ODYSSEY Intelligent Customer Team (ICT)

Description

Summary of the work Defence Digitals ODYSSEY Programme requires an Intelligent Customer Team (ICT) with requirements, architectural and Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) expertise to support the design of a complex data environment project. The ICT will help shape and direct the long-term future of the capability taking an Enterprise level view. Expected Contract Length 24 months + 6 months optional extension Latest start date Monday 2 August 2021 Budget Range It is estimated that the work can be delivered over 24 months within the budget range of £3.0M-£4.6M ex VAT with a Limit of Liability (LoL) of up to £2.3M. LoL’s are in place for any potential additional tasking requirements. Why the Work is Being Done ODYSSEY is contracting for an ‘Intelligent Customer Team’ (ICT) to bring in specialist expertise across different disciplines to enable the project to move forward through the approval phases of Outline and then Full Business Case by delivering design solutions and key technical artefacts. Problem to Be Solved ODYSSEY requires a technical team to: Be able to scale up Shared Services (specialist roles, people and services) quickly to meet customer demand. Develop the architecture for a complex data environment, specifically across the following domains: Enterprise, Technology, Business, Data and Security. This will include developing the Information Handling Models (IHM), Data curation and labelling standards, Security controls, Access permissions, and Governance. The architecture will need to be developed in line with MOD and HMG frameworks, policies and standards in order to achieve compliance. Develop and manage requirements, leading to a mature backlog for the next approval point. Design and support the programme in successfully executing a SAFe Implementation Roadmap. Translate the requirements and architecture in to simplified views (rich pictures and infographics) to support the project in generating mutual understanding among wider (including non-technical) stakeholders. Who Are the Users As a Developer of a Data System I need a well-documented, compliant and managed architecture. As a Data Owner I need to share my data with other departments who need it, whilst protecting it from unauthorised access. Early Market Engagement N/A Work Already Done The successful Supplier will receive a number of artefacts to support the direction and delivery of the ODYSSEY architecture. This will include but not limited to; • Initial architectural design packages • Capability Roadmaps • Architectural Vision • Programme Key User Requirements Existing Team MOD Programme Team – (Enterprise Architecture, Engineering and PM Civil Servants, plus a User Representative). The Design Authority (DA) who will set the Enterprise policy, standards and direction to which the Programme will comply. Current Phase Alpha Skills & Experience • NOTE: THIS SECTION AS A WHOLE IS WORTH 10%. • Demonstrable experience of delivering complex data centric Architecture in highly regulated environments through to approval. • Demonstratable experience of developing Enterprise architecture and delivering key artefacts across projects and programmes, other Government Departments and coalition partners. • Demonstratable experience of developing Service architecture. • Demonstratable experience of developing Security architecture. • Demonstratable experience of providing SAFe Programme consultancy including the development of a SAFe implementation plan and roadmap. • Evidence of undertaking business analysis research, systems engineering, and developing a requirement’s backlog across a complex organisation with multiple stakeholders. • Demonstrable experience of successfully translating and presenting complex technical information and issues to multiple stakeholders ranging in technical knowledge to gain understanding, through the use of rich picture and infographics. Nice to Haves • NOTE: THIS SECTION AS A WHOLE IS WORTH 5%. • Demonstratable experience of delivering successful business architecture. • Demonstratable experience of developing technical and cloud architecture. • Demonstratable experience of developing application architecture. • Demonstratable experience of utilising Data Science, Data Models and Ontologies in Architecture development. • Demonstrable experience of developing solutions using Artificial Intelligence technologies, focusing on Natural Language Processing, Machine Learning and Predictive Analytics. • Experience of working within the constraints of ICT policies and Information/ security Assurance standards within a highly regulated environment. • Demonstrate experience of working in a highly regulated environment successfully addressing the boundary between agile ways of working and formal procedures and policies. • Demonstrable experience of using architectural frameworks and modelling languages: TOGAF and Archimate. • Demonstrable experience of visualisation, geo toolsets and how they work together. Work Location Supplier to provide List X premises for their team with regular travel to: a. MOD Abbey Wood South, Bristol, BS34 8JH b. PJHQ Northwood, Northwood HA6 3EZ The supplier may also be expected to travel to: a. Dstl Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JQ b. MOD Corsham, Corsham, SN13 9GB c. Adhoc UK locations as required Working Arrangments The Supplier will be expected to approach work in a collaborative manner attending face to face sprints/meetings at MOD Abbey Wood and adopt the use of appropriate software platforms such as Microsoft Teams. Security Clearance It will be expected that all members of the ICT will have Developed Vetting (DV) clearance by the contract start date. The supplier is expected to process and hold their own clearances. Clearances can be managed by 3rd parties. The authority will not hold or sponsor clearances. Additional T&Cs ODYSSEY will be competing for an Interim Service Integrator (ISI) in parallel. