The beginnings
In 2013 a paper was written entitled “ICT Provision for e-recruitment, Workforce Information”. It was was recommended that information systems associated with trainees and learners were nationalised. At that point Health Education England was a year old and it’s structure still reflected the legacy organisations e.g. old Strategic Health Authorities (SHAs) and Deaneries..
2014 a “business case” was widely discussed and there was agreement that HEE should procure a multi-professional system to replace myriad local systems.
November 2014 the TIS Programme was project as launched, with an Executive Director (Nicki Latham) as the SRO. Rob Pink seconded from WES/TV initially part-time.
2014/15 - System Audit - Assessment of systems revealed:
113 information systems
62 “industrialised” spread-sheet systems
Cost of £3.2M per annum
Early 2015 – Options Appraisal – “ What is TIS”? This defined the scope., which at the time covered:
Directly managed programmes e.g. postgraduate doctors, where we had a requirement to record the specific trainee, and
Commissioned Programmes e.g. nurse training, where we had a requirement to record aggregate data.
May 2015 – Strategic Business Case to HEE Board was approved.
Summer 2015 - Requirements Gathering phase found:
110+ multi-faceted requirements.
c. 30 functional areas.
Provided the scope and scale of TIS and enabled the production of a Output Specification to inform a procurement planned in November 2015, as the intention (at the time) remained to procure a solution, or set of solutions.
Change of direction
In November 2015, on the verge of commencing an Department of Health supported procurement, the Cabinet Office intervened. They asked for us to review:
Intellectual property (IP) rights and ownership
HEE’s capability
Contract length
The procurement was put on hold and eventually cancelled. We reformed the Programme to review an in-house “build” option as this would close off Cabinet Office concerns i.e., we would own IP, we would build our own capability and remove contract constraints.
TIS Discovery phase
Jan to March 2016 - We procured a Digital Partner to run Discovery phase to look at the following:
User stories to inform first development priorities and verify Output Specification (the work originally undertaken in the Summer of 2015).
Technical architecture and other aspects.
Future sourcing and procurement options (Strategy).
Full business case
Off the back of the Discovery, a Full Business Case (FBC) was written and approved by the HEE Board, the Department of Health and the Cabinet Office.
Provides view on the approach and the investment case for TIS.
Scope is trainees and learners - note that the “commissioned programmes” was dropped, as they were originally in scope.
Doctors
Dentists
Pharmacy
Scientists
Public Health
The HEE Board approved the FBC on the following conditions:
TIS would be transformational.
TIS will be developed iteratively through time – not “big bang”.
Adopt “Digital by Default” and the GDS Service Standards.
Procure a Digital Delivery Partner to start us off.
Systems will be built in-house where unique, otherwise “buy” i.e. build or buy.
Development Team co-terminus with TIS with a high focus on “the business” and user needs.
TIS will be for the business and user-centric.
Will deliver benefits e.g. rationalisation of our system estate.
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