The Department of Energy and Climate Change
RESEARCH SPECIFICATION
Title: Process Evaluation of LEAF (Community Energy Grants Programme)
Invitation to Tender for the supply of
Primary and secondary research to evaluate a community energy grants programme
(LEAF)
Date:
Deadline for return of tenders:
Thursday 25th October
Thursday 8th November: 10am
The Department of Energy and Climate Change
3 Whitehall Place
London
SW1A 2AW
1
Contents
Introduction
Background
Research aims and objectives
Research design and methodology
Analysis
Challenges
Outputs
Reporting
Ethics
Working Arrangements
Consortium Bid
Timetable
Project Team
Period of contract
Budget
Payment milestones
Content of tender
Instructions to contractors
Conditions of tender
Additional information
Annex 1
Annex 2 – SECC social Research writing guidelines
3
3
4
5
8
9
9
9
10
10
11
11
13
14
15
12
14
15
16
19
23
25
2
TENDER SPECIFICATION
1.1.
Introduction
1.2.
DECC would like to commission a process evaluation of LEAF. LEAF refers to
the Community Energy Fund for Local Energy Assessments of Feasibility, and
was a grants programme administered in 2011/2.
1.3.
Under LEAF, DECC awarded a total of £9 million of ring-fenced funding to 236
groups, to support community action on energy and climate change.
1.4.
This process evaluation will include:



Analysis of secondary data: application and monitoring supplied
previously by projects.
Survey of all projects (open and closed questions).
Qualitative research with a sample of areas to develop case studies,
linking with data from secondary data and survey.
1.5.
The contract will end on 31 March 2012.
1.6.
All material issued by DECC in connection with this specification remains the
property of the Crown and is to be used solely for the purpose of tendering.
Documents must not be copied or forwarded to unauthorised persons.
2. Background
2.1. LEAF was a ring-fenced grant programme, funded by DECC and administered
by the Energy Saving Trust (EST). The intention of the fund was to: “prepare
communities to participate in emerging opportunities around the low carbon economy
such as Green Deal, revolving funds for community renewables, Feed in Tariff and
Renewable Heat Incentive” .
2.2. After an application process, funding was allocated to 236 projects, all of which
undertook activities in the first three months of 2012.
2.3. Eligible community organisations included:









Parish Councils
Community Interest Companies (CIC)
Community Co-operatives and Community Benefit Societies
(Industrial and Provident Societies)
Voluntary Associations
Development Trusts
Faith Groups
Registered Social Landlords
Communities of Interest such as sports clubs
Charities
3

Local authorities (where they could justify that they were
fulfilling a crucial role in support of a community group (e.g.
acting as “banker” for an un-constituted community group)
2.4. Eligible activities included (but were not limited to):



Setting up demonstration homes for energy efficiency
Running engagement events
Outline feasibility studies into specific renewable energy projects
2.5. Following the conclusion of LEAF, monitoring data was collected by EST. All
grant recipients provided monitoring information regarding lessons learnt
and reflections on what went well and what didn’t go well and why. A copy
of this monitoring template is attached separately in appendix A1.
2.6. Some research on community energy is available in the public domain, including
the DECC-published evaluation of LCCC (Low Carbon Communities
Challenge; 2012). Successful contractors would be expected to draw on
published research in the design of their research tools and highlight any
evidence links in their draft final report.
3. Research Aim and Objectives
3.1. The aim of this process evaluation is to investigate what shorter and longer term
outputs were achieved as a result of LEAF funding and identify factors which
appeared to support or hinder different types of community energy project.
3.2. The objectives are as follows:
-
-
Provide an overview of what LEAF funding was spent on; and what short
and longer term outputs were delivered, by policy/activity type; identify
any initial outcomes where appropriate
Identify factors which appear to support or hinder success and draw out
commonalities by project or community type;
Explore the role played by community engagement in the projects
Investigate how prepared communities are for the Green Deal or the
Renewable Heat Incentive as a result of projects that were intended to
support these programmes
Research Questions
3.3. Specific questions that we would like to answer in this evaluation are as follows:
1.
1
What was funded?
 What policy areas: renewable energy, energy efficiency or Green
Deal?
 Are some groups covering more than one policy area?
On the Contracts Finder website
4




What type of groups were funded? Were they established as a group
prior to LEAF funding?
What type of activities (across which policy areas)?
How much was spent on specific types of activity?
Was funding from other sources accessed by groups before March
2013?
2.
What types of outputs / outcomes were reportedly achieved by March
2012; and since then?
 Did areas achieve what they intended to achieve?
 Were there any unintended effects of LEAF activities?
 Did the LEAF funded activity lead to further outputs or outcomes
that have occurred since March 2012?
 Was further funding from other sources accessed since March? How
much and where from?
 Has LEAF funding had any wider effects, for example, on the focus of
the group?
 Are communities more prepared for, and/or interested in, the Green
Deal or RHI following projects that were intended to support these
programmes?
3.
What factors were felt by areas to be enablers / barriers to success?
What was learnt? Learning could be based around: specific activities;
community engagement, leadership, ways of working, the policy process
itself.
 Which types of activity were perceived by communities to be more or
less successful within the time period given for spending the LEAF
grant?
 Has any learning been utilised or shared? How, with whom and to
what effect?
4.
What level of community engagement was achieved?
 What factors (or activities) helped achieve community engagement?
 What difference, if any, was engagement reported to make to
achievement of outputs?
 What obstacles to engagement were there, and how were these
overcome (if at all)?
5.
Where data on outputs can be quantified (e.g. number of homes installing
energy efficiency measures): what, if any, evidence is there regarding
cost-effectiveness of different activities in achieving these outputs?2
All of the above questions should be analysed to draw out commonalities and differences by
subgroups (e.g. types of community or activity).
4. Research design and methodology
2
This will likely be subject to limitations of the data available, which the contractor is asked to make clear
in any reporting
5
4.1. Contractors are invited to present the details of the methodology they propose;
however, overall, it is envisaged that the research will comprise:

Stage A: Secondary analysis of application and monitoring data (see
separate appendices A and B3).

