United World Colleges International
Scoping a complex new digital platform
How a clear, well-structured RFP enabled UWC International to set realistic expectations, secure accurate pricing, and create the foundations for a successful global website project.
The challenge
UWC International has a complex digital ecosystem, with a central website and more than 150 microsites supporting National Committees worldwide. They needed to replace their existing site and had requirements spanning global publishing, localisation, tailored functionality, and content delivery in over 50 languages.
They wanted to run a robust tender process that would enable them to clearly understand costs, compare agencies on a like-for-like basis and hold the successful supplier to commitments made during the pitch process. We led a structured discovery and requirements-definition programme that translated organisational needs into clear, testable requirements, providing a strong foundation for a rigorous and effective procurement process.
What we did
We led a diverse, non-technical and globally distributed team through a clear and structured requirements-definition process, using a combination of interviews, workshops and detailed documentation of the existing (‘as-is’) set-up. Our approach was designed to make a complex exercise feel manageable, inclusive and grounded in real organisational needs.
We then facilitated a clear and pragmatic prioritisation process, helping the team focus not just on what was desirable, but on what genuinely needed to be delivered. Crucially, this enabled UWC International to ask for budget and resource in a confident, evidence-based way during the pitch process, with costs clearly defined against agreed requirements. The result was a robust RFP that set clear expectations for suppliers and created the foundations for a successful, well-governed project.
The results
We delivered a clear, prioritised, and agreed set of requirements within a very tight timeline, giving UWC International a shared and trusted view of what needed to be delivered. While this marked the start of their website transformation, it equipped the organisation to scope, cost, and plan the project with confidence before committing significant investment, setting them up for a strong and well-governed delivery.
What the client said
“The team at We Are MC² were excellent, listening and working hard to understand our complex organisation and our digital ecosystem. Their structured approach helped us flesh out our many requirements into a robust technical document and also work through sometimes conflicting priorities.
The We Are MC² team are delivery focused, diligent and a huge asset to any digital delivery project, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them. Engaging them before we started the supplier selection and pitching process, ensured UWC International were prepared, focused and set up for success in the next steps of our new website development project.”
Lisa Shattock, Head of Communications & Engagement, UWC International
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