Invitation to Quote
CNWL is a large Further Education College, seeking consultants to investigate linkage between its VLE (Moodle) and SRS (Student Record System (Bespoke).
Specification
To investigate and make recommendations as to secure, robust and achievable method(s) of linking across different platforms in delivering specific web services.
Background
- The College currently has a web service (VLE) which students and staff can access on the Internet (using their College authentication), and for which the webserver(s) and data are housed in one domain.
- The College has a Student Record System (SRS), which staff can access and update via a web service interface, for which the webserver(s) and data are housed in a different domain.
- The two domains are kept separate and insulated from one another for reasons of security.
- It is desired to present live data from the SRS in response to web requests on the VLE. An ad hoc system has been created, and is in use, whereby URLs with encoded student IDs return query output as composed webpages. This method is, however, inelegant, inflexible, not integrated into the receiving code (the display and formatting is set by the sending program), and requires specific development and maintenance each time requirements change.
- The SRS is based on MS SQL Server, on Windows 2003 servers, with interfaces implemented primarily using ASP.NET and ASP.
- The VLE is currently a PHP-coded website, also on a Windows 2003 server. The data should be presented to the VLE in some format (e.g. XML) that the PHP code can process and display.
- It is intended that the solution is created, developed, implemented and maintained in-house.
- It is intended that the solution involves an ‘in-between’ process – i.e. the VLE will not link directly to the SRS, for security reasons.
Deliverables
The consultant is commissioned:
- To assess the suitability of this current ('ad hoc') method of linking the two services.
- To specify other options for secure and achievable delivery of SRS data (read-only) into the VLE webservice, identifying the relevant security issues and solutions.
- To advise on whether data could/should be live, or how ‘un-live’ would be acceptable/preferable.
- To provide a full report on all analysis, findings, and recommendations, including proof of concept, with sufficient detail to allow College implementation without further consultant input.
Constraints
The consultant should have due regard to:
- A context of budgetary restraint, i.e. as far as possible make recommendations that do not require hardware, software, or services additional to those the College already has in place.
- The need to have minimal effect on the existing platforms and services (the College is not intending to make substantial or disruptive changes to the current configuration).
- The existing skillset within the College team; as it is intended that any solution is created, developed, implemented and maintained in-house . The College specifically does not want consultants to provide a solution that will then require external support to maintain.
How to respond
Please acknowledge receipt of this document, and advise whether you are interested in tendering, to the College of North West London’s Purchasing Manager, Loraine Lindsay by e-mail to loraine.lindsay@cnwl.ac.uk .
Your response should include a firm quotation of cost; the expertise of your organisation and personnel that make you suitable for this project; your experience with any previous, comparable work; the expected duration of the work and your lead time to be available to start the project.
The College of North West London will award the work based on our estimation of Best Value but we reserve the right to withdraw the offer to quote, amend our requirements or to choose not to place the business.
A full quotation must be received by Loraine by e-mail or hard copy by noon on January 19, 2010. Please ensure that you have had acknowledgement of receipt by this time.
Queries on the quotation process may be addressed to Loraine Lindsay, by e-mail, or by phone if necessary on 020 8208 5060. Technical queries will be covered by Tony Delahunty (tony.delahunty@cnwl.ac.uk, tel 020 8208 5200).
Please note that answers may be shared with other potential suppliers, as appropriate and where they provide clarification.
It is hoped that a decision would be made by January 31, allowing an order to be placed shortly after.