Stage B: Short survey of all projects (open and closed questions) to
investigate outputs achieved since March and whether activity has
been sustained since. We expect this to be electronic (survey or
online), but ask the contractor to recommend an approach they deem
most suitable.

Stage C: Small case studies with a sample of areas; comprising semistructured interviews linked to analysis of data from part A and B.
4.2. If contractors suggest any amendment to this, the rationale for doing so should
be explained.
Details of Suggested Methodology
Stage A: analysis of data from monitoring returns and application forms
4.3. The data sources for this stage are as follows:

Monitoring forms (likely 236 – see below), with a mixture of qualitative
and quantitative data. The template monitoring form is attached
separately in appendix A (on the Contracts Finder website). The closed
(multiple choice) questions have already been compiled in excel; and this
document will be shared with the contractor.

Application forms (likely 236 – see below); the contractor will be
expected to draw the information from these that relates to funding and
project/community organisation type. The template application form is
attached separately in appendix B (on the Contracts Finder website).
4.4. NB: There is a possibility that less monitoring and application data will be
available, due to potential restrictions on data-sharing. Please could
contractors make the assumption that data for all 236 projects will be
available, but provide alternative costs that would be used in the event of data
only being available for:
a) 200 projects
b) 150 projects
c) 100 projects
4.5. In compiling the data from monitoring forms (and the relevant sections of the
application forms), the contractor will be expected to build on a spreadsheet
3
On the Contracts Finder website
6
to be supplied by DECC, which already contains the quantitative data from
the monitoring forms. Contractors will be asked to:



Add relevant information from project application forms.
Code and compile the qualitative data from monitoring forms
Undertake appropriate quantitative and qualitative analysis to answer the
research questions for the project that can be addressed through this data.
4.6. The contractor is asked to explain their proposed approach to developing a
coding system for the qualitative data in the monitoring forms; and how they
will develop an analysis plan to answer the research questions.
4.7. The data collection and analysis of the three stages will be overlapping, and the
contractor will be asked to indicate how they suggest this is best achieved.
For example, we will require the sample for case studies to be drawn after
survey data collection has started, to enable the case studies to include both
projects which have been sustained, and those which have not.
Stage B: short survey of all projects
4.8. We would expect this stage to comprise an electronic survey (e.g. online or
email), but ask the contractor to suggest a suitable approach.
Respondents
4.9. This research should be undertaken with all individuals who returned project
monitoring information in March and provided contact details, agreeing to
participate in further research (this totalled around 230 of the 236 projects).
The majority of these contacts are project leads or coordinators, but they also
include (for example); chair, consultant, town clerk, secretary. The contractor
is asked to consider what methodological or delivery challenges this stage
may present, and what steps they propose to address these.
4.10.
As detailed in section 4.4 above, it may not be possible to share contact
details for all 230 projects. Contractors are asked to provide alternative costs
that will be used in the event of data only being available for:
a) 200 projects
b) 150 projects
c) 100 projects
Data collection
4.11.
The survey is expected to be a mixture of open and closed questions to
answer relevant research questions, covering at least the following topics:
a) Clarifying role of respondent
7
b) What happened next after LEAF funding was completed (including
outputs)?
c) Preparedness for other government programmes (e.g. Green Deal,
RHI)
d) Wider effects of LEAF funding, e.g. on sustainability of group or
projects
e) Reflections on what worked and what didn’t work well
4.12.
The contractor is asked to suggest an appropriate length for the survey, to
maximise response rates and to gather the information required to answer
the research questions.
Analysis
4.13.
The contractor will be asked to propose how they intend to compile, code and
analyse this survey data, in order to synthesise with the data collected in
stage A.
Stage C: small case studies with a selection of areas
4.14.
Case studies are required for at least five areas, through further qualitative
data collection, alongside analysis of data collected in stages A-B for these
areas. Through this, contractors are asked to explore and present in context:



Factors which enabled / hindered success
Whether community groups have been sustained and why
The extent of community engagement and how this was achieved.
Sample Selection:
4.15.
We propose that small case studies represent a variety of projects. We ask
that the contractor suggest :


