Invitation to tender
Contact centre for 5 May 2016 elections; and for the
referendum on the United Kingdom’s membership of the
European Union
Contract reference: C0077-KA-COMMS
Section one
Scope of work
1
1. Summary of requirements
The Electoral Commission would like to procure a contact centre provider to:


manage enquiries that are generated as a result of the public awareness
campaign it is running ahead of the elections scheduled to take place on 5
May 2016; and
manage enquiries that are generated as a result of the public awareness
campaign it will run ahead of the EU Referendum which will take place at
some point before 31 December 2017.
May 2016
On 5 May 2016 elections to the Scottish Parliament; the Welsh National Assembly;
the Mayor of London and London Assembly; Police and Crime Commissioner
elections across England and Wales; and local government elections in many areas
of England are scheduled to take place.
The Electoral Commission will run a Great Britain-wide advertising campaign that
encourages people to make sure they are registered to vote ahead of elections
taking place in their area. It will primarily be directing people to do so online at
www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
In Scotland and Wales only, a voter information booklet will also be distributed to
every household. It will explain what the elections are for, how to mark the ballot
paper and how to register to vote. The booklets will include the Electoral
Commission’s 0800 3 280 280 helpline.
We need the contact centre to operate from Monday 14 March until Tuesday 19 April
2016 (the registration deadline is Monday 18 April) and for the provider to:



Respond to enquiries about any of the electoral events mentioned above and
be prepared to answer them.
Respond to enquiries over the phone using an interactive voice response
(IVR) system and live advisors.
Fulfil requests for printed material.
Ahead of the May 2016 elections, the contact centre will need to handle enquiries
from people who live in Great Britain only and we need a provider who is able to
deliver an efficient and effective service.
Note that in Northern Ireland, people who have enquiries about the Northern Ireland
Assembly elections, also scheduled to take place on 5 May 2016, must be directed to
contact the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland and not the Electoral Commission’s
contact centre.
2
EU Referendum
At present, we do not know when the referendum will take place beyond the
Government’s commitment to hold one before the end of 2017. We need to plan so
we are ready to deliver our public awareness campaign whenever the referendum is
held. Consequently, we also need a contact centre in place to manage a large
volume of enquiries likely to be generated as a result of our public awareness
campaign ahead of this poll.
For the purposes of submitting a proposal only, please use 16 June 2016 as the
hypothetical date for the referendum and 31 May 2016 as the registration
deadline.
Should the EU referendum take place on 16 June, we need the contact centre to
operate from Monday 31 May until Sunday 19 June 2016 (the registration deadline
would be 16 May) and for the provider to:



Respond to enquiries about the EU referendum. This includes the period from
when the Commission’s booklets begin to be distributed right through to
polling day and the days after the result is declared.
Respond to enquiries over the phone using an interactive voice response
(IVR) system and live advisors.
Fulfil requests for printed material.
Note:
The Electoral Commission will brief the contact centre provider with specific details of
its campaign and what the registration deadline is as and when the UK Government
announces the date that the EU referendum will take place.
The requirement for a contact centre to operate between the launch of the
Commission’s EU referendum public awareness campaign right through to
polling day and the days after the result is announced applies irrespective of
when the EU referendum eventually takes place.
The Electoral Commission can confirm that whenever the EU referendum does take
place, its public information campaign will involve TV; online and video on demand
advertising campaign. A voter information booklet will be distributed to every
household across the UK. It will set out the referendum question, how to mark the
ballot paper, content from each of the designated lead campaigners and how to
register to vote. The booklets will also include the Electoral Commission’s 0800 3 280
280 helpline.
3
Ahead of the EU referendum, the contact centre will need to handle enquiries from
people who live anywhere in the UK. For callers from Northern Ireland, the contact
centre will need to put in place a system that diverts those callers who have enquiries
about electoral registration to the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland; but for those
callers that have any other enquiries about the EU referendum, the contact centre
itself must be prepared to handle those.
2. Background
2.1 About the Commission
We are an independent body that was set up by the UK Parliament in 2000.
Our functions include:

Regulating party and election finance.

