Summary

This section provides details on the purpose and process for completing Capability Assessments, which involves demonstrating the Epics you have selected during Capabilities and Epic Selection.

The Capability Assessment activity involves demonstrating that your Solution meets the functional requirements outlined in the Capabilities and Epics that you have selected.

This is achieved by providing either video evidence, or attending a Live Witness Assessment through a video call, in which your Solution is shown to meet each of the Acceptance Criteria applicable to the Epics you have selected.

You can only pass Capability Assessment by successfully passing each Epic you have selected, both MUST and MAY Epics.

If, after a Capability Assessment, there are Epics or Acceptance Criteria which have not yet passed, you will be able to submit further evidence, either by video file or Live Witness Assessment, to meet the criteria. Alternatively, you can withdraw MAY Epics (which are optional) - any Epics you are not able to pass may be re-added at a later date.

Outcomes

At the end of the Capability Assessment you should have:

• provided evidence for all of the Capabilities and Epics you have selected

• received feedback on any Acceptance Criteria which were not met

• withdrawn any Capabilities and Epics which your Solution is not able to meet

• received a confirmation of each Capability and Epic which has passed

At the end of the Capability Assessment we will have:

• a record of the Capabilities and Epics your Solution is able to meet

• a record of the evidence you have presented

• delivered feedback and results for each Epic and Acceptance Criteria assessed

• provided confirmation of each Capability which has passed.

Completing Capability Assessment

Actions required of you

1. Inform your Supplier Manager that you wish to begin Capability Assessment for a given Capability.

2. Confirm how you wish to provide evidence:

   1. EITHER upload video files demonstrating your Solution meeting each Epic and Acceptance Criteria to your SharePoint environment - if you need assistance, contact your Supplier Manager.

   2. OR request a Live Witness Assessment.

3. Attend a Live Witness Assessment and demonstrate your Solution in action (if you requested one).

4. Respond to any queries or questions raised by the Capability Assessment Team, via your Supplier Manager.

5. Receive the Capability Assessment Outcome from the Assessors, sent via your Supplier Manager.

   1. Review the outcome of the Capability Assessment and the feedback provided for any Epics and Acceptance Criteria which have not yet passed.

6. Update the “Supplier Response” fields in the Capability Assessment Outcome file for any Capabilities and Epics which are not yet passed.

7. Return the Capability Assessment Outcome to your Supplier Manager and confirm for each Epic which is not yet passed that you intend to :

   1. EITHER provide additional evidence for any Epics which have not yet passed.

   2. OR withdraw any Epics which have not yet passed.

Actions required of us

1. Arrange your Capability Assessment based on your preferred method (either video files or a Live Witness Assessment).

2. Record any Live Witness Assessment demonstrations (if applicable).

3. Provide an outcome for your Capability Assessment, including feedback on any Epics and Acceptance Criteria which did not pass the Capability Assessment.

Preparing for Capability Assessments

You should remember the following when preparing for a Capability Assessment:

• Ensure you have read and understood the Introduction to Capabilities and Standards and the Capabilities and Standards Structure guidance.

• Capability Assessment is not a general demonstration of your Solution, or a sales pitch, it is an assessment of the specific requirements described in the Epics and Acceptance Criteria of a Capability. Assessors cannot use any material which does not directly demonstrate that your Solutions meet these Epics and Acceptance Criteria.

  • Supporting Information is optional guidance and you will not be assessed on whether you meet the suggestions.

  • Additional Implementation details will be assessed through the Capability Risk Logs.

• Assessors do not review or provide an opinion on the quality of the Solution.

• Assessors do not provide any indication of your success during a Live Witness Assessment - your results will be delivered by email after the assessment session.

• All evidence must be “live” - we cannot accept videos uploaded to an external website, or PowerPoint presentations showing a series of screengrabs or embedded videos.

  • Exceptions may be made around integration and other technical activities, in which case screenshots and other documentation may be acceptable as supporting evidence, however you should aim to show your Solution “in action” wherever possible.

• Any questions should be directed to your Supplier Manager. The Capability Assessment Team is not available for direct contact outside of an assessment.

• There is no appeals process to the results, however you are always invited to provide additional evidence through reassessments, building on the feedback provided to you by the Capability Assessment Team.

Reassessments

If not all of your selected Epics are passed during a Capability Assessment you can request a reassessment.

Please remember that:

• there is no limit to the number of reassessments you may have. Most Suppliers are able to complete a Capability Assessment within 2-3 attempts; if you are taking more attempts than this, you should consider the suitability of the Epic(s) you are demonstrating.

• you should fully review and understand the feedback which has been provided by the Capability Assessment Team so that you can meet the requirements in your reassessment.

• you should demonstrate each Acceptance Criteria in full - the assessors should not be expected to remember previous evidence and will not look through to previous evidence to fill in any gaps.

• the assessors are not guaranteed to be the same as in previous assessments.

Providing Evidence for Capability Assessments

You may provide evidence for your Capability Assessment either through a Live Witness Assessment or through video files uploaded to SharePoint.

You may wish to provide evidence for your Capability Risk Log at the same time that you provide evidence for your Capability Assessment. If attending a Live Witness Assessment, we will attempt to arrange a combined session where you can provide evidence for your Capability Assessment and your Capability Risk Log at the same time; if this is not convenient then separate sessions can be arranged.

You should make sure that you understand the Structure of Capabilities so that your evidence meets the assessors' expectations; in particular, please note that:

• Your Solution will be assessed against the Epics and Acceptance Criteria.

• Supporting Information is for guidance only and will not be assessed by the Capability Assessors.

• Additional Implementation Details are assessed through the Capability Risk Log.

Live Witness Assessments

You may demonstrate your Solution through a Live Witness Assessment. These are done remotely via a video conference (Microsoft Teams) with the Capability Assessment Assessors.

Once a date is agreed, an invitation will be sent and you will be able to screen-share to show your Solution in action.

Assessors may ask questions to ensure that they understand your Solution and that all selected Epics are demonstrated, however it is you responsibility to show all of the evidence required for the assessment.

We strongly advise that you do a practice run of your evidence before attending a Live Witness Assessment.

The assessors will review the evidence and may ask questions. They will not provide or indicate an outcome during the session.

Video Assessments

You may demonstrate your Solution through pre-recorded video files which show your Solution meeting the Epics and Acceptance Criteria. These should be uploaded to your secure SharePoint location.

The assessors will review the evidence and may send email questions, however it is your responsibility to provide all of the evidence required for the assessment.

Producing Video Files

You should bear in mind the following when providing video files for assessment:

• Multiple video files may be submitted to keep files small and make it easy to understand evidence.

• The production quality of the video files will not be assessed, however the image and sound quality must be clear and assessors must be able to read any onscreen text that is relevant to the assessment.

• You are responsible for ensuring that your video evidence is easy to understand and follow.

• You should clearly indicate when each Epic and Acceptance is being demonstrated at all times.

• Onscreen or voiceover narration is optional but recommended.

• Running orders with timestamps for the Epics and Acceptance Criteria are requested, particularly for long videos.