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Civica UK Limited

Civica Education Financials LIVE

Improve financial management and processes with a single database, multi-company solution designed for schools, academies and MATs. Reduce costs, drive efficiencies and minimise manual input using configurable workflows, automated procurement processes and bank reconciliation with real-time integration. Includes general ledger, cashbook, asset management, budgeting, creditors, debtors and procurement modules.

Features

  • Single database, multi-company system for schools, academies & MATs
  • Integrated cashbook management with automated reconciliation
  • Budgeting and forecasting: payroll budgeting: income budgeting
  • Business Intelligence tool and dashboards with full drilldown
  • Integrated financial asset management
  • Automated integrated HMRC Making Tax Digital VAT returns
  • Automated invoice receipting; image management, e-invoicing
  • Online purchasing integration (punch-out) with key suppliers
  • Accessible remotely via browser
  • Statutory reports (ESFA/DfE) included as standard

Benefits

  • Quickly access school/academy/MAT's real-time financial information
  • Improve your financial position with auto debt recovery reminders
  • Comply with HMRC's Making Tax Digital using accredited VAT returns
  • Minimise administration with statutory reports as standard
  • Reduce the need for paper-based processes & complex spreadsheets
  • Make better decisions with integrated budget and financial planning
  • Access from the cloud via any browser-enabled device
  • Improve security & compliance with user-defined authorisation levels
  • Reduce errors/duplicates with automated processes & online validation
  • Improve financial transparency drill-down of financial views

Pricing

£4,300.00 a unit

Service documents

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at g-cloud@civica.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

3 2 4 3 0 0 7 8 7 0 7 0 3 8 6

Contact

Civica UK Limited Civica UK Limited
Telephone: +44 (0) 3333 214 914
Email: g-cloud@civica.co.uk

Service scope

Software add-on or extension
No
Cloud deployment model
Private cloud
Service constraints
As a fully hosted solution on our servers there are no hardware constraints and we specify our Service Hours
As the times during which the solution will be available for your use, subject to standard scheduled or emergency maintenance work. The target service hours for the solution are 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. Civica proactively monitors the critical elements of your service during the service hours, i.e. 24 x 7 x 365, and any significant events will automatically alert our monitoring teams.
System requirements
  • Industry standard web browser
  • A device to access the web browser on
  • Printer for local printing

User support

Email or online ticketing support
Email or online ticketing
Support response times
The severity of the call will determine the maximum response time; The severity is set by the criteria below:

1. Business Critical
2. Major Operational
3. Minor Operational
4. Inconvenience
5. System not impeded

The support desk will provide an initial response to all support calls as follows –

Severity 1 - Within 60 minutes of logging the call with Civica.
Severity 2 - Within 3 hours.
Severity 3 - Within 9 hours.
Severity 4 - Within 18 hours.
Severity 5 - Within 18 hours.

The support desk is open between the hours of 9.00am to 5.00pm Monday to Friday.
User can manage status and priority of support tickets
Yes
Online ticketing support accessibility
WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Phone support
Yes
Phone support availability
9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
Web chat support
Web chat
Web chat support availability
9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
Web chat support accessibility standard
WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
Web chat accessibility testing
N/A
Onsite support
Yes, at extra cost
Support levels
Civica will respond to application related incidents as below and will take all reasonable steps to achieve a resolution within target timescales. Civica will respond to incidents relating to availability of cloud services in an accelerated timeframe: Level 1 - 2 working hours - 1 working day. Level 2 - 2 working hours - 5 working days. Level 3 - 2 working hours - 30 working days. Level 4 - 2 working hours - 60 working days. Level 5 - TBA
Support available to third parties
Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started
The product comes with online searchable help for each screen and can be added to and personalised by the user including links to web training guides and illustrations.

As part of the installation procedures for the service we provide on-site training for the senior users of the system who would usually provide end user training, However at additional cost we can also provide onsite end user training if required.

Full technical and software manuals are provided as are training manuals for each module / service. These may also be edited and recopied for internal use by the customer at no additional cost.

