Updated 24 February, 1999

Expressions of interest are invited from organisations to develop, and assist in piloting, a business model for the proposed Janus Collaborative Information Centres.

BROAD AIM OF THE CONSULTANCY

The broad aim of the consultancy is to develop a sustainable business model for a pilot Janus Collaborative Information Centre. The pilot is intended to be the first element of a national network of such centres serving the research interests of Australia.

The Janus Centres are proposed to provide integrated access to research information, each in a specific field of research, and to support national collaborative purchasing in each designated field. Each Centre may be configured as a single physical location or as a distributed entity but all will be accessible via a national access point.

The business model will be developed during a two stage project:

1. In the first stage, the consultant is required to draft a business plan for a model Janus Centre, to confirm its objectives, expected outcomes and financial and technical feasibility in relation to up to three initial disciplines (agriculture, chemistry and philosophy)..
2. In the second stage, which will be contingent on the results of Stage 1, up to three initial Centres will be piloted in selected research fields. The consultant will develop a fully costed business model based on the detailed review and evaluation of each of the pilot Centre/s. It is expected that the consultant will be closely involved in the establishment and operation of the pilot Centre/s, as both participant and observer.

The business case for the model will examine a hypothetical consortium, in one of the recommended fields of research, and show what the members would bring to it, what it would cost, what advantages they would gain from it, and what the rest of the Australian research sector would gain from it.

The model will then be tested in up to three disciplines (agriculture, chemistry and philosophy) and validated.

The participating institutions will assist in developing and piloting the model, but will not be committed to continuing should the model prove to offer fewer advantages than are expected.

The business plan must identify:

1. the clients and their needs,
2. the components of the research information supply chain,
3. the desired outputs and outcomes;
4. the architecture of a Janus Centre, including which parts are generic and which are likely to be discipline-specific;
5. the current cost inputs and outputs; and,
6. gains in effectiveness and efficiency including any potential savings.

1. the amount currently being spent on materials and services;
2. the current and desirable levels of coverage of the relevant literature in the specific field of research;
3. the current and desirable levels of services.

1. evaluate the current expenditure on resources of the premier Australian libraries in this discipline;
2. identify cost savings which may be achieved through collaborative purchasing of, and access to, research information;
3. establish and test new systems and processes to bed down improved efficiencies;
4. develop strategies for filling gaps in the nation’s collections and services and for reducing duplication in both collection and service developments;
5. identify relevant international initiatives and their capacity to complement or supplement Australian centres (see Appendix II, International Context for Janus Collaborative Information Centres);
6. identify and/or develop tools which support the access to the collections and the delivery of information to the researcher;
7. test the initial model, its functionality and identify what does not work;
8. identify and analyse ongoing funding models and the business case;
9. evaluate possible collaborative management models;
10. test the models against more esoteric collections such as music and law;
11. make recommendations about how the models should work, and what needs to be done to make the transition to a full working centre;
12. make recommendations regarding preferred models and funds required for sustainable models of collaborative collection management and information delivery;
13. outline a development strategy.

1. a gap analysis, to show what each institution is currently doing and where collaboration can improve services and reduce costs;
2. an evaluation of which services can be undertaken more cost-effectively through collaboration;
3. contractual models for ongoing commitment to collaborative information centres;
4. models of ownership of resources;
5. models for charging for service delivery e.g. block funding, subscriptions, transaction-based;
6. models of delivery of, and charging for, services to members of non-members;
7. models based on different funding inputs e.g. initial establishment, ongoing, reallocation from institutional expenditure to consortium expenditure, etc.
8. criteria for managing participants and collection strengths;
9. analysis of policy/legal framework limitations;
10. identification of performance measures.

TIME SCALE

It is expected that Stage 1, the assessment of the feasibility of a pilot centre, and the production of a business plan for up to three pilot centres, will be completed by 14 May 1999.

It is expected that Stage 2, the report detailing the business model for Janus Collaborative Information Centres, will be completed by 15 October 1999.

CRITERIA FOR ASSESSMENT OF PROPOSALS

The Steering Group will assess all proposals for this consultancy against the following criteria:

1. the consultant’s understanding of the issues involved;
2. the proposal’s conformity with the project brief;
3. the proposed methodology;
4. the expertise of the consultants in developing business models and plans;
5. the consultant’s ability to meet project timelines;
6. the cost.

The Janus Steering Group will be responsible for the management of the pilot phase, including the selection of the reference groups which will provide the detailed discipline-based advice required by the consultant.

In consultation with the reference groups and the consultant, the Steering Group will select the discipline area/s of the pilot centre/s.

SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

FUNDING & PAYMENTS

Funding for the pilot phase is provided by the Higher Education Innovation Program of the Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs, and is being managed by the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee. The consultant’s payments will be made in two allocations, on completion of the business plan for the pilot centre, and, should the plan confirm the feasibility of pursuing the pilot, at the completion of the pilot phase.

CONTACTS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

STEERING GROUP.

The Steering Group is made up of representatives of the major research constituencies within Australia. It is chaired by the Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee’s representative. Membership is:

11 February 1999

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This site is written, compiled and maintained by Diane Costello, Executive Officer, CAUL.