Setting standards for well-run elections and referendums.

Raising awareness of the need to be registered to vote in order to be able to
cast a vote at elections and referendums.
2.2 About the Thursday 5 May 2016 elections
2.2.1 Timing

The deadline for people to register to vote in the elections scheduled to take
place on Thursday 5 May 2016 is midnight Monday, 18 April 2016.
2.2.2 Franchise
A person is eligible to vote in the elections taking place in Wales, London and local
government elections across England if they are:
 Aged 18 or over on polling day – Thursday, 6 May 2016
 A British, Irish, EU or qualifying Commonwealth citizen.
A person is eligible to vote in the Scottish Parliamentary elections if they are:
 Aged 16 or over on polling day – Thursday 6 May 2016
 A British, Irish, EU or qualifying Commonwealth citizen.
2.3 About the EU referendum
2.3.1 Timing

As noted earlier, the timing of the referendum is as yet unknown. Under the
law, there’s a minimum 10-week period between a referendum being called
and the date of any poll. The Electoral Commission will maintain regular
4
contact with the winning contact centre provider to ensure a contact centre
could be established at short notice.
2.3.2 Franchise

As yet, it has not been formally decided who will have the right to cast a vote
at the EU referendum. The Government has indicated that it would like the
same franchise as what’s used at UK Parliamentary General Elections. That
would mean that anyone aged over 18 on polling day; and a British, Irish or
Commonwealth citizen would be entitled to vote. The Electoral Commission
will maintain regular contact with the winning contact centre provider to inform
them of any changes to the franchise.
2.4 About our public awareness campaign
The aims of any Electoral Commission campaign are to ensure all eligible people:

Understand that they need to be registered to vote and that they can do this
online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Know what to expect on polling day.

Have the information they need to cast their vote confidently (either at the
polling station, by post or by proxy).
2.5 Advertising
The Electoral Commission will run a major public awareness campaigns ahead of
both the May 2016 elections and the EU referendum. We will confirm our final media
plans with the successful tenderer.
At the May 2016 elections, every household in Scotland and Wales will receive a
voter information booklet. The booklet will contain the Electoral Commission’s 0800 3
280 280 helpline.
At the EU referendum, every household in the UK will receive a voter information
booklet. The Electoral Commission’s voter information booklet, which will contain its
0800 3 280 280 helpline. The booklet will feature prominently in its TV advertising in
particular.
Contact centre requirements
3.1 Main functions
At the May 2016 elections we would like the contact centre to:

Inform those who ask about registering to vote that they can do so online and
encourage them to visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Take and fulfil requests for forms so that people can: register to vote; cast their
5
vote by post; and cast their vote by proxy.

Take and fulfil requests for voter information booklets from callers in Scotland
or Wales.

Provide other information to callers as required.
At the EU referendum we would like the contact centre to:
 Inform those who ask about registering to vote that they can do so online and
encourage them to visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
 Take and fulfil requests for forms so that people can: register to vote; cast
their vote by post; and cast their vote by proxy.
 Take and fulfil requests for voter information booklets from callers across the
UK.
 Provide a service to voters between the deadline to register passing and the
day of the poll. This will typically involve informing voters of polling station
opening hours and where they should go in order to find their polling station.
 Operate between 7am and 11pm on the day of the poll.
 Provide other information to callers as required.
3.2 Call routing and IVR
At both the May 2016 elections and the EU referendum, the provider will need to use
a call routing system with IVR.
May 2016 elections
At the May 2016 elections, a welcome message will need to play first and callers will
need to be given the option to select the country they are calling from – England,
Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.
Callers who say they are from Northern Ireland must be directed to Electoral Office
for Northern Ireland helpline straight away (0800 4 320 712).
The contact centre needs to take into account Welsh language requirements. Any
callers who say they’re calling from Wales will need to be played a message in
English and then Welsh which gives them the option to have their call handled in
Welsh.
Following the message callers need to choose from the options below. However,
before a caller hears the options, a message should be played to callers’ that
says:
“Did you know that you can now register to vote online? Simply visit
www.gov.uk/register-to-vote . It’s quick and easy. You now have the following
options”:

Request a form to register to vote.
6

Request a form to cast a vote by post.

