Open Source Blog

The early day motion expressed concern that ""Becta and the Department for Education and Skills, through the use of outdated purchasing frameworks, are effectively denying schools the option of benefiting from both free and open source and the value and experience small and medium ICT companies could bring to the schools market."

In a statement to us, Becta denied that it was preventing schools from benefiting from open source software and that its procurement frameworks are out of date. In the interests of fairness given that we published the early day motion in full, here is the (admittedly a lot longer) Becta statement in full:

“Schools and colleges must be able to make an informed choice about the software they need – be it open source or proprietary – and to be aware of the total cost of ownership of that software, including sustainable support and training. We work with software providers - both open source and proprietary - to ensure that schools and colleges can make the most effective use of that software to support teaching and learning.

“Becta also strongly rejects claims that its procurement frameworks are outdated. Our procurement frameworks consist of a specified range of approved suppliers of Educational ICT services and associated technologies. All of these framework suppliers have successfully completed a rigorous evaluation process, conducted under EU regulations (often involving practical testing as well as written-based assessments). It is not simply a list of approved products or an accreditation scheme.”

“Becta’s procurement frameworks are based on functional requirements and open standards and are aimed at companies offering either proprietary or open source solutions. The frameworks are awarded in accordance with EU procurement legislation and assess providers against a range of criteria based around quality of provision and service, and against the extent to which they meet the requirements of the functional and technical specifications – specifications that have been developed in conjunction with all stakeholders, including members of the open source community.

“Institutions are not mandated to purchase from within these frameworks, but when selecting services outside the framework they are advised to ensure that their chosen provider is able to deliver a service which matches the functional requirements and offers comparable value for money.

“Because they are Government-led ICT procurements at a national level (to be delivered locally), Becta’s frameworks have to be tendered under EU regulations so there are certain requirements and expectations that have to be met and adhered to. Acceptance onto the framework is by the assessment of the capabilities of a supplier to deliver and support a comprehensive suite of technologies and not by providing a single, specific product.

“That said, there is nothing to stop any supplier offering open source solutions as part of a managed service, or a procuring authority including open source functionalities within its Statement of Requirements (SoR). The whole issue of open source is therefore one of measured inclusion rather than blanket exclusion.

“Becta supports the principles of open source software and recognises the value-for-money benefits that the larger scale deployment could bring. Based upon a clearly defined SoR, which reflects the institutional vision, open source has the potential to play a vital role in educational transformation. However it must be acknowledged that realisation of the e-strategy is not just software deployment; it is a total, integrated service solution.”

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