Provision of Education Quality Assurance Services

The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) as the Contracting Authority wishes to establish a potential contract with a third-party delivery partner to undertake Quality Assurance of educational institutions across the UK on their behalf to ensure protection of the public. Quality Assurance (QA) of education is one of the key regulatory activities of the NMC. It gives us the confidence that education institutions are meeting our standards for education and training. This helps us to know that students who have successfully completed an approved programme are meeting the standards of proficiency that we require before they join our register and deliver safe, kind and effective care - it's one of the ways we fulfil our duty to protect the public. If QA identifies that an education institution isn't meeting our standards, we must take action so the education institution returns to compliance. This will ensure that there is public confidence in our role in nursing, midwifery and nursing associate education and encourages the education institution to remain responsible for meeting our standards. The responsibilities of the NMC for education and training are set out in the Nursing and Midwifery Order (The Nursing and Midwifery Order, Part IV Education and Training, 2001). The NMC has a responsibility to ensure that education institutions providing education and training of nurses, midwives and nursing associates meet our requirements and standards. The role of the Quality Assurance Service Partner (QASP) will be directed towards monitoring activities, including coordinating and facilitating monitoring visits, extraordinary reviews and listening events, along with supporting annual monitoring, undertaking thematic analysis and identifying trends in intelligence and making recommendations to support our QA decision-making. This shift of focus provides an opportunity to review our education QA requirements, as we look to procure a QASP best able to support us to fulfil our regulatory function, offering agility and innovative solutions to implementing the QA framework, ensuring that our EDI Strategy and plan remains at the forefront of the work we do, as move to indefinite approval and focus on robust risk-based monitoring. Responses to the ITT are to be completed electronically using the NMC's e-sourcing portal https://nmcprocurementportal.force.com/s/Welcome ('e-Sourcing Portal') The e-Sourcing Portal provides a web-based tool that enables the NMC and candidates and tenderers to conduct the strategic activities of the procurement lifecycle over the internet. It provides a simple, secure and efficient means for managing tendering and quotation activities, reducing the time and effort required for both the NMC (and other buyers) and potential providers / suppliers. Please note the following project name and reference number allocated to this procurement process ('Procurement') within the e-Sourcing Portal: Project Name Provision of Education Quality Assurance Services Project Reference C1242 Before completing their Tender Submission, potential candidates and tenderers should ensure that the email address that has been used to register will be checked regularly. Candidates and tenderers should also check that their organisation details are correct and up to date. No information contained in this document ('ITT Guidance'), any other documents issued with the ITT or in any communication made between the NMC and any candidate or tenderer in connection with this Procurement shall be relied upon as constituting a contract, agreement or representation that any contract shall be offered in accordance with this Procurement. The NMC reserves the right, subject to the appropriate procurement regulations, to change without notice the basis of, or the procedures for, this Procurement or to terminate this Procurement at any time and NMC does not bind itself to enter into a contract with a successful tenderer. Under no circumstances shall the NMC incur any liability in respect of this Procurement or any supporting documentation. Direct or indirect canvassing of any NMC employee, adviser, service provider or agent by any candidate or tenderer concerning this Procurement, or any attempt to procure information from any NMC employee or agent concerning this Procurement may result in the disqualification of the relevant candidate or tenderer from this Procurement at NMC's discretion. Additional information: Initial contract is for 36 months with an option to extend up to a further 24-month possible extension in 2 annual increments of 12 months (subject to excellent performance at the end of the initial terms). Please respond to this procurement by registering your interest via the NMC e-Sourcing portal ("e-Sourcing Portal") https://nmcprocurementportal.force.com/s/Welcome