For callers from Scotland or Wales: Request a voter information booklet.

Speak to an advisor. This option needs to include a busy / hold message if
there are no advisers available.
Callers should be able to ‘interrupt’ the IVR once they have heard the option they
want so that they can proceed without having to hear all of the available options.
A separate message needs to be played for when people call out of hours and there
are no advisers working. That message should give people the option to leave a
message for someone to call them back.
The messages prompting people to order forms to register to vote and cast a vote by
post will need to change along the lines of what is outlined below, to reflect mail
delivery and form return deadlines.

First message: You can order a form – leave your contact details so a form
can be posted to you.

Second message: You cannot order a form by post – there is not enough time
for us to post a form to you but you can still register to vote online. Visit
www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Third message: You cannot order a form – the deadline for registering to vote /
applying to vote by post in the elections taking place in May 2016 has now
passed.
Please note: The deadline for people already registered to vote to apply for a postal
or proxy vote is Tuesday 19 April. Any registered elector who calls the contact centre
on Tuesday 19 April and wants to apply for a postal or proxy vote will need to speak
to an adviser and will need to be told that the only way to do this is to apply online
and be given this address: www.gov.uk/voting-in-the-uk
A message will need to be set for Tuesday 19 April that says:
“The deadline to register to vote has now passed. However, if you are already
registered and would like to apply for a postal or proxy vote, press 1 to speak to an
adviser or please hold.”
EU referendum
At the EU referendum a welcome message will need to play first and callers will need
to be given the option to select the country they are calling from – England, Scotland,
Wales or Northern Ireland.
The contact centre needs to take into account Welsh language requirements. Any
callers who say they’re calling from Wales will need to be played a message in
7
English and then Welsh which gives them the option to have their call handled in
Welsh.
Following the message callers need to choose from the options below. However,
before any caller in England, Scotland or Wales hears the options, a message
should be played to callers’ that says:
“Did you know that you can now register to vote online? Simply visit
www.gov.uk/register-to-vote . It’s quick and easy. You now have the following
options”:

Request a form to register to vote.

Request a form to cast a vote by post.

Request a voter information booklet.

Speak to an advisor. This option needs to include a busy / hold message if
there are no advisers available.
Callers should be able to ‘interrupt’ the IVR once they have heard the option they
want so that they can proceed without having to hear all of the available options.
A separate message needs to be played for when people call out of hours and there
are no advisers working. That message should give people the option to leave a
message for someone to call them back.
Callers from Northern Ireland will need a different message. Callers from Northern
Ireland should be asked to select whether their enquiry is about registering to vote at
the EU referendum or whether they have any other enquiry relating to the EU
referendum.
If they select ‘registration’ they must be directed to Electoral Office for Northern
Ireland helpline straight away (0800 4 320 712). If they select ‘other’, they must hear
the following message:
“You now have the following options”

Request a voter information booklet.

Speak to an advisor. This option needs to include a busy / hold message if
there are no advisers available.
Note: Once the date of the EU referendum has been announced, the Electoral
Commission will provide the contact centre provider with the registration deadline
and postal / proxy vote application deadlines. This will inform what messages will
need to be left for callers who ring out of hours.
The Electoral Commission will also provide the contact centre provider with what
messages callers will need to hear when they call in between the registration
deadline and polling day before being given options to choose from; and what
8
messages callers will need to hear out of hours.
3.3 Examples of queries at May 2016 elections
3.3.1 General ‘taking part’ enquiries

Am I registered to vote?

