FOI release

FOI2024_00011S Health and Safety and Compliance E-Learning Courses

Published 25 September 2024

FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 - REQUEST REF: FOI2024/00011S

Thank you for your email of 20 August, which was received by FCDO Services on 9 September 2024, asking for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) 2000. You asked:

I would be most grateful if you would provide me, under the Freedom of Information Act, details in respect to the contract below.

Agreement for Provision of Health and Safety and Compliance E-Learning Courses:

https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/660b9e56-08b7-4e35-abd7-0de25e217eff

The details we require are:

1. What are the contractual performance KPI’s for this contract?
2. Which framework agreement this tender was purchased via?
3. Actual spend on this contract/framework (and any sub lots), from the start of the contract to the current date?
4. Start date & duration of framework/contract?
5. Could you please provide a copy of the service/product specification given to all bidders for when this contract was last advertised?
6. Is there an extension clause in the framework(s)/contract(s) and, if so, the duration of the extension?
7. Has a decision been made yet on whether the framework(s)/contract(s) are being either extended or renewed?
8. Who is the senior officer (outside of procurement) responsible for this contract?

I am writing to confirm that we have now completed the search for the information which you requested. 

I can confirm that FCDO Services does hold information relevant to your request, as set out below.

1) There are no KPIs.

2) A framework agreement was not used. The value of the contract fell below the threshold and was therefore procured as an open procedure (below threshold), as per the published contract here: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/e0d054ef-560d-4688-93c1-0205850af388

3) Current spend to date is £52,650 (3 years @ £17,550 per year).

4) This information is exempt under section 21 of the FOIA, as we are not required to provide information in response to a request if it is already reasonably accessible to you. The information you have asked for is already published on GOV.UK at the following link: https://www.contractsfinder.service.gov.uk/Notice/660b9e56-08b7-4e35-abd7-0de25e217eff

5) See below:

SPECIFICATION OF REQUIREMENT (SOR) Introduction

FCDO Services is seeking a supplier to provide a programme of digital learning to cover core topics for all FCDO Services employees.

Learning shall not be driven by individual user licenses, but by a one-off annual fee.

This requirement is initially for 1 year and has a budget cap of £20,000 (excluding VAT)

Background

FCDO Services is the trusted partner to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; we are their largest and only truly global supplier, with regional teams and service hubs worldwide. We deliver secure services and technical excellence, enabling diplomacy, consular services and the work of the government, both within the UK and overseas. FCDO Services has a clear vision and core ambition: to be a world-class provider of operational support services across the globe.

Requirement

The following requirement sets out in detail the Authority’s requirement, it is intended to be comprehensive and complete. The quality of your tender will depend upon a clear understanding of this requirement.

If you are unclear about any of the contents, it is essential that you contact the relevant Procurement representatives during the Supplier Questions period before submitting your tender.

Health and Safety and Compliance E-learning

Type of learning:

FCDO Services have their own Learning Management System and require that learning shall be compatible with our learning management system. FCDO Services requires the programmes to be in the latest version of SCORM for files to be loaded on to the LMS.

Learning modules shall be kept up to date by the supplier and shall be able to offer new updates/content throughout the duration of the contract.

Desirable/not essential: to be able to edit/remove/re-brand content

Desirable/not essential: To add our own logo and brand colours if possible.

Topics Required:

• Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Asbestos Awareness
• COSHH
• Display Screen Equipment
• Fire Awareness
• Fire Warden
• Fire Warden Construction
• Food Allergy Awareness
• Food Hygiene
• Hand Arm Vibration
• Health and Safety Essentials
• Ladder Safety
• Legionella Awareness
• Lift Equipment and Lifting Operations
• LOLER
• Lone Worker
• Manual Handling
• Noise Awareness
• Personal Protective Equipment
• PUWER
• Slips, Trips and Falls
• Working at Height
• Working in Confined Spaces

Testing:

As part of the procurement process (before signing any contract), we will need to have access to a small number of your catalogue titles of our choosing for a limited amount of time. This is to observe quality and relevance to our organisation’s learning needs and target audience, as well as to ensure the format is compatible with our LMS

6) Yes - the contract includes 2 x 1 year extensions.

7) The current contract has utilised both extensions. No decision regarding renewal has been made.

8) Not applicable, as the contract is managed by Procurement.

Once an FOI request is answered, it is considered to be in the public domain.  To promote transparency, FCDO Services may now publish the response and any material released on GOV.UK in the FOI releases section.  All personal information in the letter will be removed before publishing.

The copies of information being supplied to you continue to be protected by the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.  You are free to use it for your own purposes, including any non-commercial research you are doing and for the purposes of news reporting.  Any other re-use, for example commercial publication, would require the permission of the copyright holder.  Most documents supplied by the FCDO will have been produced by government officials and will be protected by Crown Copyright.  To re-use Crown Copyright documents please consult the Open Government Licence v3 on the National Archives website.

Information you receive which is not subject to Crown Copyright continues to be protected by the copyright of the person, or organisation, from which the information originated. You must ensure that you gain their permission before reproducing any third party (non-Crown Copyright) information.

If you would like to request a review of our decision, you should write to the Data Protection Officer (DPO), Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) Team, FCDO Services, Hanslope Park, Milton Keynes, England, MK19 7BH (e-mail: FCDOServices.DataProtectionOfficer@fcdo.gov.uk).  Please note you have 40 working days to do so from the date of this letter. Please quote the reference number above in any future communications.

If you are not content with the outcome of your complaint, you may then apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a decision.  Generally, the Information Commissioner cannot make a decision unless you have exhausted the complaints procedure provided by the FCDO. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at: Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, or online at: https://ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/

Yours sincerely,

FOI Officer

Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) Team

FCDO Services