12 May 2016: Update call
Update call for stakeholders
This document summarises the key issues discussed during the 31st Open Water update call.
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These are regular calls that are open to stakeholders in the Open Water Programme . The call
was held on 12 May 2016 and was chaired by Adam Cooper, Ofwat. Also on the call was Ben
Jeffs, MOSL.
Adam Cooper welcomed everyone to the call
Update from Ofwat (Adam Cooper)
Thanks for joining the call. Ben and I are back at the same location today. Still a quiet period from
Ofwat over the past fortnight in terms of publications reflecting the bulk of work undertaken in the
first quarter – but recognising that there are a number of documents the industry are expecting.
Ben will provide the MOSL update following my piece.
GSS
We are still awaiting a formal response from Defra so have no further update at this stage.
Credit Terms
Consultation on risk sharing mechanism and credit options to be published w/c 9 May
NAVs, Wales and Small Companies
Workshop planned for 16 May on derogations for small and Welsh companies. Visit to WG
arranged for 27 May.
Developer services
Waiting for the final report drafting, but expect to sign this off soon and plan to get a Programme
Note out at the same time.
Licensing
Consultation published on 3 May. Responses due by 31 May. Immediate priorities are preparation
for the workshops planned for 16 and 20 May.
Transition
We are discussing orchestration and transition issues with MOSL and Defra. It will need to be
refined further once we have input from MOSL and Defra, with a view to sharing it in draft with
WRG in May. I would hope that we can get a good discussion with WRG over the next few
meetings to make sure that we can get comfortable that the main issues and interdependencies
have been picked up and there is broad agreement.
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At the current stage of the programme, these calls are intended for current suppliers, potential entrants and
relevant public bodies (for example, statutory representatives or regulators). We will make the notes from the
calls accessible to all on our website and will consider requests from other interested parties to join the call,
but please note these may not always be accommodated depending on the number of participants and the
subject of discussion.
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12 May 2016: Update call
On the Independent Review, I am still in discussion with the team on factual changes to the draft
report and do not expect to see a final report until some time next week.
I will now hand over to Ben.
Update from Ben Jeffs (MOSL)
Mark Coulthread
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This week we welcomed our new interim Chief Operating Officer, Mark Coulthread to add
extra management capability over the summer.
Mark joins at a critical stage in our development, as we begin to support market participants
with their market entry testing, ahead of the commencement of shadow market. Mark joins
to provide much needed focus on preparing for service on 1st October.
CMOS update
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The latest CMOS code was deployed into the MPS environment last night and is back
online this morning.
The latest release means that both the high volume (business-to-business) interface and
the low volume interface (portal) have met our criteria to be able to exit system integration
testing (SIT).
A workshop was held yesterday to find a solution to the time travel option that would allow
us to exit SIT and commence user acceptance testing (UAT) and we’re confident we have a
solution.
The UAT process has commenced. We have a couple of weeks work to build the data sets
and test scenarios into the system.
We’ve commenced testing of the low volume interface (LVI) portal capability using our test
partners’, SQS, resource and we’re also in the process of designing the test for the HVI that
will commence in a little while.
We have enhanced the UAT plan. Part of the revised strategy we’re adopting for the next
ten weeks or so is to look at two elements:
o The first is additional tests from the market participants volunteers’ own offices
through to CMOS and back out again, potentially picking up one middleware
provider to prove the middleware solution is working effectively.
o The other element is governance and oversight of the test process. MOSL will sign
off the system on 31 July on behalf of the market but also aware that participants
are keen to have sight of that.
It is not practical to involve 40+ participants in the signing off of CMOS, so instead we’ll
take representatives from each volunteer organisations plus a couple more who’ll be
nominated to form a steering group who will oversee the testing process. The aim of this
group will be to offer challenge and review and get close to the testing strategy – then do a
risk assessment impact of what’s left. We will also have a second level group of
representatives nominated by the CIO community.
We have made changes to the approach and that has led to the board signing off another
£230,000 of resource drawn down from the contingency. We will be issuing a note next
week setting out what the strategy is and picking up feedback on it at the CIO forum and
WRG later in the month.
12 May 2016: Update call
Market Entry Assurance
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We have received a total of 38 Trading Applications and 13 Application Information Returns
(AIRs) and Market Entry Assurance Plans (MEAPs). I have now signed 3 acceptances for
companies.
The Certification Team continues to progress with participant calls and we have received
good feedback on these sessions.
We have received a number of draft submissions of a high standard and are impressed
with the work members are doing.
Board meeting
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We had a deep dive into UAT strategy with the Board. We were also asked at the April
board to look at whether or not we should be over resourcing over the summer as we go
through the initial data upload processes as we’re going through the MEA assurance
process and as we go through the testing process. The board approved the resourcing
model predominately around data analytics support, support to the market services team,
some recruitment costs and some extra costs associated with more closely managing the
provision of service to market participants.
The Board also went through a 12 month look ahead and we’ve agreed to iterate that plan
going forward. Principally, we were looking at the alignment of the business planning
process over the summer with board meetings and at what point we would come out to
consult on that business plan. We expect consultation around that plan in September with
the board looking to finalise it by November, so we will be looking to schedule in a
members meeting in December that formally approves the business plan and also the
revised articles of association.
We received an application from Cholderton Water Company and that was approved
subject to further information that needs to be provided around the delegated authority.
I also updated the board on my trip to Scotland last week where I met the Scottish
Government, Business Stream, the CMA and I also had a round table discussion with a
number of licensed providers, kindly hosted at WICS’ offices, to update them on where
preparations for the market are at.
Coming up
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The next meeting of the Defra level assurance group is now scheduled for June and not
July.
The CEO meeting is on May 19. One of the sessions in that is about understanding the
challenges from market participants around getting ready for shadow market and for 1 April
2017. If you do have any issues you’d like me to raise then let your portfolio manager know.
The flash results of the board meeting will go out today.
Questions on notice
There were no questions on notice
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12 May 2016: Update call
If you have a question you would like to ask, please send details to:
[email protected].
Other Questions
No other questions
68 connections over the 2 calls. Apologies for the fire alarm.
Chair's summary
Adam Cooper thanked everybody for their participation and invited feedback on any aspect of the
Update Call.
Join the next call
UK Freefone: 0800 169 0968
Participant passcode: 31480080
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