How do I register to vote?

Can you send me a form to register to vote?

I registered to vote online, but have not heard whether I’m registered or not.
Can you confirm that my application went through?

How do I register to vote online?

Am I eligible to vote?

How do I vote?

What is a postal vote and how can I apply?

What is a proxy vote and how can I apply?

What happens on polling day?
3.3.2 Specific enquiries at May 2016 elections
There are likely to be a number of enquiries that are specific to the elections taking
place. The Electoral Commission will supply a detailed FAQ document for contact
centre staff. Some examples of enquiries include:

Callers from Scotland asking if their 15 year old child is allowed to register to
vote.

Callers from Wales asking for clarification on how many ballot papers they will
receive at the May elections (three – two for the National Assembly for Wales
elections and one for the Police and Crime Commissioner elections)

Callers from England asking for more information about the Police and Crime
Commissioner elections.
3.3.3 EU Referendum
General ‘taking part’ enquiries as identified in section 3.3.1 will apply at the EU
referendum. There will be specific enquiries to the EU referendum that the contact
centre will need to answer and the Electoral Commission will provide a
comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions document to aid contact centre staff.
3.4 Fulfilment
3.4.1 Items
We will provide copies of the following items to enable the provider to fulfil callers’
orders. This applies at both the May 2016 elections and at the EU referendum:
9

Letterhead and copy to use for personalised letters with each order (This will
be Electoral Commission branded but will not include a Commission office
address or phone number. Instead, it will refer people to gov.uk/register-tovote or 0800 3 280 280 if they need more information. We will also provide
letterhead which is translated into Welsh should a caller request this. The
Electoral Commission will cover the cost of postage.

Registration forms.

Postal vote application forms.

Proxy vote application forms.

Welsh language versions of all forms.

Alternative formats for registration and postal vote application forms (Large
print and easy read which are available to download from our website).

Upon request, the Electoral Commission will send alternative language
formats for registration and postal vote application forms (which are available
to download from our website).

Electoral Commission booklets.
The contact centre must provide:
 Envelopes to post forms and / or booklets (A5 size) to people who request
them. These envelopes need to have a contact centre warehouse return
address printed on them so that the contact centre can sort out any returns
and re-send the mail.
 Postage – which is charged back to the Electoral Commission depending on
the number of items posted to callers.
3.4.2 Service standards
The provider will need to commit to the service standards below at both the May
2016 elections and at the EU referendum.

Generate despatch notes by computer and pass them to the picking area the
same day the request is received (this includes requests received via both IVR
and live advisors).

Fulfil requests received before 12 noon that same day.

Fulfil requests received after 12 noon the following day except on Friday 17
April when requests after 12 noon should be fulfilled up to the point when post
is collected from the contact centre.

Fulfil requests from Monday to Friday at a minimum.

Pack orders securely to ensure goods are kept in perfect condition in transit.

Ensure systems fulfil orders accurately and within agreed timeframes.

Use first class postage to ensure people across Great Britain receive forms
and booklets within agreed timeframes.
10

Communicate fulfilment delays and proposed remedies to the Commission
straight away.
3.4.3 Timeframes
The provider will need fulfil orders within the timeframes below for the May 2016
elections.

Registration, postal and proxy vote application forms and booklets: From
Monday, 14 March until Thursday, 14 April must go out under ’first class’.

The service standard is that any orders for forms received before 12 noon
must be fulfilled that same day. However, on Friday 15 April – requests for
forms that come after 12 noon should be fulfilled up until the last point before
the post is collected on Friday 15 April so that those forms can arrive at
people’s homes on Saturday 16 April via the ‘next day delivery’ service. This is
particularly important as the deadline for people to return their registration
form is Monday 18 April.

