BJSS Limited

User Research

BJSS’ Digital Design Practice provides specialist user research consultants and methodologies. We help Government departments understand user needs and pain points, to enable the design of user-centric products and services that meet Government Digital Services (GDS) and Web Accessibility standards.

Features

• Alignment to GDS service standards and GOV.UK’s principles
• Field studies, facilitation of co-design workshops, interviews, and online surveys
• Proven and repeatable user-centric research techniques based on design thinking
• Specialist techniques for assessing assisted digital needs for inclusive design
• Usability testing and benchmarking to evaluate product design
• Quantitative and qualitative research techniques
• Research carried through and adapted for Discovery, Alpha, Beta phases
• Approach tailored and adapted to client and user needs
• Empathy, stakeholder, and eco-system mapping
• Competitor and technology landscape analysis.

Benefits

• Builds actionable understanding of pain-points/needs for continual service improvement
• Research ensures product and service development delivers desired user outcomes
• Services are inclusive of all citizens and GDS standard assured
• Surfaces new values from insight, delivering more impactful public services
• Research informs effective citizen-centric design of the technical solution
• Insight into citizen needs ensures success of digital transformation initiatives
• Flexible and scalable resources and techniques for every project size
• Research methods identify opportunities for experience improvements and service efficiencies.

£350 a unit a day

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

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 presales@bjss.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

388754499296999

Contact

Jem Wright
0113 297 9797
presales@bjss.com

Planning

• Planning service: Yes
• How the planning service works: BJSS uses its proven Enterprise Agile delivery approach, which is aligned to the GDS service framework, in order to guide clients through the planning and implementation of cloud services.
• Planning service works with specific services: Yes
• Hosting or software services the planning service works with: Applies to any public cloud provider.

Training

• Training service provided: Yes
• How the training service works: BJSS provides comprehensive training across all provided services, including cloud services training, knowledge transfer, accreditation development and shadowing.
• Training is tied to specific services: No

Setup and migration

• Setup or migration service available: Yes
• How the setup or migration service works: BJSS has delivered many complex application migrations from on-premises to cloud, and has developed an end-to-end, five-step process to assist with smooth migration. The process’ steps include building the business case, application assessment and migration strategy, validation and testing, migration execution, and operating and optimising. BJSS can provide a number of public sector references within this field of work.
• Setup or migration service is for specific cloud services: Yes
• List of supported services:
  • AWS
  • Azure
  • On-premises to public cloud
  • Google Cloud

Quality assurance and performance testing

• Quality assurance and performance testing service: Yes
• How the quality assurance and performance testing works: BJSS' experienced test practitioners deliver a range of QA and performance testing services across software and cloud/platform, including:; • Defining and establishing test policy.; • Agile test strategy. ; • Test tooling consultancy; • Test project health check assessments.; • Agile transition.; • Test process re-engineering.

Security testing

• Security services: Yes
• Security services type:
  • Security strategy
  • Security risk management
  • Security design
  • Cyber security consultancy
  • Security incident management
  • Security audit services

Ongoing support

• Ongoing support service: Yes
• Types of service supported:
  • Buyer hosting or software
  • Hosting or software provided by your organisation
  • Hosting or software provided by a third-party organisation
• How the support service works: BJSS can provide services on a resource augmentation basis, as part of a project team, as an outsourced service, and as a fully managed service, customised to client service requirements. BJSS can also provide transition and transformation services and will manage client environments, either on-premises or hosted in the public cloud. Key features include:; • Proactive monitoring and alerting.; • SPOC for 3rd party suppliers and the business.; • 24/7/365 monitoring and management.; • Real-time, automated, alerting and dashboards.; • Network Operations Centre service.; • Licence management of components within the cloud.; • Integration with Incident and Change management tools.; • Proactive capacity management.; • Regular service reviews.

