GWR - Psychometric assessment Services Trainee Drivers

This transparency notice is published pursuant to Section 43 of the Procurement Act 2023.

The contracting authority intends to make a direct award in reliance on Section 42 of the Procurement Act 2023, on the basis that the services are strictly necessary for the protection of life and health, and that no reasonable alternative is available in the circumstances.

The contracting authority is First Greater Western Limited (GWR). No other contracting entity is party to this award.

The contract relates to the provision of rail-specific psychometric assessment services to support the recruitment of trainee train drivers and other safety-critical operational staff within the railway system.

Psychometric assessment forms a mandatory safety control designed to identify and mitigate risks associated with cognitive capability, decision-making, vigilance, stress tolerance, and behavioural reliability in high-risk operational environments.

These assessments are fundamental to ensuring the safe operation of railway services and to protecting passengers, employees, and members of the public.

Immediate Continuity and Safety Risk

Psychometric assessments are required on an ongoing basis to support live recruitment into safety-critical roles.

If these assessments cannot be carried out without interruption:

• Recruitment into trainee driver and safety-critical roles would be paused or materially delayed
• This would result in reduced availability of qualified operational staff
• Over time, this would place increased pressure on existing workforce arrangements and create a heightened operational safety risk, including fatigue and service resilience impacts

Accordingly, any interruption or degradation in the provision of these services would create an immediate and unacceptable risk to the safe operation of railway services, rather than a simple administrative or operational delay.

Safety-Critical Nature of the Services

Train drivers and other safety-critical staff undertake duties where impaired judgement or reduced cognitive performance could result in serious harm or loss of life.

Psychometric assessment is:

• Embedded within GWR's safety management system
• Required to support compliance with rail industry standards (including RSSB RIS-3751)
• A key control ensuring only appropriately assessed individuals are permitted to undertake safety-critical duties

Whilst the requirement for psychometric assessment is known, the need to ensure uninterrupted continuity of provision during a period of active recruitment and operational transition has meant that a compliant procurement could not be completed without introducing a material risk of a service gap.

The timing is driven by:

• Ongoing recruitment demand for safety-critical roles
• Dependency on established providers already embedded within assurance processes
• The mobilisation and accreditation requirements associated with alternative providers

While earlier procurement was considered, undertaking a full competitive process in advance would not have aligned with operational timelines without risking disruption to safety-critical recruitment activity.

First Greater Western has considered a range of alternative options, including:

• Use of alternative suppliers Not viable due to the time required for accreditation, validation of assessment tools, and integration into rail-specific assurance processes
• Framework call-off options No suitable framework identified that meets the specialist rail-specific requirements within the required timeframe
• Accelerated or short-form competition Not feasible due to the need for mobilisation, calibration, governance assurance, and evaluator training, which would create a gap in provision
• Interim or limited competition Considered but discounted, as even a limited process would not sufficiently mitigate the risk of disruption to live recruitment activity

On this basis, First Greater Western has concluded that no reasonable alternative exists within the required timeframe.

First Greater Western considers that it is not possible to undertake a competitive procurement process at this time without creating a material and unacceptable risk to safety.

Any transition to new providers would require:

• Mobilisation and onboarding
• Calibration of psychometric assessment tools
• Integration into safety and recruitment governance frameworks
• Training and familiarisation for recruitment teams

Running these activities alongside live recruitment would create a high risk of delay, inconsistency, and reduced assurance, directly impacting safety-critical workforce deployment.

The current providers (including OPC Online Testing, the Occupational Psychometric Centre, and RGC) are:

• Already embedded within established processes
• Experienced in rail-specific psychometric assessment
• Integrated into governance and assurance arrangements

This continuity is necessary to maintain consistent, safe, and defensible recruitment decisions.

This direct award is strictly limited to what is necessary to ensure continuity of these safety-critical services.

The arrangement is an interim measure only.:

• Intends to undertake a compliant competitive procurement process
• Will commence that process at the earliest practicable opportunity
• Will ensure the duration of the direct award is no longer than required to complete that procurement

On this basis, First Greater Western Limited considers that the direct award of psychometric assessment services is necessary and proportionate to protect life and health and is justified under Section 43 of the Procurement Act 2023.

This notice is published in good faith in the interests of transparency and compliance.