4.16.
An appropriate number of case studies and rationale for this
Selection method for the case study areas (final selection to be agreed
by DECC) that is feasible within the constraints of the timeline.
In each case study area, we would suggest 2-4 individuals are selected for
interview. This should include the project lead and at least one adviser. The
contractor is asked to outline their approach to the selection of adviser (from
a possible range of advisory roles) and selection of other individuals.
Data collection:
4.17.
A telephone interview is considered appropriate in these circumstances, and
we would expect that interview length will vary according to the interviewee
relationship to the project. The contractor is asked to suggest how interviews
and analysis be best designed and conducted to enable a relationship to the
project-specific data that will have been compiled already for each area.
5. Analysis
8
5.1. Tenders should set out details of the likely analysis methods they will use across
the three stages – either considered separately or in conjunction. This should
include suggested approach/es to calculating cost-effectiveness (which will
be contingent on the quality of output and funding data, after stage A data is
compiled).
6. Challenges
6.1. The contractor is asked to indicate how they intend to address the challenges
below, and to discuss any further challenges or risks that the research may
face.
a. The data provided in monitoring forms by projects varies widely in terms
of quality, quantity and types of outputs. The contractor is asked to
outline how they will devise a robust system to code and compile the
available data.
b. The timescale is tight and some activities or milestones are
interdependent. The contractor is asked to present a detailed timetable
which will ensure delivery of draft final report by Feb 21st 2012.
c. The contractor is asked outline possible challenges that may occur in
relation to the survey and how these will be addressed.
d. This evaluation focuses on self-reporting. The contractor should outline
any approach/es to addressing or reducing the bias this may introduce.
7. Outputs
DECC will require the following outputs from the contractor:







Named coded data from Stages A and B (spreadsheet), including explanation
of codes
Research tools: survey questionnaire; topic guides for case study interviews
Anonymised transcripts/audio files
Interim report (mid-January: 2-4 page document of outline findings so far, for
DECC internal-use only)
Report and summary of findings to meet Government Social Research
standards (see annex 2).
Concise, accessible output highlighting lessons learnt, suitable for
distribution to practitioners (LEAF communities and otherwise) to highlight
lessons learnt across different types of communities and activities
Optional costing for a formal presentation to community practitioners,
following project completion.
8. Reporting
8.1. All reports (with the exception of a–tables and headline/interim findings) should
be produced in accordance with DECCs report writing guidance attached at
9
Annex 1 and in the form of the publication template that will be provided by
DECC.
8.2. Reports must be produced of a sufficiently high standard to meet Government
Social Research requirements. Our experience shows that this may require
several drafts and this should be taken into account when considering
timelines and costs.
8.3. To demonstrate relevant experience in producing high quality reporting,
contactors must:



Specify who in the project team will be responsible for drafting the report
Provide an electronic copy of a previous report (published or
unpublished) written by this person.
Specify who will be responsible for quality assurance before it comes to
DECC.
8.4. We will require the contractor to supply us with (cleaned) case level datasets,
suitable for further analysis. At this point, contractors should also provide a
description of how the data has been edited and coded, and derived variables
produced.
8.5. The contractor will need to ensure that all appropriate regulations are adhered
to regarding safe storage and transfer, compliant with security policy
requirements for the data processing of restricted data. All survey
respondents will need to be made aware of all potential uses of their data.
Contract award will be subject to satisfactory evidence of contractor’s
processes to assure this.
9. Ethics
Ethical issues relating to this project include:


Transfer, handling and storage of sensitive information relating to
individuals and communities
Protecting individuals from identification within the report
The contractor should indicate how they propose to address these and any further
ethical issues they identify as relevant to this project.
10. Working Arrangements
10.1.
The successful contractor will be expected to identify one named point of
contract through whom all enquiries can be filtered. A DECC project
manager will be assigned to the project and will be the central point of
contact.
10.2.
There will be a number of key clients for the research within DECC and a
steering group will be set up to inform key decisions.
10
10.3.
All research tools and sampling methodologies will need to be agreed by
DECC. We will require weekly updates on progress by email or phone.
11. Consortium Bid
11.1.
If a consortium is awarded the contract, DECC may require it to form a
separate legal entity as a condition of the contract.
11.2.
Contractors must provide details as to how they will manage sub-contractors
and what percentage of the tendered activity (in terms of monetary value)
will be sub-contracted.
11.3.
In the case of a consortium tender, only one submission covering all of the
partners is required but consortia are advised to make clear the proposed role
that each partner will play in performing the contract as per the
requirements of the technical specification.
12. Timetable
12.1.
Contractors must demonstrate that they can meet the following provisional
timetable for the research:
Milestone
ITT released
Deadline for tenders
Interviews (if required) and contract
award
Contract signed by both parties
Coding and analysis of monitoring data
begins (stage A)
Design and agree survey (stage B)
Survey sent to all projects
Survey deadline
Case study areas agreed
Document outlining interim findings
(2-4 pages)
Case study interviews (stage C):
fieldwork complete
Analysis and reporting
Deadline for draft final report
Deadline for second draft
Deadline for third draft (if necessary)
Final report signed off
Dates
25th October
8th November
15th November
21st November
26th November
3rd December
4th December
18th December
19th December
w/c 21st January
End January 2013
1-20th February
21st Feb 2013
7th March 2013
21st March 2013
End March 2013
12.2.
The contractor may propose an alternative timetable; as long as a draft final
report is delivered by 21st February 2013 and the final report (meeting
DECC standards of publication) is delivered by 31 March 2013.
12.3.
Contractors are asked to assume that an interview stage will be required,
when drafting their timetable. however, should this not be the case, the
11
timetable will be altered accordingly in conjunction with the contractor, to
allow more time for design and delivery.
12.4.
Contractors should allow for a total of 2 meetings at DECC, including the
inception meeting and discussion of the draft final report, following its
submission.
13. Project team
13.1.
Contractors should clearly set out skills and expertise provided by the
proposed project team that are relevant to the requirements of this research.
13.2.
The following skills, experience and knowledge are considered particularly
important for this work:
 Designing and undertaking process evaluations
 Undertaking research with voluntary sector organisations or communitybased projects, preferably within the energy sector.
 Knowledge of energy efficiency issues
 Designing and undertaking quantitative and qualitative research, analysis
and reporting.
Experience writing clear, succinct copy
14. Period of Contract
14.1.
The contract shall run until 31 March 2012.
15. Budget
15.1.
The budgeted range for this project is £45-65,000 + VAT.
15.2.
Contractors should provide a full and detailed breakdown of costs (including
options where appropriate). This should include clear statement of level of
staff (and day rate) allocated to specific tasks. In submitting full tenders,
contractors confirm in writing that the price offered will be held for a
minimum of 60 calendar days from the date of submission. DECC’s target is
to pay all approved invoices within a maximum period of 10 days.
16. Payment milestones
16.1.
Payments will be linked to delivery of key milestones. The indicative
milestones for payment are as follows:



Completion of Stage B fieldwork: 25%
Delivery of draft final report: 60%
Final report signed off by DECC: 15%
12
EVALUATION CRITERIA AND SCORING METHODOLOGY
Contractors are invited to submit full tenders no more than 25 pages long. Tenders will
be evaluated by at least three DECC staff and scored and weighted as follows:
1.1.1.1
Criterion
1.1.1.2
Description
01
Understanding of our requirements and development of an effective
research methodology to meet these
Expertise in, and knowledge of, relevant policy areas, preferably
with research experience in these areas. Relevant policy areas
include: community organisations, energy efficiency, renewable
energy, and community energy issues
Analytical skills and experience: successful track record of
delivering process evaluations, as well as quantitative and
qualitative research design, analysis and reporting
Identification of challenges and risks; including appropriate
contingency and mitigation plans
Delivery plan which meets our deadlines
Cost
02
03
04
05
06
Total
1.1.1.3
Weighting
20%
15%
15%
15%
15%
20%
100%
Scoring Method
Where a question is scored the scores will range from 0 to 5. To calculate the score for
each criteria the weighted figure is multiplied by the mark awarded. The following
illustrates the meaning of each score:
Score
0
1
2
3
4
5
Description
Unacceptable: Proposal does not meet the requirement. Does not comply and/or
little or no evidence to support the response.
Serious reservations: Proposal significantly fails to meet the requirement with major
reservations.
Minor reservations: Proposal satisfies the requirement with minor reservations.
Satisfactory: Proposal satisfies the requirement.
Above Satisfactory: Proposal satisfies all requirements and exceeds some
requirements.
Excellent: Proposal meets the requirement and exceeds most of the major
requirements. Evidence identifies factors that will offer significant added value and/or
innovative solutions.
13
17. Content of Tender
17.1.
Contractors are strongly advised to structure their tender submissions
around the six evaluation criteria:
Section 1 – Understanding requirements and developing an effective methodology
to meet these
Contractors should provide evidence to demonstrate an understanding of the tender
requirements. Contractors should clearly set out the proposed approach for the research,
including research methods to be employed, demonstrating how this will address the
research questions. Contractors should answer the questions related to methodology
that are outlined within this ITT.
Section 2 – Expertise in, and knowledge of, relevant policy areas, preferably with
research experience in these areas
Contractors must set out their experience and understanding of policy areas relevant to
this evaluation, and highlight issues they see as particularly relevant to the design of
this evaluation.
Section 3 – Analytical skills and experience
Contractors must set out in detail how the relevant skills and knowledge of the project
team will be utilised in the performance of the contract. Contractors should outline their
track record in delivering research using these methodologies.
Section 4: Addressing Challenges and Risks
Contractors should set out how they will address the challenges identified in this
specification, as well as any other challenges which are considered
Contractors should identify key risks for the project and set out the steps that will be
taken to manage and mitigate against them. Contractors should also set out how risks
will be identified, assessed, managed and monitored throughout the project.
Section 5 –Delivery Plan
With specific reference to the description of the requirement/s, working arrangements
and expected outputs as stated above, Contractors must submit a detailed contract
delivery plan containing the following information:
 A full project plan detailing:
o The tasks to be undertaken and milestones to be reached
o The individuals responsible for undertaking tasks (including seniority of staff
and number of days allocated for each task)
o Quality assurance processes
Section 6 – Pricing
17.2.
Contractors invited to tender are required to replicate and complete the
applicable tables below as part of their response to this section.
Price schedule
14
17.3.
Contractors are advised to present costs as follows (or at a minimum,
incorporating the following information):
Part A – Staff/project team charges
*Grade/level of
staff
Role of staff member on
this project and tasks to be
undertaken
Daily rate
(ex VAT)
No. days
offered over
course of
contract
£
£
£
£
£
Total price
offered per
staff
member
£
£
£
£
£
£
Sub-total
[*Contractors should also include sub-contractors]
Part B – Non-staff/project team charges
Item
No. of items
Price per item
(ex VAT)
£
£
£
£
£
Sub-total
Total price per
offered
£
£
£
£
£
£
Part C – Full price offered
Sub-total (Part A + Part B)
VAT
TOTAL (Sub-total + VAT)
£
£
£
17.4.
Contractors are reminded of the instructions in paragraphs 4.4 and 4.10
regarding differential costs according to the number of projects whose
monitoring and application data is supplied.
17.5.
Contractors are asked to provide optional costs for a presentation, as per
section 7.
18. INSTRUCTIONS TO CONTRACTORS
18.1.
Contractors are required to submit 3 hard copies and 1 electronic copy of
their tender to:
Ali Hawker
[email protected]
Heat and Industry
15
Department of Energy and Climate Change
3 Whitehall Place
London
SW1A 2AW
18.2.
Tender submissions must be received by DECC not later than Thursday 8th
November at 10am.
18.3.
Please ensure the outside of any packaging is clearly marked “LEAF
evaluation proposal”
18.4.
DECC reserves the right to invite the top 3 highest scoring Contractors to
give an interview/presentation before a final decision is made. Interviews
will take place on Thursday 15th November (candidates to be invited to
interview will be notified by Monday 12th November).
18.5.
Contractors must note that DECC reserves the right to withdraw this
contract opportunity without notice and will not be liable for any costs
incurred by contractors during any stage of the process. Contractors should
also note that, in the event a tender is considered to be fundamentally
unacceptable on a key issue, regardless of its other merits, that tender may be
rejected.
18.6.
Tenders submitted after the stipulated time and date advised will be rejected.
18.7.
If you require further information concerning the tender process, or the
nature of the proposed contract, please in the first instance email:
[email protected]. All questions should be submitted by Tuesday
30th October at 5pm; questions submitted after this date may not be
answered. Should questions arise during the tendering period, which in our
