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Capabilities are the distinct functions a business needs, and often directly map to modules or functions which a Solution may provide. This is a step change away from having Principal and Subsidiary systems. The introduction of Capabilities for GP IT Futures is intended to allow Suppliers to innovate by being less prescriptive and also to segment the requirements in a way to allow more flexibility and choice for buyers. The scope of what historically made up the Principal Clinical Systems has now been broken down into Capabilities.
Structure of a Capability
Each Capability will have an ID, title, description, outcomes, epics and acceptance criteria and then potentially other elements to give more detail as necessary. This section describes the structure of a Capability and the information within it.
Capability ID
Each Capability has a unique identifier composed of one letter followed by a number. The letter C indicates a Capability. The number is arbitrary and does not have any additional meaning such as priority, sequence or inter-relationships. This allows for the identification of Capabilities in a consistent manner.
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Each Capability has a version number. Version numbers will iterate depending on the nature of the change (e.g. major, minor, patch) impacting the Capability. There is no relationship between the version numbers of different Capabilities and Standards.
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A concise description of the purpose of the Capability.
Outcomes
This describes the main users of the Capability and the outcomes they want to achieve from using the Solution.
Epics and acceptance criteria
These describe the requirements of the Capability at a high level and will be used to assess the suitability of Solutions from suppliers at the Capabilities Assessment stage of onboarding.
The Epics are written as high level user stories with Acceptance Criteria describing the conditions which can be demonstrated for the user stories to be considered achieved. The collection of Epics which make up the qualifying component of each Capability description, simply describe the minimum functions that a Catalogue Solution must be able to demonstrate in order to be classified as achieving the Capability in question.
Suppliers will be assessed against 'Must' Epics only. 'May' Epics may be detailed for information.
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A set of Foundation Capabilities have been identified which will be the access point for GMS funding. These are a subset of the wider set of Capabilities mandated in the NHS England GP IT Operating Model. The Foundation Capabilities are clearly identified on the Capability and Standards Model. Suppliers do not have to supply any of the Foundation Capabilities and can choose to provide one or more. Buyers will have to take all of the Foundation Capabilities in order to access central funding.
Standards
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This section relates to clauses 9-17 of the Change Management and Roadmap Content ancillary document |
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- Overarching Standards (e.g. Information Governance)
These will be applicable to all Supplier Solutions and are NHS Digital Standards reasonably agnostic of care setting. - Capability Specific Standards (e.g. Appointments Management - GP)
These are only applicable to Supplier Solutions delivering a particular Capability and may contain business rules, data items and best practice. - Context Specific Standards - these Standards are only applicable to some Supplier Solutions depending on the implementation and scope of Capabilities they are supporting. Suppliers will have to go through compliance against these Standards per Solution offering. These include:
- Interoperability Standards (e.g. GP Connect APIs, IM1, PDS, eRS and ePS integration etc.). These cover various mechanisms for interoperability and national integration. Each entry will be mapped to one or many Capabilities.
- Common Reporting - applicable to any Solution providing a Capability that has reporting requirements.
- Management Information Reporting - supports the collection and submission of information to NHS Digital.
- Citizen Access - applicable to any Solution providing Citizen facing Capabilities.
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Each Standard has a version number. Version numbers will iterate depending on the nature of the change (e.g. major, minor, patch) impacting the Standard. There is no relationship between the version numbers of different Capabilities and Standards.
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Given that many Capabilities have linked Standards, when a Standard is to be introduced or uplifted as the result of a change request, an assessment will need to be undertaken to determine if the change to the Standard has a significant impact on the scope of the Capability and hence when it can become Effective. This is known as the Materiality assessment and the details of this are set out below.
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There are four three key routes by which change will be progressed and commissioned following assessment, as shown by the diagram. In addition to these key routes of change, Suppliers will be required to respond to RFI / Analysis only items RFIs as per the terms of the Catalogue Agreement, may participate in Feasibility Assessments which will be commissioned via the most appropriate Framework or procurement vehicle and may also initiate change themselves based on internal development and delivery plans. Further detail on each of these stages and the assessment processes is set out beneath the diagram. It is possible that these routes may be used in parallel or consecutively for a single change. For example there may be a change request which is a standalone feature or perhaps a new messaging interface specification which is best progressed initially as an Opportunity Item, before being Published and mandated given an Effective Date for development and implementation by all relevant Suppliers via the Managed Capacity route. A Feasibility Assessment may be used to engage Suppliers as an aspect part of elaborating the specification and detailing a specification and/or to understand the parameters of a change prior to it progressing into one of the other change routes.
Managed Capacity
Managed Capacity will only be available as a route for commissioning change where the relevant Framework or other procurement vehicle has made suitable provisions for the reservation of development capacity for certain change requests. The terms of the relevant Framework Agreement may include mechanisms by which Suppliers are obliged to set aside capacity and for payment of incentives to motivate delivery. The terms may also include the request for engagement from Suppliers in agreeing the volume and feasibility of the Standards to be specified to become Effective during the lifecycle of that Framework.
