VEL-HEIW-ITT-69077 Tender for the Provision of on-site Training for VENSIM system – Generic Model

Descriptions

BackgroundThe Workforce Education and Development Services (WEDS) information department currently produces workforce modelling across NHS Wales. Workforce modelling helps us to quantify how current and future workforces perform in terms of meeting patient needs. It helps investigate if the current channels of recruitment and retention will be sufficient to enable future demand to be met. By creating workforce models it can enable us to test current and future scenarios including new ways of working, new roles, the adoption of new technology and demographic and societal changes.WEDS information team currently use MS Excel to perform this type of analysis, while there are advantages to using MS Excel it leaves the information team vulnerable because the person creating the modelling is the only one who understands it. Moving to a System Dynamics approach will enable multiple users to build and understand future models.WEDS have linked up with the English Department of Health (DH) and they have agreed to share their VENSIM System Dynamics model that they use to inform strategic workforce planning called the Generic Model (GM). The model enables data-driven workforce demand and supply projections to be made over a 20 year time frame. In addition, the model can be configured to represent multiple career and training paths, demographic drivers and alternative policy levers. The model is highly segmented and links to a large MS Excel based data repository which also controls simulation execution. The DH do not have the resource to train the WEDS information team so we require training on both VENSIM and the MS Excel application.RequirementNHS Wales require on-site training from a supplier experienced in VENSIM and advanced MS Excel in order to help the WEDS information workforce team understand and use the Generic Model supplied by Department of Health to make robust workforce projections. After completing the training programme, learners should be able to:VENSIMUnderstand the Stock and Flow representation that the model is based onUnderstand and be able to amend the logic and equations used within the model;Have knowledge of best practises in VENSIM model development;Be able to implement standard approaches to testing VENSIM models;Will have in-depth knowledge and understanding of how VENSIM’s native analysis tools can be used to carry out detailed analysis of simulation results outside of the Excel User Interface.MS ExcelFully understand the links between the various worksheets in the MS Excel based data repository;Have knowledge of the underlying VBA code used to control the VENSIM model;Know how to analysing the model results.Workforce PlanningUnderstand workforce planning modelling principles;Understand how to use and create demand projections.