judgement are of material significance, we will inform all contractors of the
question and our formal reply by the end of Thursday 1st November. All
contractors should then take that reply into consideration when preparing
their own bids, and we will evaluate bids on the assumption that they have
done so.
19. CONDITIONS OF TENDER
19.1.
Receipt of Tenders
Tenders will be received up to the time and date stated. Those received
before that date and time will be retained unopened until then. Please ensure
that your tender is delivered not later than the appointed time on the
appointed date. The Department does not undertake to consider tenders
received after that time.
19.2.
Acceptance of tenders
By issuing this invitation the Department is not bound in any way and does
not have to accept the lowest or any tender and reserves the right to accept a
16
portion of any tender unless the tenderer expressly stipulates otherwise in
their tender.
19.3.
Contract Length
The contract is to run until 31 March 2013, unless terminated or extended
by the Department in accordance with the terms of the contract.
19.4.
Amendments to the tender documents by the department
The Department reserves the right to amend the enclosed tender documents
at any time prior to the deadline for receipt of tenders. Any such amendment
will be numbered, dated and issued by [insert as appropriate]. Where
amendments are significant, the Department may at its discretion extend the
deadline for receipt of tenders.
The Department reserves the right to discontinue this tendering process at
any time and not to award a contract.
19.5.
Specification
For the avoidance of doubt, the contract specification shall include all
requirements explicit or implied within the invitation to tender.
It must be recognised that DECC reserve the right to withdraw this tender
document and all funding contained within it without notice.
19.6.
Tenders Excluded
No tender will be considered for acceptance if the contractor has indulged or
attempted to indulge in any corrupt practice or canvassed the tender with an
officer of DECC. If a contractor has indulged or attempted to indulge in such
practices and the tender is accepted, then grounds shall exist for the
termination of the contract and the claiming damages from the successful
contractors.
It is unlikely that any tender will be accepted which (a) is incomplete or
inaccurately or inadequately completed or which purports to impose
conditions other than those provided in the contract documents and (b) is
delivered out of time or in a manner other than specified in the specification.
19.7.
Collusive Tendering
In submitting a tender against this contract, the contractor confirms that
they have not fixed or adjusted the amount of the tender by or under or in
accordance with any agreement or arrangement with any other person.
Please sign and return Annex 1 alongside submission of tenders.
The contractor also certifies that at no time, before or following the
submission of the tender, has the Contractor carried out any of the following
acts:
17
a) communicating to a person other than the person calling for the tenders
the amount or approximate amount of the proposed tender, except where
such disclosure is required for the purpose of obtaining insurance;
b) entering into any agreement or arrangement with any person that he
shall refrain from tendering or as to the amount of any tender to be
submitted;
c) offering or paying or giving or agreeing to give any sum of money or
valuable consideration directly or indirectly to any person for doing or
having done or causing or having caused to be done in relation to any
other tender or proposed tender for the said work any act or thing of the
sort described above. The context of this clause the word ‘person’
includes any persons and anybody or association, corporate or
unincorporated; and ‘any agreement or arrangement’ includes any such
transaction, formal or informal, and whether legally binding or not.
19.8.
Costs and Expenses
You will not be entitled to claim from the Department any costs or expenses
that you may incur in preparing your tender whether or not your tender is
successful.
19.9.
Debriefing
Following the award of Contract, debriefing will be provided on request.
19.10. Freedom of Information
Information in relation to this tender may be made available on demand in
accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Contractors should state if any of the information supplied by them is
confidential or commercially sensitive or should not be disclosed in response
to a request for information under the Act. Contractors should state why
they consider the information to be confidential or commercially sensitive.
This will not guarantee that the information will not be disclosed but will be
examined in the light of the exemptions provided in the Act.
It is important to note that information may be commercially sensitive for a
time (e.g. during a tender process) but afterwards it may not be. The timing
of any request for information may be extremely important in determining
whether or not information is exempt. However Contractors should note
that no information is likely to be regarded as exempt forever.
19.11. Prompt Payment Policy
The Department aims to pay all correctly submitted invoices as soon as
possible with a target of 10 days from the date of receipt and within 30 days
at the latest in line with standard terms and conditions of contract.
A correct invoice is one that includes:
18
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
the date, supplier name, contact details and bank details;
the agreed charge;
confirmation that the goods / services detailed have been fully performed;
the valid purchase order provided by the Department;
delivery to the nominated address.
Any correctly submitted invoices that are not paid within 30 days may be
subject to the provisions of the Late Payment of
Commercial Debt (Interest) Act 1998.
20. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
DECC Priorities
Climate change is not only a massive threat to the global environment, it is also perhaps
the greatest economic challenge facing us in the twenty-first century. It demands an
urgent and radical response across the developed and developing world.
At the same time, the UK needs to secure clean, safe, affordable energy to heat and
power our homes and businesses. Creating a low carbon and resource efficient world
means making major structural changes to the way we work and live, including how we
source, manage and use our energy. DECC exists to take the lead in tackling these
challenges.
DECC priorities are set out in the Business Plan 2011-2015 published in November
2010 and are as follows:
1. Save energy with the Green Deal and support vulnerable consumers

