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*****Apologies for cross posting***** SPECIFICATION for the review of the UK Office for Library and Information Networking (UKOLN) including The Interoperability Focus to be commissioned by Resource: The Council for Museums Archives and Libraries BACKGROUND UKOLN (the UK Office for Library and Information Networking) is a national focus of expertise in digital information management. It provides policy, research and awareness services to the UK library, information and cultural heritage communities. Its goals are to: * influence policy and inform practice * advance the state of the art and contribute to knowledge * build useful and innovative distributed systems and services * promote community building and consensus-making through awareness and events services Further details of their activities can be found on UKOLN's web site http://www.ukoln.ac.uk/). Resource: The Council for Museums Archives and Libraries and the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) of the Higher and Further Education Funding Councils wish to commission consultants to undertake a review of the work of UKOLN and the Interoperability Focus, which receive core funding from Resource and the JISC. In addition, UKOLN receives project funding from the JISC, the European Union and others (eg NOF) and also receives support from the University of Bath where it is based. The current UKOLN grant from the JISC and Resource ends in July 2001. The current Interoperability Focus grant ends in December 2001. This review is intended to inform the future funding of the work of UKOLN over a three-year period. It is expected that the successful consultant will work with UKOLN and all stakeholders to produce a programme that is challenging, but achievable, measurable while being output based. OBJECTIVES * To identify how UKOLN helps fulfil the Resource and JISC missions * To develop with UKOLN and other stakeholders a three-year work programme that reflects the current requirements of Resource and the JISC with suitable outputs and milestones defined and allows flexibility to respond to new opportunities * To make recommendations on how advice from relevant sectors may be channelled most effectively into the work of UKOLN * To see how UKOLN's mission and programme relates to mda which is also funded by Resource. * To make recommendations on financial control systems insofar as they relate to the work undertaken for the funding agencies, in collaboration with the University of Bath's Division of Access and Continuing Studies (DACS), of which UKOLN is a part. TASKS * Identify common purposes between the JISC, Resource and UKOLN * Consult with Resource and the JISC on their expectations and requirements from UKOLN * Consult with an agreed sample of the community of users on the awareness, performance and relevance of UKOLN * Examine UKOLN work programmes and funding streams during the past three years to establish the strengths and weaknesses of current planning and control systems * Work with UKOLN to develop a programme * Assess current financial systems and make recommendations for future control systems that take into account the complex relationship between core and non-core funding so that clear audit trails are available to the funding agencies. EXPECTED OUTCOMES * Clear definition of the requirements of Resource and the JISC presented in a three-year work, annually updated, programme that is measurable, manageable and sustainable * Confidence for the funding agencies that UKOLN can deliver to the work programme * Effective and efficient management arrangements * Robust financial management arrangements that identify separately core funding and project funding raised from other sources TIMESCALE Bids should be submitted by 5 pm on Monday, 11th December 2000. Resource would hope to give its decision by the 12th January 2001 so that work could begin as soon as possible after that. A preliminary report including draft recommendations should be submitted by the end of March 2001. COSTS Resource expects the bids to be in the range £20,000 to £30,000. BIDS Bids should include: * full details of the proposed methodology * full details of the timetable * full details of costs * CVs for all personnel involved in the work and a description of the suitability of the candidate(s) to carry out the work Four copies of the bid which should be no longer than 10 A4 pages should be submitted by Monday 11th December 2000 to: Batool Khan R&D Awards Officer Resource 16 Queen Anne's Gate London SW1H 9AA In addition we require an electronic copy in Word for Windows 6 or Rich Text Format (RTF). This can be either on an accompanying PC-format floppy disk or by email to [log in to unmask] It is essential to submit both paper and electronic copies to facilitate the selection process. Any enquiries should be directed to Batool Khan on 0207 273 1465. Resource 20 November 2000 Join the Resourcenews mailing list at http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/resourcenews %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%