BECTA Consultancy Framework - Education
As one of the UK’s leading independent consultancies, NCC Group has provided guidance and support on ICT to schools, colleges, universities and local authorities – including all of the major educational capital build programmes such as BSF. We are able to provide the full range of educational ICT consultancy services from visioning and awareness raising through to requirements gathering, procurement, change management and project/programme management services.
ICT is transforming the way in which learners are communicating with each other and society in general. This transformation offers schools and colleges new opportunities, and challenges, as they look at new ways of delivering learning. Our inclusive approach is to work closely with clients to ensure that we have a shared understanding of the educational aims of the project – whether that aim is a new ICT vision or a new eSafety policy. We will work with clients to ensure that the educational aims are underpinned by latest best-practice in ICT – including innovative new technologies, methods of delivery and processes to embed the use of technology in learning.
NCC Group have extensive experience of advising schools, academies and colleges on the specification, acquisition, implementation and embedding of technology – ranging from core infrastructure, hardware platforms, operating software and applications, learning platforms, internet systems and services through to audio-visual systems, whole-class teaching tools and business management and administration systems.
Our starting point in any such programme is to ensure that the underpinning rationale behind the introduction and adoption of any new technology is driven by strategic, educational and/or operational need. The programme must clearly identify the institutional benefits to be delivered - it should never be based on adopting ‘technology for technology’s sake’.
Our experience of implementing technologies includes all of the major capital build educational projects, including Academies and BSF. We can offer practical advice that will ensure that the proposed ICT solution is educationally led, affordable, technically feasible, sustainable and integrates seamlessly with the fabric of the new building. We can advise on the development of the detailed design specification which address such areas as: physical, network and server infrastructure; user devices, learning environments and management systems, telephony, security and ICT support.
In supporting our clients who are considering implementing technologies, we adopt a programme-based approach identifying the change management issues including the people, process and infrastructure implications affected by the proposed change and developing comprehensive project plans to address these. We also provide project management to oversee the delivery, commissioning and integration of systems.
We offer a completely impartial procurement service working closely with our clients to ensure solutions fully meet their organisation’s needs. The scope of the service includes the production of procurement documentation, tender specifications, tender evaluation and contract negotiations. Within the scope of the procurement, we work with clients to ensure that the final solution offers best-value. The procurement service also offers advice and support on issues such as service support and delivery, service level agreements and KPIs.
In recent years, we have conducted numerous major procurement projects for clients in the education and public sectors – including BSF procurements and other major educational capital investment building programmes. We have procured a range of ICT systems and services from stand alone school information systems, learning platforms to multi million pound major partnerships.
Contact Details
Alastair McGowan
NCC Group
Manchester Technology Centre
Oxford Road
Manchester
M1 7EF
Telephone: 0161 209 5288
Email: becta@nccgroup.com
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