On-site visits by consultants will also take place to assist with individual configuration requirements and set up together with advice and guidance on importing historical data to any of the service modules and producing management / system reports.
Service documentation
No
End-of-contract data extraction
The data is all held within the united kingdom and can be exported in a variety of formats. The most usual method would be through the use of the embedded Crystal report writer that can export all data from any of the service modules in most industry standard formats and stored as required by the customer for uplift into a third party system as necessary. The customer would be responsible for extraction and file manipulation for uplift to a new supplier or subject to additional charge if done by Civica

As a SQL data base a number of tools can be applied to make the copying process uncomplicated – including direct access by excel and the database would be destroyed after all data has been removed / copied as necessary.
End-of-contract process
Following completion of a service termination form an exit plan will be agreed including data extract arrangements.

Using the service

Web browser interface
Yes
Supported browsers
  • Internet Explorer 11
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Chrome
Application to install
No
Designed for use on mobile devices
No
Service interface
Yes
User support accessibility
WCAG 2.1 AAA
Description of service interface
Civica provides a browser based interfaces for performing all tasks within the system. Access is controlled by User Permissions, which define the modules that users can access and the tasks they can perform.

Civica provide public access to the system via web portals for enquiries regarding invoicing and payments; this is controlled by specific user names and passwords and is a read only function.
Accessibility standards
None or don’t know
Description of accessibility
The service is accessible through a browser and all system functionality is available from account and transaction creation to payments. There are a number of administration functions that are performed through an secure FTP service, these included data load and export from and to alien system (Cash Receipting, Revs & Bens, HR etc.)
Accessibility testing
Civica is currently in the process of ongoing development and testing to ensure that we meet the government guidelines for accessibility standards for existing and new sites as per the dates set out in the government guidance “Make your public sector website or app accessible” issued 5th February 2019.
API
Yes
What users can and can't do using the API
Dependant on application/module
API documentation
Yes
API documentation formats
  • HTML
  • PDF
API sandbox or test environment
No
Customisation available
Yes
Description of customisation
Tailored Dashboards.

Scaling

Independence of resources
Underlying hardware is dynamically allocated and balanced using VMware Dynamic Resource Scheduler (DRS). DRS ensures virtual servers are allocated the appropriate physical hardware resources at all times. DRS also enables virtual servers to be migrated to different physical hardware so system availability is maintained during planned or unplanned maintenance.
Storage is allocated via a flash storage array capable of maintaining high IOPS throughput.

Analytics

Service usage metrics
No

Resellers

Supplier type
Not a reseller

Staff security

Staff security clearance
Other security clearance
Government security clearance
Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

Knowledge of data storage and processing locations
Yes
Data storage and processing locations
United Kingdom
User control over data storage and processing locations
No
Datacentre security standards
Supplier-defined controls
Penetration testing frequency
At least once a year
Penetration testing approach
Another external penetration testing organisation
Protecting data at rest
Physical access control, complying with another standard
Data sanitisation process
Yes
Data sanitisation type
Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
Equipment disposal approach
Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

Data export approach
The data is all held within the UK and can be exported in a variety of formats. Usually this would be through the use of the embedded Crystal report writer that can export all data from any of the service modules in most industry standard formats. The user has direct access to the report writer and where the data extract is in the form of a file e.g., CSV, fixed length etc. then this would output to the export directory where it can delivered/copied to any location.
Data export formats
CSV
Data import formats
  • CSV
  • ODF

Data-in-transit protection

Data protection between buyer and supplier networks
  • Private network or public sector network
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
Data protection within supplier network
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability
Civica standard service hours are 24x7, during which time we guarantee an availability of 99.5% (excluding any planned maintenance). Should the service availability not be achieve then a service credit regime will come into force.
Approach to resilience
Available on request.
Outage reporting
Infrastructure is monitored 24x7, and any outages will be recorded on an event management solution and managed in accordance with our Incident Management process, which will ensure the customer is notified as appropriate.

Scheduled maintenance will occur outside the hours of 07:00 and 19:00 Monday to Friday excluding English Bank Holidays. Maintenance will be arranged with a minimum of 3 working days’ notice, and will include a detailed description of the planned works, planned outcomes, and a detailed back-out plan, unless otherwise stated.

Both planned and unplanned outages will be included in standard service reports.

Identity and authentication

User authentication needed
Yes
User authentication
Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels
Two factor authentication.
Access restriction testing frequency
At least once a year
Management access authentication
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)

Audit information for users

Access to user activity audit information
Users contact the support team to get audit information
How long user audit data is stored for
At least 12 months
Access to supplier activity audit information
Users contact the support team to get audit information
How long supplier audit data is stored for
At least 12 months
How long system logs are stored for
At least 12 months

Standards and certifications

ISO/IEC 27001 certification
Yes
Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001
ISOQAR
ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date
06/12/2017
What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover
NA
ISO 28000:2007 certification
No
CSA STAR certification
No
PCI certification
Yes
Who accredited the PCI DSS certification
Trustwave
PCI DSS accreditation date
23/07/2018
What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover
N/A
Cyber essentials
Yes
Cyber essentials plus
Yes
Other security certifications
Yes
Any other security certifications
Cyber Essentials

Security governance

Named board-level person responsible for service security
Yes
Security governance certified
Yes
Security governance standards
  • ISO/IEC 27001
  • Other
Other security governance standards
Cyber Essentials Plus
Information security policies and processes
In order to provide a wide range of services to public and private sector organisations, Civica maintains an active information security programme. This programme requires regular internal and external audit inspection of both physical and logical data protection structures. The policies and procedures are aligned to ISO 27001 and Cyber Essentials Plus certifications.

Operational security

Configuration and change management standard
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Configuration and change management approach
All hosted assets metadata is stored in a Configuration Management Data Base. This data base is access controlled to authorised staff only. The CMDB provides information essential to the secure hosting of client critical services.
Civica's Change Management process ensures that all changes are considered and planned, and appropriate, and that there is a clear audit trail of all changes.
Vulnerability management type
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Vulnerability management approach
Civica has vulnerability management processes in place for ISO27001 and PCI-DSS. These processes are externally audited on an annual basis to ensure continued compliance.

For external vulnerability scanning, Civica employs the services of an external ‘CHECK’ approved provider to perform an annual penetration test against the external management IP interface. Supporting this, Civica is also certified to the CESG approved Cyber Essentials scheme. For high value financial hosted system, Civica also maintains a PCI-DSS v3.2 certification. In scope systems are subject to month internal and external vulnerability scans as well as a full penetration test twice a year.
Protective monitoring type
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Protective monitoring approach
Civica take a proactive approach to information security through a process of continual monitoring and review. As part of a documented risk assessment methodology to identify and manage information security risks a dedicated security team update the risk register monthly.
Civica has a network monitoring solution in place ‘OpsView’ as well as a full antivirus and anti-malware solution. These technologies check the hosted services for errors, infections and unexpected network traffic and are support by Cisco IPS/IDS at the perimeter layer. This monitoring service provides defence in depth, against compromise, by detecting infections and suspicious networking activity within the environment.
Incident management type
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v3.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Incident management approach
Civica have developed an Incident Management process (PRM07) under ISO 20000 standards which details both the Incident and Service Request Management processes.

The Civica Service Desk manages end user Service Requests, Incidents and Requests for Change (RFCs) which can be logged by telephone and web portal.

Monthly customer reports will detail incident information.

Secure development

Approach to secure software development best practice
Conforms to a recognised standard, but self-assessed

Public sector networks

Connection to public sector networks
No

Social Value

Fighting climate change

Fighting climate change

Civica’s Environment and Social Governance (ESG) committee provides focus for ongoing development and implementation of our environmental policy, supported by our ISO 14001 standard. We commit to working with staff, customers, suppliers, contractors and partners to recognise and reduce our environmental impact. Simultaneously we’re optimising our services to support environmental and community initiatives.

