3.1 The Implementation Team took as its starting point the legislation, government central guidance on procurement best practice, e-government targets and the prevailing rules and guidance on the Private Finance Initiative and Public Private Partnerships. A User Requirement developed by the Implementation Team formed the basis of an understanding between the Home Office, and the Passport and Records Agency, about the Bureau's role within the framework of the legislation (primarily Part V of the Police Act 1997).
3.2 In October 1999, the Implementation Team issued a Prospectus which, in accordance with prevailing advice, provided sufficient scope for private sector bidders to propose innovative solutions as the basis for the development of partnership working. This prospectus was followed by a more detailed Statement of Service Requirements, which gave bidders the baseline for designing and developing Information Technology systems and processes.
3.3 In developing the business prospectus, the Implementation Team worked within a number of predetermined assumptions, within which bidders also worked. These included:
■ The Bureau would be located in Liverpool, a decision taken by the Home Office in 1998 due to feared job losses in other parts of the Home Office in Merseyside;
■ The Bureau would be self financing;
■ The Bureau would be based on a Public Private Partnership arrangement;
■ What the Bureau would deliver, and the data sources it could access, were as prescribed by legislation.
■ The Bureau would comply with the Modernising Government agenda and would be e-enabled, focussing on e-Government targets in place at the time;
■ Customers would expect a cheap and quick service;
■ Anticipated volumes of applications would require a largely Information Technology based process;
■ Applications would be made by individuals, many of whom would not have internet access, with an expectancy that 80 per cent would apply by telephone, so a call centre would be the most cost effective solution.