Reduce energy use by households and businesses through the Green
Deal, and help protect the fuel poor
2. Deliver secure energy on the way to a low carbon energy future

Reform the energy market and work internationally to ensure the UK has
a diverse, safe, secure and affordable energy system and incentivise low
carbon investment and deployment
3. Drive ambitious action on climate change at home and abroad

Work for international action to tackle climate change, and work with
other government departments to ensure we meet UK carbon budgets
efficiently and effectively
4. Manage our energy legacy responsibly and cost-effectively

Ensure public safety and value for money in the way we manage our
nuclear, coal and other energy liabilities
To find out more about our work visit our “What we do” pages at www.decc.gov.uk.
19
20
ANNEX 1 – DECLARATIONS
Statement of non collusion
To
The Department of Energy and Climate Change
1.
We recognise that the essence of competitive tendering is that the Department
will receive a bona fide competitive tender from all persons tendering. We therefore
certify that this is a bona fide tender and that we have not fixed or adjusted the amount of
the tender or our rates and prices included therein by or in accordance with any
agreement or arrangement with any other person.
2.
We also certify that we have not done and undertake not to do at any time before
the hour and date specified for the return of this tender any of the following acts:
(a)
communicate to any person other than the Department the amount or
approximate amount of our proposed tender, except where the disclosure, in confidence,
of the approximate amount is necessary to obtain any insurance premium quotation
required for the preparation of the tender;
(b)
enter into any agreement or arrangement with any other person that he shall
refrain for submitting a tender or as to the amount included in the tender;
(c)
offer or pay or give or agree to pay or give any sum of money, inducement or
valuable consideration directly or indirectly to any person doing or having done or
causing or having caused to be done, in relation to any other actual or proposed tender
for the contract any act, omission or thing of the kind described above.
3.
In this certificate, the word “person” shall include any person, body or association,
corporate or unincorporated; and “any agreement or arrangement” includes any such
information, formal or informal, whether legally binding or not.
……………………………………………………………………………….….
Signature (duly authorised on behalf of the tenderer)
……….………………………………………………………………………….
Print name
…………………………………………………………….…………………….
On behalf of (organisation name)
…………………………………………………………………….…………….
Date
21
Form of Tender
To
The Department of Energy and Climate Change
1.
Having considered the invitation to tender and all accompanying documents
(including without limitation, the terms and conditions of contract and the Specification)
we confirm that we are fully satisfied as to our experience and ability to deliver the
goods/services in all respects in accordance with the requirements of this invitation to
tender.
2.
We hereby tender and undertake to provide and complete all the services
required to be performed in accordance with the terms and conditions of contract and the
Specification for the amount set out in the Pricing Schedule.
3.
We agree that any insertion by us of any conditions qualifying this tender or any
unauthorised alteration to any of the terms and conditions of contract made by us may
result in the rejection of this tender.
4.
We agree that this tender shall remain open to be accepted by the Department
for 8 weeks from the date below.
5.
We understand that if we are a subsidiary (within the meaning of section 1159 of
(and schedule 6 to) the Companies Act 2006) if requested by the Department we may be
required to secure a Deed of Guarantee in favour of the Department from our holding
company or ultimate holding company, as determined by the Department in their
discretion.
6.
We understand that the Department is not bound to accept the lowest or any
tender it may receive.
7.
We certify that this is a bona fide tender.
…………………………………………………………………………........
Signature (duly authorised on behalf of the tenderer)
…………………………………………………………………………………
Print name
………………………………………………………………………….
On behalf of (organisation name)
………………………………………………………………………….
Date
22
Annex 2: DECC social research report writing guidelines
Introduction
This guide describes the conventions and standards that we expect in the production of
written reports and summaries of all social research, customer insight and evaluation
commissioned by DECC, whether intended for internal use and/or publication.
The aim of this guide is to help authors produce clearly and concisely presented reports,
which reflect the needs of DECC and will be accessible and engaging to their intended
audience. These guidelines should help to: streamline the reporting process; reduce the
need for extensive comment and redrafting; and maximise the impact of the final report.
These guidelines are the basis for good reporting practice and may not cover all
eventualities (in particular, they are not intended to be a guide for conducting social
research). Full discussion with the DECC project manager about the report structure,
format and function will be expected in all cases, to ensure the final report is of high
quality and meets individual project requirements.
General Guidelines
Basic principles to be observed:
 Aim for Plain English; keep sentences short, prefer active verbs, and use words that
are appropriate for the reader. 4
 Assume the audience for the main report and summary to be interested, but nontechnical / specialist, readers.
 Reports should provide a concise but clearly evidence-based presentation of
findings, with a separate conclusions section.
 The main report should be around 25-30 pages long, with a standalone 3-4 page
summary. Annexes should be used as appropriate to include further information and
detail. Any exception to this will need to be agreed with the DECC project manager
at the start of the project.
 Draft reports should be as close as possible to the final version of the report
and comply with all standards set out in this document, unless otherwise agreed
with the DECC research project manager.
The remainder of this guide is arranged as follows:
1. Report structure and style
2. Presenting methods, analysis and findings
3. Submitting reports
4
See for example Plain English Campaign - http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/crystal-mark/about-thecrystal-mark/the-crystal-mark-standard.html or Center for Plain Language http://centerforplainlanguage.org/about-plain-language/checklist/
23
1. Report structure and style
Report structure







