Hey Richard, and everyone :)

I've been involved in assisting on a number of VLE tendering/procurement
projects, both formal and informal.  The strongest piece of advice I
would offer anyone is to speak to users, get their feedback.  Most
institutions (or more realistically, individuals!) will be 'won' over by
the Sales pitch, and make decisions on assertions made.  User groups are
far more in touch with the reality; what's good and bad about a product,
and able to provide a nice balance.  

I've often had institutions considering a VLE attend user-group
meetings.  Indeed, one college was so impressed with the meeting and the
level of support offered by other institutions using the product, they
based their decision on the strength of it.  Level of support is
incredibly important from a user pov.  You'd be very welcome to attend a
meeting in London if that helps (contact me for details).

Another tip; if you are going down the sales route, set up a panel, and
include practitioners, manager, et al.  At least you'll have a process
that represents everyone, they get an opportunity to see it demonstrated
and ask questions (much better than providing a sandpit solution).
Ownership is important too.

Best wishes
Philip

Philip Butler, Senior Curriculum Adviser
JISC RSC for London
ULCC, 20 Guilford Street
London WC1N 1DZ

Tel: 020 7692 1643 (Office)
     0787 962 0421 (Mobile)
www.rsc-london.ac.uk

-----Original Message-----
From: Virtual Learning Environments [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Richard Everett
Sent: 01 February 2006 12:05
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: tender

Back in my early days as the Project Manager of the Western Colleges
Consortium on behalf of the then 7 colleges in Avon we undertook a very
extensive evaluation process for choosing the VLE. This included getting
comparative quotes but it should be noted that this was only one part of
the process. (Other parts which IMHO were more important were choosing a
system that had the active buy in of the staff who had to use it). Cost
was a factor but it wasn't overriding. I am sure that James could expand
on whether or not this was successful in hindsight (from the point of
view of the Consortium some 6 years later).

Regards

Richard

==================================================
Richard Everett
Head of ICLT (Information Communications and Learning Technology)
Oaklands College St Albans Smallford Campus Hatfield Road St Albans
Hertfordshire
AL4 0JA
Tel 01727 737 794
Fax 01727 847 987
==================================================


-----Original Message-----
From: Heather Peake [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 01 February 2006 09:33
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VLES] tender

We did not either. We evaluated a variety of VLEs and then decided.

Heather Peake
VLE Development Co-ordinator
West Nottinghamshire College
Tel 01623 627191 ext 2292

-----Original Message-----
From: Pritchard, John [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 01 February 2006 09:12
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [VLES] tender

Hi,
	Can anyone tell me if their institution went through a formal
tendering process to obtain a VLE?

	John 

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