DfE Capital Funding Team - Wireless Surveys

[Bankesy]

Good morning,

 

Does anybody have any experience with getting the DfE to pay for wireless surveys using SCA (LCVAP) funding?

 

At the moment my application for a whole school wireless survey is being rejected, I am told they will only fund the refresh itself. To which I query how we know the cost without the survey...

[Sylv3r]

When we've put wireless in (not via SCA) just using school funds, the companies have generally done the survey free of charge - I imagine, they'll hide any costs in the overall figure at the end. I guess no different to a decorator, carpet fitter or double-glazing company who do free estimates.

 

Not trying to cook the books - but is that an option

[pete]

There's at least a couple of suppliers who post on here offering no-obligation surveys provided you've got some clue how and where you're using hardware now and over the next 5* years.

 

We've used Net-Ctrl a long time ago and we used Switchshop more recently for a DfE project - both were good.

 

*yes, bit subject to headteacher whim there, but it's your job to train them to communicate properly so IT initiatives succeed.

[psydii]

Do DfE fund the pre-tender feasibility/planning stages of capital refurb/build projects? If yes, then they ought to fund an independent survey that helps you correctly scope the project and develop the "customer requirements" fully.

 

If no, then its either got to come from LA/Trust/School funds, if you want it a very detailed spec to go to tender with.

 

From the DfE's perspective a wifi (and even a switch+wifi) project is very simple, and the cost of customising a solution to a given school is minimal, so having that work happening at tender (for "free") while the actual cost (x3 to cover cost of tenders lost) baked into the delivery is likely the accepted approach.

 

From experience 1 3x3 or 4x4 AP to every 200 people is a financially prudent assumption, with caveats. But if I was working in an old victorian building, or an a multi-site school these numbers might be off. How do the DfE suggest you estimate the cost of the project if you can't pay for a professional to survey the technical challenges provided by the building and local requirements?

[Bankesy]

@psydii

 

"How do the DfE suggest you estimate the cost of the project if you can't pay for a professional to survey the technical challenges provided by the building and local requirements?"

 

I've put this to them more than once but never really get an answer.

 

 

@pete Switchshop did a great job on our core and edge switch refresh last year and it is them I have gone to for the wireless survey.

[Sylv3r]

I have been thinking about this a bit more. The SCA funding can also be used for school building extensions, new roofs etc. You would have thought they'll be things like Asbestos checks that would need to be done in advance of any works that take place - also an architect would be required to produce plans before any work can commence - seems a bit unfair from an IT perspective that similar checks can not be done - I am sure the above would normally be covered under the SCA funding.

[psydii]

I have been thinking about this a bit more. The SCA funding can also be used for school building extensions, new roofs etc. You would have thought they'll be things like Asbestos checks that would need to be done in advance of any works that take place - also an architect would be required to produce plans before any work can commence - seems a bit unfair from an IT perspective that similar checks can not be done - I am sure the above would normally be covered under the SCA funding.

 

Exactly where I was coming from. *but* the cost/complexity of a wifi network is pretty predictable, so the DfE policy might be something along the lines of "have a chat with suppliers on the framework to get you a ball park to put into a proposal" so then the cost of the survey and associated technical assurance becomes embedded into the cost of the awarded contract rather than being up front.