Work Changes progressing through this route is are published for all relevant Suppliers to implement deliver i.e. the new or uplifted Standard may or may not apply dependent on the Capabilities which a Supplier has selected to support. Where Suppliers are expected to reserve development capacity, it is likely that they will be required to maintain separate delivery channels for big and small changes, such that these can be delivered concurrently. This is to ensure that small, every day changes which can deliver significant benefit with minimal effort are not continually pushed out by large change items which take up a large proportion of available development capacity. The cost of this reserved capacity will need to be incorporated within the agreed List Price for the Framework. Whilst the availability and quantity of this capacity will not be assured Suppliers are expected to incorporate the cost of the capacity required to deliver items in the Managed Capacity route which have an Effective Date within the lifecycle of the Framework as part of their List Price set for that Framework. Suppliers must ensure that they make available sufficient capacity to deliver all the work specified via the Standards and Capabilities Roadmap which falls within the lifecycle of the applicable Framework. Capacity issues shall not relieve a Supplier of their obligations to achieve compliance with the relevant Standards by the set Effective Dates. In the scenario where a Standard is both added to the Roadmap and has
It is anticipated that the majority of changes in the Managed Capacity route which have an Effective Date within the lifecycle of the Framework and the Supplier is not able to absorb this within the capacity available and the List Price agreed at the outset of the Framework, then it should subsequent Framework will be discussed and agreed with Suppliers ahead of that Framework in order that Suppliers can set their List Price accordingly. However the Catalogue Authority reserves the right to add items to the Roadmap within the lifecycle of a Framework which will also become Effective during that Framework. Given that the Frameworks are expected to be relatively short, this is not expected to be a common scenario as any given Effective Date is likely to fall within a subsequent Framework, thus allowing a Supplier to re-set their List Price, however any such occurrence will be handled as per the terms set out in clauses 30-33 of the Change Management and Roadmap Content ancillary document. It should also be noted that the Catalogue Agreement does not restrict the ad hoc resetting of the List Price subject to the conditions set out in the Commercial Standard and the Framework Agreement.
It is anticipated that changes progressing through this route will be split into big changes and small changes to allow these to run in parallel as described above. When items in the Managed Capacity route are given an Effective Date, they become mandatory and all relevant Suppliers must have achieved compliance by that date. In addition to the distinction between big and small items, there will be four categories There will be four categories of change item within Managed Capacity:
- The key strategic (SRO Priority) changes, as agreed by the NHS England CCIO with the support of the Senior Responsible Owners (SRO) group which will need to be implemented by a set Effective Date within the lifecycle of the Framework. This is the group who are accountable for the prioritisation and delivery of the key Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England strategies and objectives (e.g. Secretary of State Technology Vision). These items will generally be agreed with Suppliers ahead of any Framework opportunity and should be accounted for in the List Price set for the Framework.
- Regulatory and legislative change which must be delivered by a set Effective Date. These items should be accounted for in the List Price set for the Framework.
- Minor and Patch uplifts to previously Published or Effective specifications which will be regular items on the Roadmap to account for very small tweaks to existing specifications with Effective Dates every three months. These could include minor or patch uplifts to a range of Standards or Capabilities but the volume of change in each entry will be carefully monitored. It is anticipated that these uplifted specifications would be published a minimum of three months in advance of each Effective Date. These As per clause 47.5 of the Change Management and Roadmap Content ancillary document, these items should be accounted for in the List Price set for the Framework.
- A list of other changes which deliver benefits to the NHS and which NHS Digital would like to be delivered. These items will have Published specifications and may or may not have Effective Dates and/or incentives for delivery. These items should not be accounted for in the List Price set for the Framework.
For example - the , however they may be associated with incentive payments for delivery of the change item within a particular bounded time period.- For example - the introduction of a new version of the Electronic Prescribing Service (EPS). Plans could be issued by the NHS Digital spine team to retire old versions across the market in four years. The new specification which introduces a change to the existing EPS Standard could be Published alongside the Effective specification. Suppliers are then able to implement either the new Published version or the existing Effective one and both would be deemed as compliant. However, closer to the retirement date of the existing Effective specification (perhaps two and a half years in), an Effective Date by which Suppliers will need to have achieved compliance may then be set for the new Standard. Therefore until that point there will be a Published Standard which is not Effective.
- For example - the introduction of a new version of the Electronic Prescribing Service (EPS). Plans could be issued by the NHS Digital spine team to retire old versions across the market in four years. The new specification which introduces a change to the existing EPS Standard could be Published alongside the Effective specification. Suppliers are then able to implement either the new Published version or the existing Effective one and both would be deemed as compliant. However, closer to the retirement date of the existing Effective specification (perhaps two and a half years in), an Effective Date by which Suppliers will need to have achieved compliance may then be set for the new Standard. Therefore until that point there will be a Published Standard which is not Effective.
