MD3192 Procurement for the London Learner Survey for the 2024-25 to 2026-27 academic years

1.1.    The London Learner Survey (LLS) was developed to measure the impact of Adult Education Budget (AEB) provision across a set of seven priority impact areas, which were endorsed by the Mayor in November 2019. The survey provides the GLA with valuable data on learner destinations and social outcomes associated with learning. The data collected supports (with evidence) the impact of AEB provision in London, enabling the GLA to improve value for money and learner outcomes achieved through the AEB in the future. 
1.2.    Following a competitive procurement process, the research agency, IFF Research was awarded the contract to carry out the LLS pilot and main delivery for three years. The LLS was launched in the 2021-22 academic year following approval under MD2838.
1.3.    A budget of £300,000 per year was approved under MD2838 to cover the cost of delivering the survey in the first three years. The GLA has been spending on average £290,000 annually on the survey.
1.4.    In June 2023, GLA published the first set of LLS results at London level around all Mayoral outcome priority areas of entry into employment, further studies, in-work progression, health and wellbeing, social integration, self-efficacy and volunteering.

2.1.    The LLS’s success has been supported by strong buy-in from external stakeholders and delivery organisations including London Councils, Further Education (FE) colleges, the Association of Colleges, Association of Employment and Learning Providers and boroughs. Their enthusiasm and commitment to the LLS has driven up the response rate and improved the survey approach year on year where participation in the baseline survey, increased from 44,000 respondents in 2021-22 (Year One) to 97,000 in 2022-23 (Year Two). 
2.2.    The proposed improvements to the survey will support continued growth in response rate and depth of analysis possible. An increase in the response rate is expected to have a positive impact on the granularity of analysis that can be achieved in the Year Two LLS Headline Findings report (due to be published in June 2024) which is similar to the Year One LLS report. 
2.3.    The LLS results published in June 2023 showed the positive social and economic outcomes experienced by learners and reflected the hard work of skills providers. The positive insights provide evidence of the impact of the GLA funded adult training provision on the lives of Londoners which has supported them into employment, in-work progression and further studies, and improved health and wellbeing outcomes. 
2.4.    The LLS results are already providing a sound basis for influencing government and as more data is collected and the granularity of analysis improves, a better understanding of adult education provision in and around London will be developed. Upon securing a satisfactory sample size and data that is representative of provision across London, the GLA will in future be able to share insights with adult education providers to inform delivery approaches.
2.5.    Feedback from providers (through regular consultations under the Skills for Londoners Outcomes Task and Finish Group) and the GLA’s own analysis of the LLS data have been vital to improving the survey and methodology year on year. For example, from the academic year 2022 23, the survey has included learners completing the Multiply programme; SIC/SOC industry codes have been embedded to improve the GLA’s analysis of economic outcomes of learners; and a 90 day lockout (where a learner who has enrolled more than once on a training course within 90 days, will not need to fill in the baseline survey twice or more) was introduced to reduce survey burden for learners whilst capturing all necessary data for analysis. 
2.6.    The final year of the current contract covers the LLS for the academic year 2023-24. It is crucial that the LLS is re-procured promptly so that any new competitively selected organisation has the ability to make the necessary set-up arrangements and improvements to the questionnaires in time for the start of 2024-25 academic year. 
2.7.    The new procurement round will include up to three academic years (2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026- 27). The 2024-25 contract will include the provision for the extension for delivery in the two further academic years, subject to a satisfactory annual update and budget availability. GLA officers estimate that the expenditure for running the LLS will be approximately £350,000 per year. This estimate is based on the previous year’s delivery cost of £300,000 and an additional cost of £50,000 to accommodate the costs of making the necessary improvements to the survey and to cover any unexpected spend such as the inclusion of new AEB funded programmes.
2.8.    Annual updates will be provided to the AEB Mayoral Board and approval to continue to fund and administer the LLS into the next academic year will be sought from the Mayor via the annual AEB Financial Management mayoral decision.
2.9.    Proposed improvements for 2024-25 LLS (Year Four of the survey) include options for using alternative media and messaging platforms to engage with learners and innovative platforms to host the survey to improve accessibility. A need has also been identified to increase the phone call budget to improve targeting of less represented demographics for the follow-up survey. This will further improve the granularity of data collected and allow more information to be shared with providers to assist their administration of the survey. The additional budget for the next three years will also accommodate any costs such as additional questions/data collection or translating the survey into more languages that may need to be implemented to adapt to London’s changing needs and learner demographics. 
2.10.    The contract will be procured competitively via TfL Procurement in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code and all applicable procurement law. 

