maintain excellence?4. Development Perspective - How well are we developing our service for the

future?ii) Ensuring we meet Customer needs on an ongoing basis: A4e is committed toengaging customers in the design of our services through focus groups, individualinterviews and online feedback mechanisms. During delivery of MWA, we will continueto monitor and manage the quality of our service from customers’ perspectives throughA4e’s Service Excellence Programme which includes comprehensive customer Complaints, Compliments and Feedback mechanisms and co-production groups.iii) Ensuring Quality through Process: A4e is managed through structured and

strategically aligned processes using fact-based decision making to create balancedand sustained results. A4e is also embedding a new Business Process ManagementFramework in preparation for ERSS contracts and to support future growth in general.This framework consists of a series of standard business processes that will be rolledout across our entire delivery and that reflect contractual, legislative and industrystandard requirements. The Framework enables the oversight to assure the Board andDWP of our delivery against contractual, legislative and industry standard compliance.iv) Quality through People: A4e’s organisational structure is geared to ensuring thedelivery of a service that is consistently high in quality for every customer, across largegeographical areas. The separation of delivery and commissioning functions will ensurethat frontline staff focus solely on current customers needs and there is creative tension

between performance and delivery teams. Investment in expertise in our new BusinessSolutions & Commissioning team will drive quality through ongoing monitoring anditeration of our MWA service to improve our delivery. A number of staff-focusedprocesses directly support quality monitoring and quality assurance. These are:MWA ITT Questionnaire FINAL V0.1 17




5.3 continued• Performance management and professional development (led by HR): Including

a practitioner development programme, staff appraisal systems, managementagainst KPIs, core training. All staff will have access to Continuous ProfessionalDevelopment

• Internal Communications and Dialogue: Including the communication of revised

processes and innovative best practice sharing mechanisms (e.g. online forums)• Monitoring by delivery managers: Part of the Area Managers’ role is to monitor

and check that key systems are being followed on an ongoing basis.v) Building effective Partnerships: Placement Coordinators will have overallresponsibility for management and monitoring of Placement Hosts, monitoring thequality of provision on an ongoing basis and will help partners to develop and improveby sharing information openly and supporting organisations to build new capacity andskills.2.Performance Management Strategy - Monitoring and Improvement ActivitiesOur MWA service and design will drive the continuous improvement of performance.The rationale is to support the achievement of MWA performance targets. Our

Performance Management Strategy consists of the following:i) Ongoing support: We will drive delivery to the highest performance standardsthrough supportive management of MWA delivery. A4e Area Managers will trackperformance and provide early remedial action as required. The A4e Regional DeliveryDirector will hold formal monthly performance reviews with A4e Area Managers.ii) Performance Monitoring & Insight: A4e’s Performance Director will lead a team of analysts responsible for central monitoring of contractual performance. They will provideregular performance reports.iii) Performance Management and Monitoring via technology: A4e’s new enhancedweb-enabled MI platform will allow real-time monitoring and reporting of MWAperformance throughout delivery. Demand data will inform of trends e.g. the numbers of customer referrals from all JCP offices, informing of additional placement requirements.iv) Continuous improvement and service iteration: A4e’s Area Manager will beresponsible for devising and rolling-out measures to improve MWA performance. Theywill work with A4e’s Placement Coordinators to implement new approaches tocontinuously improve performance or measures to directly address underperformance.They will work directly with customers, listening to views on what works and designingnew solutions as local delivery evolves.v) Acting on findings of performance monitoring: A4e’s Area Manager will beresponsible for acting on issues identified through internal and external monitoring. Thiswill enable MWA Advisors to focus solely on serving our customers on the front line.

Evidence of Effectiveness: In Jul-10 following a staff consultation exercise, wereduced Thames Valley New Deal advisor case loads, revised recruiter KPIs andrecruited additional quality resource. The JER has increased by 6.88% points (Jul toNov-10) compared with Jan to Jun-10).Sharing of best practice & jointly creating solutions: A4e’s Business Solutions &Commissioning Team will host best practice sessions to develop new ideas to improveMWA. These will focus on areas identified to be weak across the whole of delivery.Placement Host staff will be invited to attend with A4e delivery teams.vi) Resolution of Unresolved Issues: A4e has a formal Dispute Resolution Procedureto address any issues that are unresolved. This three stage escalation process includesappointment of a project neutral and ultimately external mediation if an issue remains

unresolved.





[5.4] Delivery Locations


• Please provide details of where and how you and your supply chain willundertake the initial customer interview to ensure full geographical coverage of provision for the delivery of Mandatory Work Activity within this CPA.

Insert your response in the pre-set, shaded space of the following pages. Your response MUST be limited to 1 side of A4.




5.4 Undertaking the Initial Customer interview across the South East: ATelephone-Based ServiceTo guarantee high quality, efficient and timely MWA services across SE. A4e will deliver initial customer interviews through a telephone-based service. This recognises thespecific geographical challenges of SE, for example over 80% of the South East is

classified as rural; many customers have difficulty getting to and from work, especiallyyoung people who are four times more likely to be unemployed than older people inrural areas. A 20 minute call will strengthen engagement in these areas.Due to the large and diverse geographical spread of referring JCP offices across SE,Advisors based at A4e’s National Support Centre will maximise contact between A4e,customers and JCP Advisors. Within the centre, MWA Advisors will contact theCustomer up to three times by phone within five days of referral.A telephone based service will enable:

• Effective recording and documenting of communication between A4e andcustomers

• Economies of scale and complete regional coverage even at low volumes

• A service that can operate 8am – 8pm, seven days a week, mirroring therequirements of many voluntary sector placement providers

• An easily scalable service able to accommodate changes in volumes and providestaffing cover contingency.

If a customer does not have a telephone, A4e will confirm, by notification letter, detailsof the placement including start date, time, address, Host contact name and telephonenumber. If a JCP have made us aware of a specialist disability need e.g. a hearingimpediment, we will offer a range of suitable communication channels e.g. via

myA4e.com web chat or face to face.Placement Host’s premises will be on local transport routes e.g. A host in Southampton,Unity 101 radio station is within walking distance of bus and train stations providingtransport links to wards. Placements provided by Wheatsheaf Trust are located onmajor transport links in Hampshire. Furniture re-use network will provide opportunities ina diverse range of outreach locations such as Hastings, Kent and Redhill. LearningLinks and Training and Advice Services will provide placements across the Isle of Wight.

Evidence of Effectiveness of Telephone-Based Services: in an evaluation of theefficacy of telephone based advice services, (DfES Research Report 833) the Institute

of Employment Studies found that ‘telephone guidance is feasible on a large scale, canbe provided cost effectively, and that service users are satisfied and experience a rangeof positive outcomes.’ This confirms our direct experience and that of A4e’s Frameworkpartner organisations such as Gingerbread and Turning Point.A4e has invested significantly in telephone-based based delivery over the past 5 years,demonstrating our commitment and confidence in this form of support. We providenational Community Legal Advice (in partnership with Howells Solicitors LLP) bytelephone through our National Support Centre. This has resulted in A4e delivering340,000 telephone assistance interventions each year.

Evidence: Customer feedback on the effectiveness of telephone based intervention

shows 98% of customers found the support they received helpful with 95% of callsanswered first time. This supports the rationale for this approach and allows A4e toprovide consistent high quality service across the whole CPA, providing 100%





geographical coverage.

[5.5] Volume Fluctuations and Customer Group Changes

Describe how you and your Supply Chain will maintain service delivery in the event of

fluctuations in customer volumes and changes to the customer group referred includingpotential alterations resulting from changes to the welfare regime referred to in Annex 6of the MWA Specification. Your response should include the following:

• How you will maintain minimum performance levels;

Insert your response in the pre-set, shaded space of the following pages. Your responseMUST be limited to 1 side of A4.





5.5 As an experienced welfare-to-work provider in SE, A4e recognises the need for flexibility to meet customer volumes that fluctuate across wide geographical areas. Our MWA delivery model is specifically designed to effectively respond to volumefluctuations whilst meeting the criteria of customers entering work placements within 10days of referral.

Evidence: A4e improved its FND referral to start to 86% between Sept 2009 and Jan2010, despite a 76% increase in customers.How we will maintain minimum performance levels:1.Flexibility in the event of fluctuating volumesIn the event of change, we will implement robust plans to flex resources to maintainservice delivery and performance levels. This includes:

• Flexible Delivery Support: Whilst our preferred means of communication will bethrough regular phone-based support from Advisors, if we are unable to contact thecustomer by phone, A4e will issue a notification letter to the customer, providing fulldetails of their placement including start date and time. Should a customer requireface-to-face specialist support e.g. for customers who are deaf, Advisors will be

responsible for arranging niche Placement Hosts e.g. Sign Health to ensure specialistinductions are undertaken on day 1

• Flexibility within our network of Hosts: We have assumed that a placement will beused 4 times a year, and have built our partner engagement strategy around this,engaging large pre-approved providers across the region such as Enable andNACRO, who can provide placement numbers in excess of the estimated volumes wewill need in year 1. Placement Coordinators and Partnership Managers will be taskedwith developing a regular pipeline of new placements, targeting smaller local charities

• Demand Management with JCP: As sole provider A4e is able to take a regionalperspective on demand management. We will work with DWP to ensure that

customer volumes are evenly distributed over each 12 month period and that MWAplacements are available to all JCP offices in SE

• Staffing Levels: A4e has calculated staff numbers to deal with an increasedcaseload of 20%. We have budgeted for staff resource to be in place followingcontract notification to ensure JCP demand is met from day one of contract go live.For long term volume drops, surplus staff will be redeployed to other offices or contracts in the CPA.

2.Demonstrating flexibility due to known or likely policy change / change incustomer groupsA4e understands that the composition of MWA customers will be influenced by factorsincluding the introduction of Universal Credit in 2013, which will provide greater

incentives for people to meet their work responsibilities. Our DWP Account Director,Redacted and Welfare Director, Redacted will be responsible for ensuring MWA staff are updated on future changes in the welfare arena.Approach to changing composition of the customer group: Increasing conditionalityunder Universal Credit will be introduced across current JSA, ESA and IS customer groups, to encourage recipients to meet the responsibilities associated with claimingbenefit. These changes may mean additional benefit claimant groups will be referred toMWA and may need higher levels of specialist support during work placements. For example, increased volumes of ex-ESA customers transferring to JSA are likely to needsignificant in-placement support. To accommodate this, we will work with Hosts from2012 onwards in order to develop specialist placements to accommodate the needs of

those with disabilities and health conditions e.g. Scope





[5.6] Managing the Customer Experience

Please describe:

• How you will evaluate and monitor the quality of the Mandatory Work Activityplacement in this CPA;

• What procedures will be in place for handling complaints as well as feedbackfrom customers of their experiences on the programme; and

• How you will act on any findings.






5.6 Our ultimate goal is for every customer to have a high quality 4 week workplacement that gives them a better understanding of the discipline and focus required tosustain paid employment and that leaves them better equipped to access wider supportservices to help tackle barriers to work.Over the lifetime of the contract we recognise that our service will need to

accommodate policy changes and the changing needs of JCP, MWA customer groupsand the community. Our quality assurance systems are key elements in ensuring wemaintain excellence in delivery.Evidence: A4e has signed the ERSA Customer Charter, ‘Our Shared Promise onCustomer Care’ a critical part of which is “Listen to customers and provide support based on each customer’s circumstances and needs” .1. Strategy to evaluate & monitor the quality of MWA placements in South EastOur quality strategy will measure, monitor and evaluate the four generic success factorsthat will define the quality of our service: performance (placement starts and completions); financial performance; financial probity and the quality of thecustomer experience. Specifically, we will monitor and measure the quality of MWAthrough:1. Customer feedback: through telephone interviews and end-of-placement

questionnaires – addressing the ease of engagement, the achievement of personalgoals and the perceived benefits accrued during the placement.

Added Value: Post-placement interviews and feedback, will identify views about workwhich may have been prompted by the placement and MWA participation.2. Stakeholder feedback: from Hosts, A4e staff and strategic partners through

questionnaires, discussion forums and on-line surveys.3. Output data: collating numerical data on customer participation, to provide an

overall picture of MWA impact.4.

Service quality: the Business Solutions Team will undertake an ongoingprogramme of case reviews, peer reviews and spot checks of e.g. telephone calls toensure they conform to A4e’s quality standards.

5. Document quality checks: systematic checks of customer timesheets, progressreports and all internal records.

6. Community benefit measures: Strategic stakeholders will be regularly canvassedfor their opinions on the impact of MWA.

2. Driving improvement- complaints, compliments & feedbackA4e’s Performance Management Framework has been created to ensure that wecontinually develop and improve our services through listening to stakeholders andacting on feedback.

Evidence: During our ERSS design work, we commissioned research agencies to hostindependent co-production sessions with JSA customers. Customers said they wantedsupport outside business hours. In response we are offering MWA customers telephonesupport between 8am and 8pm.Monitoring will be focused on gathering information to assess our performance inmeeting the critical success factors of MWA. After taking part in MWA, have customers:

• understood the responsibilities associated with claiming JSA

• developed required attitudes and disciplines for workforce participation

• recognised the contribution they have made to their local community

• committed to more intensive jobsearch activity

• increased their knowledge of local support agencies and initiatives.Customer Feedback: As part of their initial engagement, customers will be asked if they would prefer to feedback to us on-line or through a phone interview with an A4eAdvisor. Every MWA customer will be required to provide feedback at the end of week





5.6 continuedone, at placement completion and on MWA exit. Results will be monitored through theMWA Performance Management Framework, creating Customer Satisfaction Ratings.Evidence: A4e has piloted this feedback approach, including online surveying of customers, with 1,094 Pathways to Work and Independent Living Service customers.Through feedback we have refined survey content and developed a scalable evaluation

methodology for MWA.Stakeholder Feedback: Placement Hosts in the voluntary and public sector are vital tothe success of this programme. Our Placement Coordinators will regularly solicitinformal feedback to ensure the continuous improvement of the programme. A4e’scentral Customer Services team will request formal feedback on the programme eachquarter. We will also communicate innovative approaches by sharing good practicebetween placement Hosts. Should a Host decide to no longer offer placementopportunities, the Placement Coordinator will contact them to ascertain their reasons,ensuring that any concerns are heard and responded to at the appropriate level. Hostswill also be able to use A4e’s existing complaints procedure.Complaints Procedure: A4e’s established complaints processes will be used for MWA

customers. All customers will be advised of complaints, compliments and feedbackprocesses. They will be advised that all complaints should be directed to their Placement Coordinator and that there is an Independent Case Examiner (ICE)mediation process if they feel their complaint is not responded to appropriately.Complaints will be handled as follows:1. The A4e Placement Coordinator (PC) or Customer Services team (if the complaint is

about the PC) will log the complaint, send a letter acknowledging receipt and notifythe Area Manager (AM) within 48 hours.

2. The AM will contact the customer within 3 days to attempt to resolve the complaint.AMs are trained to resolve complaints and avoid escalation.

3. Unresolved complaints will be fast-tracked to the Regional Director to instigate aformal review.

4. The Regional Director will review the case and write to the customer detailing theoutcome of that review.

5. Either party can invoke the ICE mediation and appeals process.6. A4e will fully support formal ICE investigation if a resolution is not reached.7. A4e aims to resolve 90% of complaints within 14 days.3. Acting on findings – continuous improvement of our serviceArea Managers will be responsible for identifying and responding to local trends incustomer feedback. They will do this using a Quality Improvement Plan which willrecord all agreed actions with specific ownership for each item. This will be monitored

monthly by A4e’s Business Solutions Team. Issues such as process failures or staff skills deficits will be addressed by drawing on the expertise of A4e’s functional specialistteams who will devise and enact remedial action. As MWA is a new service A4e willensure that its customer and stakeholder feedback analysis is shared regularly withJCP.





PART 6: RESOURCES

[6.1] Staff Resources – Staffing Numbers, Job Titles and Roles

Please provide:

• Details of the number of staff, shown as full time equivalents, including job titleand key roles you and your supply chain propose to employ to manage anddeliver Mandatory Work Activity for this CPA.

• a description of why you consider this staffing level is appropriate for this CPA atcontract start date, together with details as to how you will manage the staffinglevels as customer volumes rise and fall over the lifetime of the contract.

• a detailed description of the number of staff to be drawn fromo current resources,

o

those to be recruited by both your organisation and any supply chainorganisations involved.

Details of how you have identified the skills required by staff in your organisation,and your sub-contractors, to deliver the service you have proposed at Section 4.

Details of how you will acquire staff with these skills.

A resource plan should be provided (attach as Annex 3) showing how staffing, by fulltime equivalent and job title/role, will be allocated across this CPA and a description of the job roles of staff shown in Annex .


Note: Format requirement and page limit does not apply to the resource plan which youmust insert as Annex 3.





6.1 Redacted

PART 7: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT]

[7.1] Local Stakeholders

Please describe in detail, in relation to this CPA how you and your supply chain willengage with local Partners, voluntary sector organisations and employers to ensureeffective on-going relationships with them throughout the life of the contract.






7.1Our vision for stakeholder engagement in Mandatory Work Activity (MWA)With ten years local delivery experience A4e has built strong stakeholder relationshipsand an understanding of how to work collaboratively to minimise service duplication,maximise performance, and increase customer and community benefit. A4e’s vision for

MWA in SE is to support DWP’s Critical Success Factors for MWA to increase off-flowrates from JSA, through integration with the strategic aims of local stakeholders. We willensure we effectively engage all MWA customers in community benefit placements andhave a strong supply of locally relevant placements available.Evidence: in the last six months A4e’s SE Regional Partnership Team have engagedwith over 500 local stakeholders, including six Local Enterprise Partnerships, 71 SEColleges, and 4 SE Probation Trusts. Four engagement events were held including onein Brighton. These were attended by 120 stakeholders, 25% were voluntary sector and40% public sector. Our teams regularly attend local events, e.g. A4e is part of Eastbourne Council’s Worklessness Group and Brighton and Hove’s Major Provider Group. We sit on SEEDA’s 40 -70 Taskforce.

Engaging with key local stakeholders – A4e’s MWA strategyOur strategy starts with the employability needs of MWA customers and with keystakeholders aims to support local communities and employers. Our local strategy isdesigned to:

• support local stakeholders, particularly from the public or third sector, to Host MWAplacements through targeted support, including financial.

• provide jobseekers with the disciplines associated with employment, throughgenerating MWA placements that provide local community benefit and do not replacepaid work opportunities.

• encourage increased job search activity by ensuring that A4e provides sufficient

information, guidance and support during the placement• provide customers with a joined-up, efficient and effective service.Evidence supporting our approach: Our customers also benefit from givingsomething back to the local community. ‘People are really thankful that you’re doing thework in that place where they live. It makes a difference to them. It makes you feel good when you’re doing a good job’ CTF Customer, Cardiff Stakeholder engagement will be supported by a Community Action Plan that will includeengagement with local stakeholders such as the Hampshire and Isle of WightCommunity Foundation (HIOWCF), participation in community events and activities togenerate placements; capacity building activities e.g. “How to” workshops, to supportstakeholders to employ MWA customers. We will continue to attend Local Stakeholder

meetings in Reading, organisations that attend include Nacro, Single Homeless Serviceand the Probation Service.1. Engaging and working with Jobcentre PlusJCP District Managers will be invited to monthly management meetings with A4e as anintegral part of our extended delivery team, creating seamless customer service, andfacilitating improved demand-planning, fast and effective engagement of customers.A4e will provide JCP with MWA promotional materials to enable Advisors to explain thetypes of placements and support available to customers when they enter MWA..Added Value: In the SE we have a strong relationship with JCP, for exampleEastbourne JCP Advisor spends Thursdays in our office. Brighton JCP staff regularlyhold initial work focused interviews in A4e’s office and we work closely with our JCP

Account Manager, Heather Prescott, e.g. to provide interview space.2. Engaging and working with Local Authorities (LAs)A4e recognises the important role that LAs have in MWA, both as a key beneficiary of





7.1 continued“community benefit” related activities, and as a potential source of significant numbersof MWA placements. A4e has already met with LAs in SE, including all unitaryauthorities, establishing quality collaborative relationships that will help drive MWA inSE. A4e will work with LAs to support local regeneration activities through MWA and totest that all MWA activities provide a benefit to the community. E.g. We have

partnerships with Southampton City Council, Wycombe council, South BuckinghamshireCouncil and Portsmouth Council who will provide opportunities in Administration, Retail,and regenerating parks and green spaces. A4e Innovation: As part of the government’s Big Society agenda, A4e has beenselected to mentor public sector organisations seeking to become mutuals. Wherepossible, A4e will offer MWA customers to participate in these for their placement.3. Engaging and working with voluntary sector organisationsA4e sees it as a critical success factor that voluntary sector organisations embedded inlocal communities contribute to and benefit from MWA in SE. A key feature of A4e’sMWA delivery will be supporting voluntary sector organisations to create workplacements for MWA customers, including financial support to cover administrative

costs associated with this (e.g. induction, reporting of participation). This will allow larger numbers of small voluntary sector organisations to effectively participate in MWA,benefiting their organisations and the broader community e.g. Southampton CityCouncil will generate MWA placements in park and green spaces regeneration that willbenefit the community. Through our partnership with Training and Advice Services wewill provide work placements in 3rd Sector Organisations such as Oxfam, TheCommunity Fruit and Vegetable Project, St Anthony’s Care Home and CommunityWood Recycling Initiative to understand how MWA can support them, and to generateplacements within their organisation.Evidence of our existing links: A4e’s sister charity, the Foundation for SocialImprovement (FSI), runs a programme of 40 training sessions a year for small not-for-profit organisations. In partnership with the FSI, we will 1) encourage local voluntaryorganisations to provide MWA placements 2) identify complementary funding streams toprovide additional support services to MWA customers.4. Engaging and working with social enterprisesA4e recognises the importance of working with social enterprises in SE to:

• ensure MWA placements build the work ethic and skills valued by local employersthus improving the chances of MWA customers moving into paid work

• generate MWA placements with employers where there is a community benefitEvidence: Our SE team has ten years local experience and active relationships with20,000 local and national employers. This includes a number of local employers who

can deliver MWA placements that benefit the communityTo support this A4e has invested in developing a professionalised employer engagement function based around local labour market needs. Our offer includes aNational Employer Solutions Team, supported by local Placement Coordinators.Evidence: Our National Employer Solutions Team has strong partnerships with nationalcommunity benefit organisations e.g. British Heart Foundation, Barnardo’s and Scope.Relationships will form a foundation for generating MWA placements in SE.Through our National FND delivery A4e has successfully tested a model for workingwith employers to deliver work experience placements. A4e Work Boosts ( FND MWRA)provide customers the opportunity to trial work without affecting their benefits, enableindividuals to learn new skills, build their capacity for work and understand workplace

cultures. A4e Work Boosts routinely result in more than 20% of customers entering paidwork with the host employer. We will use this model as part of our MWA delivery.





PART 8: CONTRACT PERFORMANCE

[8.1] Performance

Please explain in detail;

• The types of work placements you will provide;

• How you will source placement opportunities, often at short notice, for customerson the programme;

• How these placements are of Community Benefit;

• How you will tell JCP if a customer signs off benefit;

• How you will raise a sanction doubt with JCP.

Insert your response in the pre-set, shaded space of the following pages. Your

response MUST be limited to 2 sides of A4.





8.1A4e and our network of placement types have successfully delivered programmes thatincorporate work experience placements and community benefit projects. For example,A4e has delivered:

• Community Task Force – 13 week work placements for young people providing

community benefit• New Deal 18-24 Voluntary Sector, Environmental Task Force and FTET Options.

• New Deal 25+ Intensive Activity Period

• Job Service (Australia) – placement work experience & vocational training.

• Apprenticeships – placement based pre-apprenticeship vocational training.

• Skill Build for Adult (Wales)Placement Types:Our strategy is to engage local organisations to Host community benefit workplacements across a variety of sectors. Previous experience of delivering placementbased interventions has enabled A4e offer a comprehensive selection of placement

types. We have engaged with the following types of Placement Hosts:• Charities and Third Sector organisations: A4e has existing links with A4e has

existing links with voluntary, community and environmental organisations in SE for theprovision of placement opportunities e.g. Furniture Re-Use Network supports familiesto access affordable white goods and furniture by developing charitable re-useorganisations.

• Local Authorities and Councils: A4e has agreements in place Wycombe andSlough Borough Councils to deliver Work Placements in a variety of roles.

• Social enterprises: Blue Sky is a Social Enterprise that support ex-offenders ingrounds maintenance roles

Environmental Agencies: By linking with the Real Time Training Group (RTT Group),

we will deliver work placements on the Hastings Recycling Project.Examples of types of placements we have arranged with local organisations that providecommunity benefit are identified in the table below:

Organisation Placement type

Southampton City Council Regeneration of Parks and GreenSpaces

South Bucks Hospice Retail

Hearing Dogs Office Work / Fundraising

Unity 101 Community Radio Media and the Arts

Gateways Various volunteering projects

The core criteria we will use to measure the suitability of placements are outlined below:• Mandatory requirements: A pre-vetting process that requires the employer to meet

minimum standards in relation to health and safety, environmental impact, equality of opportunity, liability insurances and risk assessment.

• Labour market : As part of the Employer Charter, we will ensure that the participantbecomes a member of the workforce and maintains the same standards of behaviour,hours of attendance and social development within a team. By placing them with awork-buddy they will engage in a working culture without feeling isolated or overwhelmed.

• Geography : We will provide consistent CPA coverage offering reasonable commutingdistances/times covering areas with high concentrations of claimants e.g. Our

partners have offices located coastal deprivation belt in Sussex & Kent. ThroughA4e’stelephone support service MWA Advisors will to be able to reach rural communitiesE.g. Wealden and the Mole Valley.





• Customer : Focus will be on providing jobseekers with the disciplines associated with8.1continuedemployment. However, where possible we will meet or contribute to the employabilityaims of the customer group. Through MyA4e community we facilitate forums anddiscussion groups to offer peer support and networking.How we will source placements at short notice

A4e has a national, regional and local strategy for engaging employers and PlacementHosts. For ERSS we engaged an extensive number of placement opportunities inreadiness to replace FND workboost. Our Partnership Managers are currently agreeingcapacity and conducting pre-vetting exercises with Host organisations to deliver MWA.Ensuring we have the ability to deliver a wide variety of work placements across largegeographic areas. Examples of the varied cross section of relationships we already havein place within SE, that will provide voluntary and community work placements, are:• Furniture Re-use Network: An organisation which supports charitable re-use

organisations across the UK to reduce poverty by helping in need of furniture.Delivering placements in sectors such as retail, logistics, IT and Admin in areas suchas Woking, Rochester, Shoreham by Sea and Gosport.

• RTT Group: Providing 1000 placements in SE each year, linking with organisationssuch as Shelter, Barnado’s, Local Government, Community Centres, Libraries,Training Providers, Hastings Recycling Project, YMCA, YWCA, PDSA, and SalvationArmy.

• RBLI: Providing Catering and Warehouse placements, RBLI is an organisationinvolved in providing employment related services e.g. placement brokerage toanyone with a disability or health condition, particularly those in the ex-servicecommunity in Kent

Through extensive links, Placement Co-ordinators (PC) are able to facilitate placementsat short notice. All placements will be pre-vetted by the PCs to ensure that CRB checksare not required.Ensuring all placements provide Community BenefitAs a first choice, we will place customers with third sector organisations that offer aplacement, providing a positive impact for the local community. Placements will providea meaningful experience for the customer enabling them to better understand workdisciplines e.g. completing tasks, attending regularly/on time, increasing employability.Added Value: For customers who are furthest away from sustaining a placement we willarrange experience within ‘sheltered’ environments. This will include real workenvironments within specialist charitable organisations and social enterprises, such asBanardos, Shelter and YMCA (through our partner RTT group)Notifying JCP if a customer signs off benefit or leaves provision early

Should a customer sign off benefit during MWA, we will provide a Feedback Form toJCP; this will be uploaded onto PRaP and also sent to the local JCP office. We willmaintain constant communication with JCP, including for all Allocated Time and Balanceof Time customer referrals and Leavers.Raising sanction doubts with JCPA4e will ensure the customer attends the placement in accordance with the conditionsoutlined in their Job Seekers Agreement, making the consequences of failing toparticipate clear, both verbally and in the notification letter. If a customer fails to start or loses a place due to non-attendance or misconduct, A4e will inform JCP within 24 hoursby completing the DMA with evidence of the failure. JCP will consider whether asanction is appropriate. We will issue a letter to the customer informing them that they

are no longer required to participate in MWA. Our accurate centralised record keepingwill ensure thorough documentation of all failures to comply.