The Electoral Commission will provide specific dates for which the
successful tenderer will need to fulfil orders once the date of the EU
referendum is announced.

As an example, should the EU referendum take place on 16 June 2016, the
provider will need to fulfil orders for registration, postal and proxy vote
application forms and booklets between Monday 9 May and Friday 27 May
under ‘first class’. Requests that come after 12 noon should be fulfilled up until
the last point before the post is collected on Friday 27 May. Requests for
forms that come in on Saturday 28 or Sunday 29 May should be sent via the
‘next day delivery’ service so that those forms can arrive at people’s home on
Monday 30 May. The Commission will provide wording for a letter that will
inform these people that they have to physically take their registration
application to their local authority ahead of the Tuesday 31May deadline.
3.4.4 Fulfilment matching
The provider will need to include a personalised letter with each order at both the
May 2016 elections and at the EU referendum. Letters will include the caller’s name,
address and the address for their local electoral registration officer (ERO). The
Commission will provide data showing which postcodes correspond to the
designated area for each electoral registration office.
The Electoral Commission requires a provider to operate a postcode look-up
service on behalf of the Electoral Commission so that when a caller requests the
contact details of their Electoral Registration Officer; or when the contact centre
needs to put the address for the local Electoral Registration Officer in the letter, the
postcode look-up service will return the local authority contact details. The contact
centre should for example use a ‘cloud service’ such as PCA Predict.
11
3.4.5 Stock and storage
The provider must store fulfilment material securely, in a warehouse at both the May
2016 elections and at the EU referendum. Each shelf, bin, rack or other storage area
in the warehouse must have a unique identifier for the purpose of recording its
location. Records of the location and quantity of all material must be accurate and
up-to-date at all times.
3.4.6 National Insurance numbers
Following the introduction of Individual Electoral Registration – anyone who wants to
register to vote – either online or by form - must provide their date of birth and
National Insurance number. It’s possible that a caller may offer their National
Insurance number or may ask what that is. Under no circumstances should call
centre advisers themselves ask for a caller’s National Insurance number. This
requirement not to seek a person’s National Insurance number should be included in
the training given to call centre advisers.
3.5 Call handling
3.5.1 Operating hours
At the May 2016 elections, the provider will need to operate the contact centre from
Monday, 14 March until Tuesday 19 April, according to the hours outlined below.

Live advisors to take calls from 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday, and from 9am5pm Saturday and Sunday.

IVR will need to operate at all times and will need to enable people to leave a
recorded message out of hours.
We may consider extending and amending opening hours if call volumes are higher
than we anticipate. We will need the provider to be flexible in how it deploys advisors
to ensure callers always receive a high standard of service.
At the EU referendum, should it take place on 16 June, the provider will need to
operate the contact centre from Monday 9 May until Sunday 19 June. The contact
centre would need to operate according to the hours outlined below.

Live advisors to take calls from 8am-6pm, Monday to Friday, and from 9am5pm Saturday and Sunday.

IVR will need to operate at all times and will need to enable people to leave a
recorded message out of hours.

Line advisors to take calls from 7am-11pm on Thursday 16 June, polling day.
3.5.2 Advisor recruitment
At both the May 2016 elections and at the EU referendum, the provider will need to
recruit advisors who are able to:
12

Respond to complex enquiries effectively.

Remain impartial and politically neutral at all times.

Complete calls within three minutes (on average).