Service scope

• Service constraints: None

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support response times: By agreement with the client.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Support levels: BJSS' support levels are customised to client requirements, however default support levels are:; • Priority 1: - Response time = 30 minutes - Target Resolution time = 4 hours; • Priority 2: - Response time = 1 hour - Target resolution time = 8 hours; • Priority 3: - Response time = 2 hours - Target resolution time = 3 days; • Priority 4: - Response time = Next working day - Target resolution time = 10 days

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

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

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: BSI
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 02/09/2021
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: BJSS' ISO/IEC 27001 certification covers 'the secure design, operation, support and the protection of PII (Personally Identifiable Information) for the BJSS Secure Managed Services provision on local and cloud architectures' across our main delivery locations. The scope of certification also includes 'the management, provision and facilitation of remote and onsite support for certified client use'.
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications:
  • ISO/IEC 27018:2019
  • ISO 9001:2015

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Fighting climate change
  • Covid-19 recovery
  • Tackling economic inequality
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  We are taking efforts to offset this and improve our carbon efficiency in the future across all our services.; We have established a sustainable business strategy that addresses the needs of the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) systems within which our business operates. We have been building on our existing Carbon Neutral status since 2019. Our ultimate goal is to become a carbon negative (climate positive) business in the future, and we plan to reach net-zero carbon (CO2) status by 2025. We have an environmental management system that has been recommended for full ISO14001 accreditation.; We will collaborate with buyers to deliver environmental benefits through contracts by:; *Including environmental impact as a key non-functional requirement ; *Embedding environmental metrics into the definition of done for backlog items ; *Ensuring our designers use green design principles to understand product/service lifecycle and its impact on the environment; *Proactively measuring the impact of development/release processes and optimise e.g. delaying build activities to reduce carbon intensity; *Leveraging our partnerships, such as Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability & Emissions Impact Dashboards for actionable data insights, and Amazon Sustainability Data Initiative, which supports innovators and researchers with data/tools/technical expertise to move towards sustainability; *Conducting sustainability workshops, centred around eco-friendly IT.; Our provision of cloud services will have an inherently positive impact on our fight against climate change, as we will be building public solutions that take advantage of increased efficiencies and reduced carbon footprint afforded by cloud technologies.; In our provision of this service, we will use our Sustainable UI checker tool to minimise the carbon impact created by end-user devices in the utilisation/consumption of digital services and solutions. This tool rates the carbon impact of UI components and suggests lower carbon choices.

  Covid-19 recovery

  Since March 2020, BJSS has taken great strides to ensure continued COVID-19 recovery within the business and wider community. ; We support staff health and wellbeing through a defined hybrid working model that allows staff the benefits of both home- and office-based working. This especially benefits staff with access requirements, those who need to spend more time at home, and new starters/candidates who recently lost their jobs (they can join BJSS from anywhere in the country). We continue to use PPE, hand sanitiser, signage, cleaning products, and our desk booking system to ensure work flexibility and hygienic working conditions. We provide BJSS staff with IT/office equipment to ensure ergonomically sound remote working. We open new offices near large transport hubs and continue to encourage our Cycle to Work scheme.; Our recruitment and training processes support COVID-19 recovery, as we:; *Create new opportunities (e.g. hiring over 570 people in 2023), ringfencing more new roles for apprentices, graduates, and re-trainers, to diversify our talent pool and support growth in our local economies; *Use inclusive, flexible and accessible recruitment practices and conditions ; *Recruit people retraining for IT careers, particularly those made redundant during the pandemic. We have increased the percentage of re-trainers joining our Academy from 5% in 2019 to 52% in 2023; *Focus our hiring efforts in areas/demographics most affected by COVID-19 job losses; *Work with programmes/partners to create employment, retraining, and other return-to-work opportunities for disadvantaged groups.; We have provided and can continue to offer on-the-job training for client staff, including coaching in remote-based working practices and in supporting healthy working practices in agile environments.

  Tackling economic inequality

  We aim to understand needs, issues, and challenges faced by underrepresented groups by funding research, capturing demographic data, and conducting regular skills analysis across BJSS and contract workforce. This informs our Diversity, Belonging & Inclusion (DB&I) strategy and recruitment/training processes. We continue to support hybrid working (with home office equipment and funding provided), and support the cost of childcare through vouchers available to all eligible staff. ; We continue our use of inclusive, flexible, and accessible recruitment practices and conditions (e.g. inclusion nudges, skills-based assessments, structured interviews, transparent promotions to senior positions). We conduct annual promotion reviews and Equal Pay and Progression reports to support and deliver in-work progression opportunities. ; We work proactively with organisations supporting recruitment, employment, and training/retraining to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds and those facing barriers to a technology career into employment. We aim to improve social mobility by providing access to IT equipment, e.g. through laptop donation.; We support career development. We are increasing and diversifying our BJSS Academy intake, including our percentage of women (13% in 2019 to 32% in 2023) and re-trainers (5% in 2019 to 52% in 2023) in our intake. We made a £1million investment into our new 39-month BJSS Academy BSc (Hons) Digital and Technology Solutions degree with a commitment to recruit candidates (ages 18-24) from all socioeconomic backgrounds through campaigns and our partnerships. ; We promote a culture of awareness, understanding, and accessibility within our working environments, our solution and design, our peer-to-peer environments, and targeting learning and development.