3.1.    Section 149(1) of the Equality Act 2010 provides that, in the exercise of their functions, public authorities, of whom the Mayor is one, must have due regard to the need to:   
•    eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct that is prohibited by or under the Equality Act 2010  
•    advance equality of opportunity between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it  
•    foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic and persons who do not share it.  
3.2.    Relevant protected characteristics are age, disability, gender re-assignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.  
3.3    In the Skills for Londoners Strategy and subsequent analyses, the GLA has highlighted that there are several groups that are disproportionately underrepresented in London’s labour market, including some groups with protected characteristics. This includes Londoners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) learners, young people, disabled adults, Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups and women.
3.4.    The GLA has used demographic variables captured in the LLS to weight the sample so that it is representative of all AEB learners. This will give the GLA insight into how effectively providers are serving those groups and will be used to inform future policy interventions to reduce gaps in participation and achievement among disadvantaged groups. GLA officers have considered the direct impact of the LLS on groups with protected characteristics and do not anticipate that the collection of survey data, in and of itself, will disadvantage any particular group. 
3.5.    The Public Sector Equality Duty has been taken into account by ensuring that all those with protected characteristics are able to take part in the survey. Actions to this end include making the survey available in a number of different languages and providing paper and online questionnaire options. 

Key risks and issues 
4.1.    The risk of delays in the procurement of the delivery partner for the LLS is substantial given the extensive time needed to procure a supplier and to setup the survey up ready for launch in August 2024. It is vital that the LLS is launched on time and that there is no discontinuity of provision. Officers will procure the delivery partner through an evaluation framework and will aim to send information about the upcoming procurement in advance to framework organisations so that they can signal their interest in the opportunity. Further, the timeline set out at paragraph 7.1 presents a realistic forecast of the procurement timeframe and accommodates potential unexpected delays in selecting the supplier. 
4.2.    The LLS is now embedded in providers practice with all current skills providers demonstrating good engagement with the process around the LLS and having incorporated the survey into their enrolment processes/induction training. Discontinuing the LLS at this stage will prove detrimental to future collection of destination outcomes and to demonstrating the impact of the AEB for Londoners. Providing continuity of funding for the LLS will contribute to a growing, and more dynamic picture of outcomes of AEB funded learners.  
Links to Mayoral strategies and priorities
4.3.    The LLS was developed to measure the impact of AEB provision across a set of seven impact outcome priority areas which include both economic and social outcomes, endorsed by the Mayor in November 2019. The LLS has enabled the GLA to demonstrate the impact that the AEB has had on London’s learners and to evidence the impact that delegation of AEB funding is having on the outcomes achieved by learners both in adult community learning and adult skills provision. 
4.4.    There are no conflicts of interest to declare from those involved in the drafting or clearance of this decision.
4.5.    The decisions set out in this form were considered by the AEB Mayoral Board on 5 December 2023.
 

5.1.    This MD seeks approval for the expenditure of up to £350,000 from the AEB management and administration budget to deliver the London Learner Survey (LLS) in the 2024-25 academic year with the option to deliver the survey in 2025-26 and 2026-27 academic years, which would total £1,050,000, subject to satisfactory annual updates, budget availability and annual approval by the Mayor via the annual AEB Financial Management MD.
5.2.    The LLS was launched in the 2021-22 academic year following approval under MD2838 with 2024 25 academic year being the fourth academic year since its launch.
5.3.    The expenditure of up to £350,000 over the academic years totalling £1,050,000 will be funded from the AEB.
5.4.    Funding for future financial years is subject to the GLA’s annual budget setting process and is subject to change.
5.5.    Any contracts that commit the GLA in future years must be subject to appropriate break clauses.

6.1.    The foregoing sections of this report indicate that the decisions it is proposed be requested of the Mayor concern the exercise of:
6.1.1    the GLA’s general powers, falling within the GLA’s statutory powers to do such things considered to further or which are facilitative of, conducive or incidental to the promotion of economic development and wealth creation, social development, or the promotion of the improvement of the environment in Greater London and in formulating the proposals in respect of which a decision is sought, officers have complied with the GLA’s related statutory duties to:
(a)    pay due regard to the principle that there should be equality of opportunity for all people
(b)    consider how the proposals will promote the improvement of health of persons, health inequalities between persons and to contribute towards the achievement of sustainable development in the United Kingdom
(c)    consult with appropriate bodies
6.1.2    ministerial functions delegated, by the Secretary of State for Education, to the Mayor pursuant to section 39A of the Greater London Authority Act 1999. 
6.2.    The Mayor must, in making those decisions, have due regard to the Public Sector Equality Duty - namely the need to eliminate discrimination, harassment, victimisation and any other conduct prohibited by the Equality Act 2010, and to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between persons who share a relevant protected characteristic (race, disability, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity and gender reassignment) and persons who do not share it (section 149 of the Equality Act 2010). Particular attention should be paid therefore, to section three of this MD.
6.3.    If the Mayor makes the decisions sought officers must ensure that all procurement activity to secure the services required is conducted by TfL Procurement, in accordance with the GLA’s Contracts and Funding Code and all applicable procurement law and contracts are put in place between and executed by the GLA and contractors before commencement of such services .
 

7.1.    Next steps are set out below: