5.19 Purpose: To identify the tasks which need to be undertaken prior to service commencement and the public sector resources required to perform them and any consequential training needs for the team and key end users.
5.20 Useful documents: At the time of his appointment as Preferred Bidder, Authorities should receive a project plan from the Contractor which sets out the tasks to be undertaken by him up to service commencement. Whilst some of the activities will be mirrored by the Authority there will be actions which the Authority will need to undertake which will not be included in the Contractor's plan, and activities that are not relevant to the Authority. Equally the FM Contractor must have prepared a mobilisation plan that clearly defines the action he must take prior to service commencement and identifies any interfaces with the Authority and Contractor plans.
5.21 Areas to consider: Authorities should make sure that the Authority's project plan post Preferred Bidder includes the work to be undertaken to prepare for the transition period. The plan should include dependencies, timescales and resources and should be updated regularly. In the CBI report on contract management 1 the CBI advocate shared project plans between the private and public sectors which will ensure that both parties are aligned.
5.22 The transition plan should link to the communications plan to make sure that the timing is appropriate and that stakeholders have been prepared for the changes.
5.23 It is essential that the Contractor is not delayed by any actions, or lack of actions, on the part of the Authority. The contract also sets out processes and timescales for actions by the Authority, and the Authority needs to have the appropriate staff in place and systems up and running to comply with its obligations. It is essential to have a full time competent, knowledgeable and respected senior member of staff on site leading up to and through the transition plan period to assist in a smooth transition.
Transition Plan The transition plan should cover: • details of Authority resources (internal and external - who and when they will be in place); • plans for the move to appropriate accommodation (including making sure services/equipment/software is in place); • establishment of the helpdesk; • a list of contact details for the key personnel within the Authority, key stakeholders, Contractor and subcontractors as appropriate; • an agreement on methods and lines of communication among the parties • where appropriate, consultation with staff and their union representatives about their transfer under TUPE; • finalisation of the contract management documents; • a familiarisation programme for users so that they understand the services they can expect; • post contract signature start up meetings; • resolution of any issues which were not resolved prior to contract signature; • identification of any milestones; • assembling a library [Data Room] of project information; • timing for the trial running of the payment mechanism/performance monitoring system, and • confirmation from the FM Contractor that he is capable of delivering either the interim or full operational services. |
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1 CBI "Realising Best Practice on Procurement and Contract Management" November 2006