  Equal opportunity

  We support equal opportunities through: ; *Aiming to understand needs/issues/challenges faced by underrepresented groups by funding research, capturing demographic data, and conducting regular skills analysis across BJSS and contract workforce; *Supporting hybrid working (with home office equipment and funding provided), and cost of childcare through vouchers available to eligible staff; *Conducting regular display screen equipment assessments, catering to reasonable adjustments, and meeting Disability Confident Level 2; *Continuing use of inclusive and accessible recruitment practices (e.g. inclusion nudges, skills-based assessments, structured interviews, transparent promotions to senior positions); *Working proactively with organisations supporting recruitment, employment, and training/retraining to help people from disadvantaged backgrounds and those facing barriers to a technology career into employment; *Improving social mobility by providing access to IT equipment, e.g. through laptop donation; *Increasing and diversifying our BJSS Academy intake, including our intake percentage of women (13% in 2019 to 32% in 2023) and re-trainers (5% in 2019 to 52% in 2023) ; *Investing £1million into our new 39-month BJSS Academy BSc (Hons) Digital and Technology Solutions degree with a commitment to recruit candidates (ages 18-24) from all socioeconomic backgrounds through campaigns and partnerships; *Raising awareness on D&I topics through D&I Champions across our offices, regular webinars, staff blogs, marketing communications, opportunities for staff to share stories, and learning modules covering bias awareness, LGBTQI+, and anti-racism.; Our provision of User Research plays a crucial role in promoting equal opportunity by ensuring that products, services, and experiences are accessible and inclusive to all users, regardless of background, abilities, or circumstances by:; *Actively seeking out and understanding needs, preferences, and challenges of diverse user groups; *Uncovering barriers to access that may exist within products, services, or systems; *Co-creating and collaborating with marginalised communities to ensure their voices are heard and their needs prioritised; *Testing for accessibility and usability; *Advocating for inclusive design practices.

  Wellbeing

  During delivery of this service, we will continue to support staff physical and mental health and wellbeing.; We conduct monitoring and feedback processes to understand the needs, issues, and opportunities around physical and mental health and wellbeing of staff. This involves providing an anonymous issue-raising system for our staff, annual company-wide feedback surveys, quarterly business unit surveys, anonymised interviews, and wellbeing ‘pulse checks’. ; Our inclusive talent attraction, selection, and retention practices help to grow and keep a happy, diverse pool of staff. These include:; *Neutrally-worded job descriptions; *Transparent annual review processes for pay/promotion/rewards; *Training for recruitment staff and interviewers on diversity, belonging, and inclusion ; *Inclusion nudges for recruiters; *Structured interviews and skill-based assessments across all role types; *Accommodation of needs.; We use a Squad-based system for pastoral care, and make reasonable adjustments to meet staff needs. We continue to support hybrid working, which accounts for varied preferences; we provide home-working office equipment to make sure people have ergonomically-sound working environments, and have accessible and inclusive offices and working environments, including text-to-speech technology implemented as standard across all our deliveries for virtual meetings. We have Disability Confident Level 2, and we continue to run DSE assessments.; We invest in the wellbeing of our workforce, while addressing the standards and enhanced standards in the Mental Health at Work commitment, through:; *Regular wellbeing talks, events, and gift packages; *Access to flu jabs, employee counselling programme, private health and dental *care benefits, 24/7 virtual GP service, cycle-to-work scheme, and heavily discounted gym memberships; *Providing Mental Health First Aiders ; *Ensuring line managers regularly monitor staff workloads and wellbeing.

Pricing

• Price: £350 a unit a day
• Discount for educational organisations: No

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

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 presales@bjss.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.