Engage effectively with callers from across the UK.
Speak Welsh (need at least one Welsh speaking advisor per shift).
3.5.3 Advisor training
At both the May 2016 elections and at the EU referendum, the provider will need to
train all live advisors so they are competent in using systems, following processes
and communicating with callers.
To help train advisors, we will provide a frequently asked questions document ahead
of the two public awareness campaigns and deliver a presentation giving an overview
of the campaign. During both campaigns, we will provide lines to take on any
emerging issues that may arise.
The Electoral Commission will conduct regular call centre evaluation sessions where
it will listen to actual calls and evaluate them against set criteria.
3.5.4 Escalating enquiries
At both the May 2016 elections and at the EU referendum, the provider will need to
escalate enquiries that are more complex than what is covered by the frequently
asked questions document, twice a day, using a secure method. The provider will
also need to email the Commission after escalating any queries so we can retrieve
them and respond.
3.5.5 Text phone facility
At both the May 2016 elections and at the EU referendum, the provider will need to
offer a text phone facility for callers with impairments. This facility should duplicate
the main live system as far as possible, so that we provide the same level of service
to these callers. We will not feature a text phone on our campaign material.
3.6 Data management
3.6.1 Data security and data transfer
At both the May 2016 elections and at the EU referendum, the provider will need to:

Transfer data using PGP encryption software or encrypted sFTP sites.

Confirm that the Commission will retain ownership of all data captured.

Send any requested data to the Commission promptly.

Follow a process to store all data securely, at the end of the contract.
13
3.6.2 Data-capture
At both the May 2016 elections and at the EU referendum, through the provider’s
system, we must be able to record and retrieve all call records including those
handled using IVR and live advisors.
Live advisors must endeavour to capture the following data from each caller:

Postcode, age and gender.

Details about where they saw the 0800 3 280 280 number advertised or what
prompted them to call (media capture).

Reason for the call (i.e. general enquiry, request for form(s), hoax call, wrong
number, escalated enquiry).

Time and length of the call.
Live advisors must also capture the following data from callers who order material or
if their enquiry needs to be escalated:

Name and address.

Items requested and fulfilled.
3.7 Reports
At both the May 2016 elections and at the EU referendum, we require the following
reports:

A report each day by midday, showing the previous day’s activity including:
total number of calls; number of calls handled by IVR; number of calls handled
by live advisors; number of calls lost; call duration; number of calls longer than
3 minutes; number of forms requested and fulfilled; number of enquiries
referred to electoral registration officers; and number of calls diverted to the
Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI).

A report each week by midday on Mondays, showing the previous week’s
activity including all of the data in the daily reports and: the topics of enquiries;
media capture; demographics of callers; stock levels for printed material;
postcode data showing where items have been delivered to; and the extent to
which performance standards have been met.

A budget report each week by midday on Mondays, showing budgeted spend
compared to actual spend and commentary to explain any variations.

A final report two weeks after the contact centre ceases working on an
Electoral Commission campaign summarising all activity, data captured and
actual costs incurred, during the campaign.
14
4. Performance standards
We require the provider to meet the performance standards below.

Live advisors to answer calls on the caller’s first attempt at least 85% of the
time.

IVR and live advisor or IVR only to answer calls on the caller’s first attempt at
least 97% of the time.

Answer all calls within 10 seconds.

Ensure no callers experience a continuous ringing out tone.

Fulfil and dispatch 90% of all items within one day of receiving callers’
requests.

Fulfil and dispatch all items within two days of receiving callers’ requests.

Notify the Commission of any delays in fulfilling requests and provide an
explanation about why there was a delay.

Fulfil 98% of requests accurately within agreed timeframes.

Ensure all reports are accurate, provided in the agreed format and within the
agreed timeframe.

Notify the Commission of any problems as soon as they arise, e.g. service
interruptions, systems issues, failures to meet agreed service standards.
5. Call volumes
We require the provider to include two separate cost estimates for three different
scenarios:
5.1 May 2016