PART 9: IMPLEMENTATION

[9.1] Implementation Plan

Please provide:

• An Implementation Plan for Mandatory Work Activity in this CPA clearly statingthe date on which you are proposing to commence delivery of the service. Theplan, which must be in the form of a Gantt chart (insert as Annex 4), must includethe key activities required to put provision into place by the servicecommencement date. It must include key milestones, timescales for activitiesincluding start and end dates and who is responsible for each activity includingthe expected start date for delivery. It should also show the critical path andinterdependencies.

• A narrative to expand on the implementation plan which must identify andaddress all the key risks, including the impact of winning multiple MandatoryWork Activity contracts and how these risks will be mitigated.

Insert your response in the pre-set, shaded space of the following pages. Your responseMUST be limited to 1 side of A4.

Note: Format requirement and page limit does not apply to the Gantt chart which youmust insert as Annex 4.





9.1 Ability to implement multiple Mandatory Work Activity (MWA) contracts: A4ehas a proven track record of implementing large scale contracts with concurrenttimescales across extensive, varied geographies. In 2009, we implemented three newservices, with a total value of £913m – 12 FND and JCPSC contracts in the UK andinternationally Job Service Australia. This included the mobilisation of a supply chain

consisting of 117 delivery partners. Our existing infrastructure in CPA1, CPA3, CPA4,CPA5, CPA7, CPA8 AND CPA9 means ready resources are in place to implementMWA in multiple CPAs on 21st April, receiving the first referral from JCP on 16th May.Our aim is to deliver MWA in 3 CPAs, this will enable DWP to assess the impact indifferent locations by one prime.Overview of A4e’s Implementation Plan: Our full Plan, in the form of a Gantt Chartdetails all preparation work that has already taken place. It illustrates key milestonesand the names of individuals responsible for reaching target dates.A4e has significant infrastructure in place to support our MWA Implementation Plan.Our £80m investment in people, property, technology and established processes will beavailable at the point A4e is appointed preferred bidder. This infrastructure means

resources to commence implementation from preferred provider notification on 22nd

March, enabling customers to receive MWA initial interviews from 16th May.1) Commencing Delivery of the MWA: A4e and our placement Hosts haveestablished staff and placement opportunities across the SE region. This existinginfrastructure will enable us to commence delivery from 16th May.2) Key Stages: A4e’s MWA Implementation Plan is segmented into logical stages, toensure that the correct experience and expertise is utilised at the correct time. Theseare as follows, with full details in Annex 4: NB Timeframes are contingent on DWP delivering in accordance with its published milestones.

Key Stages Timeframe

Stage 1: Service Design & Tendering: Solution Design,project/implementation planning including plans for multiple CPAs

14th Feb 2011-16th May 2011

Stage 2: Initiation: Pre-emptive implementation activities e.g.Placement Hosts, H&S checks and security planning.

1st Mar 2011 -30th Mar 2011

Stage 3: Preparation: Refine implementation plans, post tender discussions and negotiations.

18th Feb 2011 -16th May 2011

Stage 4: Implementation: Full implementation commences. 22nd Mar 2011 -27 May 2011

Stage 5: Operational: Service commencement and refinement 16 May 2011 -30th Aug 2011

3) Implementation Management & Resources: A4e Executive Director, Redacted will

have overall responsibility for MWA implementation. A4e’s MWA Implementation Planwill be overseen by a professional, experienced team of project management staff andA4e’s Project Management Office (PMO), accountable for ensuring all deliverables aremet within agreed timescales using Prince2 methodology.Risks & Mitigating actions: A4e has mapped potential risks and planned mitigatingactions as part of its implementation preparation and business readiness programme:

Risk Mitigating Actions

Delays e.g. in Announcement of preferred bidders by DWP

Implementation plan is fully adjustable, useexisting systems as contingency

Hosts: Placement Hostwithdraws / fails H&S check.

Readiness Plan in place, consisting of alternative Hosts in city centre locations.

Management Capacity: impact onexisting contract performance

Implementation structure includes national,function and CPA-specific resource

Security: Plans not in place. A4e plan drafted pre-bid.





9.2 Contingency Arrangements

Please describe:

• How your proposals for delivery of services within this CPA will be put in place

without adversely affecting your organisation’s or your Sub-contractors’ ability todeliver existing and recently won contracts as well as other contracts you arebidding for.

• Describe your contingency plan for maintaining the entire scope of your proposalwithin your bid should members of your supply chain withdraw at any point duringthe delivery of this contract.