We support fighting climate change by:
- Helping employees reduce their environmental footprint at work. Initiatives include: recycling facilities across our offices, single use plastic reduction, timer switches for office devices, cistern water saving devices, installing LED lighting when refreshing offices, WEEE recycling all hardware, print reduction, phone and printer cartridge recycling, FSC certified paper; weekly employee communications encouraging and advising employees on positive approaches to reduce carbon. Employees have carbon saving benefits such as cycle to work scheme.
- Socially responsible purchasing, sustainable procurement, reduced consumption.
- Selecting suppliers, goods and services that demonstrate sustainable, socially responsible, ethically sound standards.
- Leading by example via activities such as: reducing single use plastic consumption by 70% within the next 5 years; prioritising use of green energy; promoting recycling through ‘Zero to Landfill’ and ‘Zero Print’ schemes; working towards carbon neutrality with workforces and facilities over the next 10-years.
- Creating software with sustainability in built in; net-zero is a key theme in our product roadmaps.
- Partnering customers to co-create public services fit for the future. Civica's NorthStar innovation lab creates physical and virtual opportunities to jointly explore trends and technologies supporting customers Net Zero ambitions.
- Meeting/exceeding environmental legislation through ISO audits.

We have a Carbon Reduction Plan and commitment to achieve Net Zero by 2040 (latest). We are reviewing our energy mix, materials we use and working with partners to begin to plant a ‘Civica Forest’ whilst maintaining awareness of the Greenwashing issue.
Covid-19 recovery

Covid-19 recovery

In the spring of 2020, Civica were an early signatory to the C-19 Business Pledge. We focused on safeguarding our people and communities and ensuring the successful ongoing provision of our business-critical software and services.

Supporting customers: Alongside business as usual for our customers, we have worked hard to support the national and local level response through practical, innovative and updated software capability. We have delivered a range of new capabilities quickly, such as those listed below, and continue to provide system advice, configuration and data insights to ensure effective action.
- COVID-19 App (the first of its kind in the UK and Ireland) was developed and launched with the Northern Ireland Department of Health, and helped reduce the pressure on the 111 helpline.
- Developed local track and trace solution for London Borough of Redbridge, enabling it to support localised contact tracing/escalations.
- Community Helper software - built on the iCasework platform to help local authorities co-ordinate rapid support for vulnerable people while minimising safeguarding risks.
- Our Trac e-recruitment software was used to help NHS recruiters get the right candidates into posts quickly and fast-track DBS checks.
- Supporting social housing tenants - assisted teams to re-focus resources and provide vital support to tenants.
- Supporting Revenues and Benefits teams - software solutions for the two largest UK government measures, Business Rates Grant fund and the Council Tax Hardship fund.

Supporting employees: We proactively provide guidance and support for our people, from keeping remote workers engaged, to our mental health champions and free-to-access Employee Assistance programme. We have adopted a blended working model enabling colleagues to work safely and flexibly at various locations and hub offices, enhanced how we communicate, and continue to look for new ways to share ideas and inspiration.
Tackling economic inequality

Tackling economic inequality

Create opportunities for entrepreneurship and help organisations to grow. Civica is committed to working with its customers to deliver value into the community by supporting young people, developing skills and mentoring businesses to attract inward investment and growth that brings with it employment and skills.

We support innovation through our NorthStar innovation lab, a company-wide initiative focused on enhanced client outcomes by applying fresh ideas on data, automation and new technologies. We work with our customers to co-create public services that are fit for today and for the future. Our Civica NorthStar innovation lab creates physical and virtual opportunities for us to jointly explore trends and technologies.

Create employment and training opportunities
Civica is a member of the 5% Club, and aims to have 5% of its UK work force as either apprentices, graduates or work experience students by the end of 2025. We employ apprentices and graduates into a number of different disciplines and locations, with a focus on ensuring they are long term employees of Civica.

Support educational attainment
Learning and development is at the core of the Civica Quality Management Framework. We believe in investing in our people and are proud of our Investors in People Gold accreditation and in being a top rated Glassdoor Employer.

