Public Sector
Get Into Teaching Information Service
Helping the Department for Education recruit new teachers
Context
Considering and applying to train to become a teacher can be a challenging and complicated process. To maximise conversion, DfE wanted to invest heavily in building relationships with potential candidates, enabling, guiding and reassuring them throughout their journey.
To this aim, DfE tasked Olive Jar to build and run a new Get into Teaching information Service (GiTiS) CRM – combining direct marketing (email/SMS) with contact centre services and adviser support, and linking into the Get into Teaching Website, ensuring potential candidates receive a seamless experience, and DfE civil servants can smoothly manage the process.
Challenge
The new GiTiS system was required to bring the previously outsourced systems in-house, integrating multiple data sources and functionalities (marketing, events, contact centre services, adviser support, website functionalities), enabling a variety of users and stakeholders such as the marketing department, advisors, UCAS and policy departments to work collaboratively to maximise teachers' recruitment.
Most importantly, GiTiS needed to give DfE full control of candidates’ data from a single source, unlocking their ability to offer them a bespoke, seamless experience and continuous support from the moment they express interest in becoming a teacher, through till when they will be in the classroom.
Solution
Delivery
During Discovery we worked with DfE marketing and policy teams and stakeholders through interviews, focus groups and surveys, understanding their needs in using the new system, identifying constraints and opportunities. We developed personas and user journeys, creating a backlog for development.
In Alpha, we analysed technical options, iterating prototypes within and outside of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Online (the preferred solution), embedding feedback into development.
We provided detailed technical architecture, data cleansing and overall transformation strategy, as well as a plan to migrate all records from legacy systems into the new solution.
Moving into Beta and Live, we monitored the system functioning in real-world operation. By observing users, analysing support request themes, identifying usage patterns from behavioural data and gathering user feedback, we identified key opportunities for service improvement, ensuring alignment to the Service Standard and Technology Code of Practice.
We migrated 30million+ records from legacy systems into the Microsoft Dynamics 365 solution, working with incumbent suppliers to minimise transition period, and building the capacity/capability of civil servants throughout.
Working in Agile
Our multidisciplinary team self-organised, delivering in 2-week sprints, building, testing and releasing potentially shippable software. We consistently and regularly managed stakeholder expectations via project check-ins, sprint show-and-tells, workshops, teacher services board and sprint reports, highlighting risks/issues.
We held regular communication with DfE’s Technical Design Authority on our solution design, assuring alignment with DfE’s strategy and Enterprise Architecture vision.
Outcomes
GiTiS is now Live and enables different users (marketing, events, advisory centre, website teams) within DfE and third parties to integrate and manage teacher candidates’ data in a centralised system, enabling ongoing and bespoke support throughout the candidates’ journey, and allowing significant savings from previously outsourced functions (e.g. bringing the marketing automation in house reduced costs by £30,000 per month).
“Olive Jar has been a pleasure to work with as we have developed our Get into Teaching CRM system. Their technical expertise and transparency on progress against deliverables has enabled us to deliver our CRM solution, iterate it and plan a transformation programme that will integrate the CRM closer to our in-house website, as well as allow marketing and support teams to self-serve.”
Lead Product Manager, DfE