9.21) Implementing Mandatory Work Activity without impacting on other servicesA4e’s Mandatory Work Activity (MWA) Implementation Plans include specificcontingency measures to ensure effective roll-out of the service in multiple CPAswithout impacting on the delivery and performance of other contracts. We understand

the danger of overstretch and the potential consequences of failure, to our customersand business strategy, and have planned accordingly.Existing Business: We currently deliver 44 DWP contracts. 32 of these contracts willbe replaced by the Work Programme (WP) or will have ended by the WP contract startdate. This provides existing staff capacity in each CPA, meaning A4e has unrivalledcapacity to implement the MWA in multiple CPAs with minimal or no impact to other services’ performance.We have chosen not to sub-contract delivery to partners but to engage withorganisations on an ad-hoc Placement Host basis. This approach has enabled A4e toengage a much wider pool of partners, minimising any risk of an individual provider notbeing able to cope with demand.

Future Business: A4e has detailed plans to support our growth ambitions. Thisincludes bid pipelines for new services. We are planning for potential concurrentimplementation of several contracts in 2011 including:• Work Programme, DWP.• Ministry of Justice Unpaid Work, as part of a joint-venture with MITIE• Disability Employment Programme, (DENVRS) Australia• National Money Guidance (financial literacy), Consumer Financial Education Body.Full plans for the implementation of these services, along with MWA have been put inplace by A4e’s Corporate Services Division, which includes A4e’s Project ManagementOffice function accountable for contract implementation in multiple CPAs. This functionis resourced to implement this business fully in a timely way in line with contractualcustomers’ requirements. In addition, the business has a network of associateprogramme and project managers that we can call on to increase capacity at shortnotice.Financial Capacity: A4e has been proactive in financial planning to ensure we havethe resources and capacity to implement MWA alongside existing and other potentialnew contracts. A4e expects to call on one lead bank to fund its working capitalrequirements. However, we have worked with six clearing banks and several equityproviders to ensure we are in the best possible position and have the required funds inplace at the time of contract signing and for the peak working capital requirement. Fullplans and contingencies have been formed by a Finance Steering Group, a sub-set of

the Group Board led by Mark Stanley, A4e’s Group Financial Director.Placement Host Implementation Capacity: Our Placement Hosts have beenassessed for their ability to provide MWA placements alongside existing contracts, anynew business, or contracts coming to an end. Placement Coordinators will continueimplementation discussions with Placement Hosts post-tender submission and throughbid evaluation to ensure momentum is maintained and relationships are built to last.2) Contingency Plans for a Supply Chain Partner withdrawing pre-startAs A4e will manage 100% of end-to-end delivery in SE, working with a high qualityrange of Placement Hosts, contingency plans for supply chain partner withdrawal arenot required for this programme.





PART 10: OFFSHORING PROPOSAL (including Landed Resourcesand Nearshoring)

Are you and/or your subcontractors proposingto use Offshoring, LandedResources or Nearshoringin delivery of this Contract

YES

(indicate where applicable)

NO

(indicate where applicable)

No

If you have answered YES to this question, you must complete a DWP OffshoreProposal Template and include with your tender. Please refer to paragraph 1.42 of the

MWA Instructions to Bidders if you need the template.




Protect - Commercial

ANNEX 1

SUB-CONTRACTOR DECLARATION

A declaration should be signed and submitted on letter headed notepaper by eachproposed sub-contractor (with the exception of ad-hoc suppliers) and attached to thisTender Form. Please note by attaching these declarations, tenderers will be deemed toagree to their contents.

To: Department for Work and Pensions

Date:

I confirm that we have agreed in principle with [name of bidding organisation], to deliver the following elements of the service described in their tender:-

Please list below elements of service to be delivered.

I have read and understood the specification for the elements of provision, which myorganisation will deliver.

I have agreed in principle terms of delivery for this provision and am content thatreasonable and appropriate price and payment terms have been negotiated and agreedfor delivery of these services.

I confirm I have seen the full tender document (excluding any Commercial inConfidence information relating to other Providers) and am content with my role asdescribed and with the terms I have agreed with the Prime Contractor.

I confirm that the agreement in principle allows for my organisation to implement theappropriate level of planning and investment to deliver the service.

In addition to the above I confirm that the agreement made is consistent with thegeneral principles set out in the DWP Code of Conduct and the Merlin Standards.

Signed:

Name:

Name of Sub-contractor:

Note: the person signing the letter should be authorised to sign contractual agreementson behalf of their organisation.

38MWA ITT Questionnaire final V0.1




Please submit the following as separate documents:

ANNEX 2

PART 5.2 MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE – ORGANISATION CHART

ANNEX 3

PART 6.1a STAFF RESOURCES – RESOURCE PLANREDACTED

ANNEX 4

PART 9.1 IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

008. cpa1 a4e ltd - tender form redacted final

Documents