Total cost for handling 2,000 IVR calls and 1,000 by advisers
Total cost for handling 2,000 IVR calls and 2,000 by advisers
Total cost for handling 3,000 IVR calls and 2,500 by advisers
5.2 EU Referendum
 Total cost for handling 25,000 IVR calls and 10,000 by advisers
 Total cost for handling 30,000 IVR calls and 15,000 by advisers
 Total cost for handling 40,000 IVR calls and 20,000 by advisers
6. Budget
6.1 Total budget
The total budget for the May 2016 elections contact centre is in the range of
£20,000 - £25,000 including VAT.
15
Tenderers should leave some contingency to cover postage, envelope and set-up
costs as part of their submission.
The total budget for the EU referendum contact centre is in the range of £80,000 £100,000 including VAT.
Tenderers should leave some contingency to cover postage, envelope and set-up
costs as part of their submission.
Note: When it comes to evaluating tenderer’s responses, the Electoral
Commission will pay particular attention to those responses that demonstrate
flexability when it comes to costings for the EU referendum. For example, the
Commission would like to see how savings could be achieved should the call
volumes be lower than what has been identified in section 5.2.
6.2 Invoice timings
We anticipate paying invoices at the end of each month to cover costs incurred
during that month.
Payment will be released following an assessment of the extent to which the provider
has met the performance standards.
7. Timings




Invitation to tender: 11 December 2015
Tenders closing date: 5pm, 8 January 2016
Notification to tenderers: 15 January 2016
Full briefing with successful tenderer: 18 January or 19 January 2016 (These
dates are fixed and the winning tenderer would be expected to be able to
attend a briefing on one of these dates)



Contact centre set up for May 2016 elections: 19 January – 14 March 2016
Contact centre live: 14 March 2016
Contact centre ends: 19 April

Contact centre set up for EU referendum (if 16 June): 19 January – 8 May
2016
Contact centre live: 8 May 2016
Contact centre ends: 19 June 2016


Once the date of the EU referendum has been announced (assuming it is not 16
June 2016), the Electoral Commission will inform the winning tenderer of the precise
timings it needs a contact centre to respond to enquiries from members of the public
as a result of its EU referendum public awareness campaign.
16
This invitation to tender is for a contract that will expire on 31 December 2016
unless an EU referendum has not taken place in 2016. If there is no EU
referendum in 2016, then the contract will be automatically extended and will
expire on 31 December 2017.
8. Proposal
The proposal should address the following:

Understanding of the requirements for this contract.

Ability to meet these requirements

Understanding of key risks for the project and suggestions for mitigation. In
particular, the proposals should set out specifically how they could handle the
potential of two over-lapping campaigns. This would require staff to be able to
respond to a diverse range of polls and potentially some confusion amongst
the public about which electoral event they are being asked to register for.

Evidence of appropriate staffing and contingency planning for handling a
surge of calls based on two scenarios:
o Firstly – if there was an unexpected high volume of calls that came in
on just one day – for example a high profile stunt or a TV debate
generates an influx of calls. How would the contact centre handle that?
o Secondly – if there is a sustained increase in calls that could not have
been predicted which means that the contact centre has to handle more
calls than what was set out under call volumes in section 5 of this
document.

Ability to provide the Electoral Commission with good value for money
including a breakdown of all costs and proposed invoicing schedule.
Commission will pay particular attention to those responses that demonstrate
flexability when it comes to costings for the EU referendum. For example, the
Commission would like to see how savings could be achieved should the call
volumes be lower than what has been identified in section 5.2.

Ability to demonstrate to the Electoral Commission how it will receive both
operational and economic benefits as a result of awarding a joint tender for
these two separate events.

Ability to meet the Electoral Commission’s timeframes and a suggested
implementation plan that covers both the May 2016 elections and the EU
referendum.
Information on what postcode look-up service the contact centre operates and
confirmation that it can provide this function on behalf of the Electoral
Commission at both the May 2016 elections and the EU referendum.

More information on how to submit the proposal can be found in Section three:
17
Tenderer’s response.
9. Evaluation of tenders
This tender process will be conducted via the open tender process. Tenders will be
evaluated by the criteria set out in the evaluation matrix (see Annex C of the
Instructions to Tenderers). Evaluation is based on the following four broad
categories:

Service delivery

Ability to meet timescales

Management, supervision and resources

Cost
18