When items in the Managed Capacity route are given an Effective Dates, where set, Date, they become mandatory. Effective Dates will be objectively justified for the purpose of transparency and will determine the date by which all relevant Suppliers are required to have achieved compliance. The Effective Date will be set in conjunction with Suppliers as far as is reasonably practicable, however for some changes, especially those related to regulatory or legislative change, this may not be possible. Where a Supplier considers that it is unreasonable for them to achieve a given Effective Date, they must notify NHS Digital the Catalogue Authority as soon as is reasonably practicable. Suppliers will have the right to raise disputes in relation to any Effective Date which they consider to be unattainable with regard to the scope or complexity of the work item but valid reasoning will need to be provided.
Suppliers will generally be able to determine the highest priority items based on the categories described above, but must also consider the Effective Date as well as any incentive payments offered for delivery of the change under the terms of the Framework Agreement. Where no incentive payment is being offered, all capacity and costs for development are expected to have been incorporated within the List Price set at the start of the Framework. The lack of availability of capacity does not relieve a Supplier of their obligations to remain compliant with Standards by the given Effective Dates.Suppliers will generally be able to select and develop items in the Managed Capacity route in a manner to suit their development plans and approach, but must ensure that they deliver all the key strategic priorities identified by the NHS England SRO group and achieve compliance by the set Effective Dates. Suppliers are expected to work with their Account Manager to select and develop items in the Managed Capacity route in a manner to suit their development plans and approach, but must ensure that they deliver all the key strategic priorities identified by the NHS England SRO group and achieve compliance by the set Effective Dates. As per clause 47 of the Change Management and Roadmap Content ancillary document, Suppliers are expected to work with the Catalogue Authority to share and agree delivery plans and development milestones such to ensure that progress obligations can be trackedmet.
All changes in the Managed Capacity route will appear on the Roadmap and will not be commissioned via a separate mechanism. The Roadmap will clearly display which of the four categories the item is in, the Effective Date and the availability of incentives where applicable.
Opportunity Items
Development of Supplier capacity for participation in items in this route is outside in addition to any capacity reserved for or pricing assigned to changes in the Managed Capacity route and additional funding is likely to be available. Additional funding may be made available for Opportunity Items. Changes progressing through this route will offer Suppliers the opportunity to develop and deliver certain changes early and ahead of the wider market (where applicable), to 'get ahead of the game' and increase the marketability of their products or allow for them to move into new markets and offer additional products and services through the Framework. These opportunities will be controlled via fully open or constrained competitions (such as under Lot 2 of the GP IT Futures Framework) and commissioned via the most appropriate Framework or procurement vehicle in current operation at the time and the parameters of each particular competition and Opportunity Item, such as outcomes/outputs, timescales, any associated funding and which Suppliers will be eligible, will be determined on a case by case basis. There are three two types of item in this route:
Alpha, Definition and First of Type (see clause 51.2 of the Change Management and Roadmap Content ancillary document). Opportunities for Suppliers to bid via fully open or constrained competitions to collaborate and co-produce specifications and to develop these up to the First of Type stage before and to refine the specification before it is published Published for all other relevant Suppliers to implement through the Managed Capacity route. These opportunities allow a Supplier to assist in defining the specification and to undertake the pilot development of a change as an early adopter. Although there would be an open competition for any eligible Supplier to bid for these opportunities, it is likely that in most cases only one or two Suppliers would be awarded this for each change that comes through this route. Additional funding is expected be available for these opportunities. NB. It is recognised that Suppliers have different architectures and therefore in defining a specification with a limited set of Suppliers, there may be bias towards a particular Supplier. The intention of GP IT Futures is to move to more open and standardised architectures so any Supplier specific elements will be avoided as far as is reasonably possible for that particular work item.
Other opportunities (see clause 51.3 of the Change Management and Roadmap Content ancillary document). There are certain work items such as standalone features, or Capabilities required to meet a newly identified business need, which do not need to be implemented by all relevant Suppliers and could therefore be opened up to the wider Supplier market to deliver. These opportunities may allow a Supplier to set their product apart from others and potentially enter new markets and gain market share or offer a product via the Framework which they may have not been able to previously. Whilst these are work items which need to be delivered to meet a business need, it is not necessarily important who delivers them, on the assumption that suitable APIs and interoperability are available. These opportunities will be managed via fully open or constrained competitions which are open for all eligible parties to bid for, including Suppliers of Foundation Solutions. However changes in this route do not need to be delivered by the Foundation Solution Suppliers, unless they choose to bid for them, and in many cases may be better delivered by specialist Suppliers from the wider market who may already have products to deliver the desired outcome. This should reduce the burden on Foundation Suppliers by placing the emphasis on pulling in products which may already be in existence rather than forcing additional development which Foundation Suppliers may not wish to or be able to undertake given their other obligations. This therefore ought to increase the speed and efficiency of delivery. Additional funding is likely to be available for this work.
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