The report should contain a standalone executive summary , with a short summary
of the objectives, methodology, key findings and conclusions, and normally be no
longer than 4 pages.
The main report should be no longer than 30 pages, unless this has been agreed with
the project manager at the start of the project.
The report should contain an introduction setting out the aims and objectives of the
project and the context of the research.
A short methodology section should also be included and provide sufficient
information about the research design, sample and timing, and any limitations for
the reader to understand how the findings were generated and interpret the
conclusions.
The findings, which are clearly related to each of the research objectives, should
make up the main body of the report.
Conclusions should be presented in a separate section (N.B. ensure the conclusions
are not simply a repeat of the exec summary or vice versa).
Further relevant information, including detailed methodology, evidence sources,
research tools etc, should be included in the annexes.
Report layout







The report should be standardised to the format of the DECC Report Template (to
be supplied by the DECC project manager), including chapter numbering, heading
styles, font size, typeface and line-spacing.
Be consistent with punctuation, capitalisation and the use of acronyms and
abbreviations.
Use informative chapter and section headings to guide the reader.
Use bullet lists where appropriate.
Be consistent with the format, position and labelling of tables, charts and figures
throughout the report, following those included in the report template where
possible.
Use chapter, page and paragraph cross-references where necessary.
Reports should be page-numbered.
Report style


Be consistent in the use of tense. Any research findings should generally be in the
past tense - 'the research found... / 20% of respondents reported... etc'.
Be consistent in the use of terminology - e.g householders / residents; energy
companies / energy suppliers; consumers / customers etc.
24



For abbreviations and acronyms, unless in common English usage, put the name in
full when first used followed by the abbreviation or acronym in brackets, and then
use the abbreviation.
In addition, it may be appropriate to also include a glossary.
Avoid unnecessary jargon. Unavoidable jargon terms should be explained the first
time they are used.
Bibliography and References

Number references to published work consecutively throughout the report
preferably using Arabic numerals as superscript. References should follow standard
citation procedures – for example:
o Author, A., Author, B. Year. Title of paper. Title of Journal, volume no,
pages;
o Author, A., Author, B. Year. Title of book/chapter, (Editors Title of book)
publisher;
o Author, A., Author, B. Year. Title of report. Available at XXX-weblink.
(access date)
Disclaimer

A disclaimer should be inserted on the first inside page of the report, as follows:
“The views expressed in this report are those of the authors, not necessarily those of
the Department of Energy and Climate Change (nor do they reflect Government
policy).”
Logos

The DECC logo is provided on the Report Template. Other logos of the contractor
/ other parties involved may be placed on the inside front cover.
2. Presenting methods, analysis and findings
Key points about presenting evidence
 The report should clearly and fully reflect the agreed aims of the research, be
impartial, and clearly indicate when the research took place.
 Findings and conclusions should be clearly related to the objectives and research
questions for the study.
 All findings must be clearly substantiated by the evidence, and it should be clear to
the reader how conclusions have been drawn and what they are based upon.
 Any recommendations, where requested, should clearly stem from the interpretation
of the evidence, where possible being linked back to specific key findings.
Presenting the methodology and research tools
 The methodology section in the main report should include enough information for
the reader to understand exactly how the findings were generated, including a brief
25


description of the research design; sampling approach, size and response rate; timing
and location of fieldwork; and any limitations of the approach (including implications
for robustness of data and findings).
Detailed methodology should be included in an annex, along with research tools,
case study details etc.
For evidence reviews, the approach and criteria for identification, inclusion and
weighting of evidence should be clearly explained in the report.
Reporting findings
 Any limitations of the evidence should be clearly set out (for example restricted
access to participants, gaps in sample coverage, time restraints) and implications for
errors / bias in findings.
 In any research study which has included both qualitative and quantitative research,
these findings should always be linked and interpreted together in the report.