We run our own Civica Academy for employee development and skills enhancement, which delivered over 220,000 hours of training during 2021. We provide our own apprenticeship programme (team leader level 3) for our aspiring and current managers that are considered stars of the future.

We are working on building some new apprenticeship standards such as the UX degree apprenticeship. This will benefit not only Civica’s Digital Team but all companies and customers that need UX talent.
Equal opportunity

Equal opportunity

Civica is a 2022 Financial Times Diversity Leader and is ‘Gold’ Investors in People accredited, demonstrating our commitment to promoting equal opportunity by tackling inequality in employment, skills and pay in our workforce. We proactively implement equal opportunities for employment and personal development among diverse groups and local areas, and ensure rights for all staff are always protected. This is led by our Group Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) team, championed by our CEO who is also our Chief Diversity Sponsor. The strategy and policy manages:
- Interview training, focusing on unconscious bias/equal opportunity.
- Anonymising CVs and ensuring interview panels represent minority groups.
- Using a decoder to ensure job advertisements use gender and culturally neutral language.
- Attracting/recruiting from minority backgrounds/disadvantaged groups across the organisation, especially into under-represented areas.
- Advertising vacancies in a wide variety of places and diversity/disability portals (including; BME jobs, Disability jobs and LGBT job sites), to increase gender diversity and ethnicity.
- Company-wide Diversity & Inclusion network, including affinity groups relating to under-represented groups.
- Mandatory Diversity & Inclusion training for all staff.
- Pay equity reviews addressing inequality and UK gender pay gap.
- Flexible Working to encourage higher uptake for women, working parents and disabled groups.
- Partner with a social innovator company to help recruit and support employees with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

We gather and analyse data on our performance from regular surveys such as ENPS, IIP, Pulse survey, employee engagement surveys.

Our D&I team monitor the take-up, use and effectiveness of our measures, such as the number of new recruits from minority backgrounds, women, parents and diverse groups, and provide statistics for our Annual Review on performance against targets. For example, we report on the number of people attending training sessions and the split of male to female attendees.
Wellbeing

Wellbeing

Civica actively promote a mentally healthy workplace and workforce through our 40+ Mental Health Champions (MHC) and our ‘Health and Wellbeing’ policy, encouraging a flexible and realistic work/life balance. We integrate mental health and general wellbeing in all that we do from recruitment and ‘First Impressions’ to appraisals and strategic management.

Our ‘Health and Wellbeing’ policy and programme for all employees provide a foundation to support both the mental and physical health of our staff. Examples include:
- Employee Assistance Programme and online Wellbeing Hub, which provides 24/7 access to websites, e-mail, phone and face-to-face counselling on all personal issues.
- Aviva DigiCare+ Workplace App providing external mental health consultancy.
- Mental Health Champions who support colleagues’ wellbeing in the workplace.
- RedArc Personal nurse service.
- Management Coaching - managers are trained in GROW (Goals, Reality, Options and Will) and in being Health and Wellbeing Advisors, supporting employees with mental/physical health needs.
- Health assessments/advice aimed at improving physical health.
- Cycle to Work scheme to aid physical and mental health.
- Weekly fruit drop for offices, encouraging a healthier diet.
- We provide free eye tests for all VDU users, encourage staff to take advantage of NHS flu vaccinations services, and support people wishing to use the NHS Stop Smoking Service.

We also support our customers’ and communities’ physical and mental wellbeing through: Employee ‘Donate-a-Day’ to local charities; Local events organised through “Charity Champions”; Directors providing guidance to local community health and wellbeing projects; Supporting social housing tenants to re-focus resources and provide vital support to tenants.

Suppliers/subcontractors are subject to Civica’s Sub-contractor Selection Process as defined in our ISO9001 Quality Management System, which includes criteria for assessing health and wellbeing policies and their promotion.

Pricing

Price
£4,300.00 a unit
Discount for educational organisations
No
Free trial available
No

Service documents

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at g-cloud@civica.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.