Presenting quantitative research:
Research findings should normally refer to the respondents in the research rather
than the general population (i.e. 20% of respondents thought X rather than 20% of
householders / people / consumers) unless the research methodology allows such
generalisation - i.e. a random sampling approach. In such cases statistical
significance should be referred to.
However, it is not normally appropriate to use significance testing with non-random
samples (e.g. quota samples).
Any reporting of percentages should make clear the base/total number of
respondents on which percentages are being calculated. Percentages should be not
normally be presented on bases less than 100.
Sub-group analysis should respect minimum sample sizes for quantification and/or
significance testing of differences between groups, related to expected size of change
or difference between groups.
Generalisations from samples should only be made where the sample is sufficiently
large and representative to warrant this.
Where precise figures are not available or not appropriate use the greatest degree of
precision possible - e.g. ‘around three quarters’ or ‘the majority’.
Presenting qualitative research:
As part of good qualitative research, corroborating evidence should be used to
support and triangulate any findings (including other sources of evidence / data
generated or identified by the research). However, there should also be discussion of
where there was limited evidence which prevented this.
Similarly, discussion of any conflicting or rival theories should be presented, e.g.
contradictory evidence; absence of evidence.
It should be made clear that findings relate to the research respondents and are not
generalisable to e.g. the whole population, although may be considered
representative of the range of views held by the target group for the research.
26




Reporting should make clear the extent to which findings reflect the views of most
or few respondents, and/or specific subgroups.
Very general terms for groups of respondents such as 'stakeholders' should be
avoided, rather descriptive terms should be used, as appropriate – e.g. 'local
authority representatives' etc.
Verbatim quotes should be used to illustrate and reinforce a point made in the text,
but not as a substitute for presenting a finding. All key points should be illustrated
with at least one quote.
All quotations should be anonymous but give a clear indication of how the
respondent fits into the sampling scheme - the details to be included should be
agreed with the DECC project manager before the report is drafted and used
consistently throughout (e.g. 'respondent 17, female, homeowner' etc).
Presenting tables, charts, diagrams and statistics
 Charts and diagrams should be used, where appropriate, to illustrate noteworthy
findings and to break up the text.
 Supporting narrative should always be included to highlight, explain, qualify or
expand on the message of a table or chart.
 Tables and figures should be headed, numbered and sourced. They should always be
clearly and accurately referenced in the text.
 Tables of data should normally be presented with row and column totals.
 Base totals should be presented with every table or chart presenting survey data.
 A definition should be given of the base sample, e.g. all respondents (n) or all
respondents [within a subset] (n).
 It should be clear whether any percentages are weighted or unweighted, and where
weighting is used both weighted and unweighted bases should be provided for charts
and tables.
 Any weighting used should be explained to the reader, in a way which is
understandable to a non-specialist audience.
 Chart axes should be clearly and unambiguously labelled, and use consistent scales,
to avoid false comparison between charts.
Anonymity
 To preserve confidentiality and anonymity, no identifying details of individual
participants in the research or of particular organisations should be included in any
report to the Department, unless this has been specifically cleared in advance with
the individual or organisation concerned.
Previous literature
 Any review of previous literature included in a report of primary research should
clearly relate to the aims and objectives of the research. As far as possible, it should
also indicate the status of the literature reviewed, whether it has been subject to any
rigorous quality control criteria, and how robust any cited findings are.
27


Findings or conclusions from previous literature should be clearly differentiated
from findings of primary research.
All sources of evidence should be clearly referenced.
28
3. Submitting reports
Report outline
 A report outline, setting out chapter and section headings, and bullets of what will
be covered within each chapter/section, should be agreed with the Project Manager
well in advance of the draft report. This should show clearly how each of the
research questions have been answered.
Draft Reports
 All draft reports should be thoroughly proof read by someone other than the author
before submission to DECC, to minimise spelling and grammar errors and gaps and
inconsistencies in information and logic.
 If several authors have contributed separate sections to the report a thorough
editorial review is needed prior to submission, to ensure consistent style and avoid
unnecessary repetition.
 The date and status of the report should be clear (e.g. Draft 1, June 2011).
 The electronic version of the draft final report should be in Microsoft Word. Other
formats should only be used with prior agreement from the DECC project manager.
Interim reports
 If there have been previously disseminated or published interim reports, the final
report should show clear links between the emerging findings in the interim report
and the findings in the final report.
 Any other work mentioned in the text, including earlier or interim reports, should
be fully referenced.
Final draft report
 The final draft report should have a further proof-read before submission, following
comments and sign-off from the DECC project manger.
Supplying data
 For quantitative research you will be expected to provide copies of cleaned data with
documentation at the same time as the final agreed report – this should be presented
as excel/CSV or SPSS files. There should be a full and detailed explanation of all
labels and variables of the dataset, to allow easy use by researchers within DECC.
 For qualitative research you will generally be expected to provide transcripts or
other notes collated as qualitative data. The data should have clear labels and
sufficient explanation to allow further analysis where necessary (e.g. gender, age,
geographical location).
 For secondary research / evidence reviews etc you will be expected to provide
summaries and full references of all sources reviewed, e.g. using a proforma
developed as part of the research
29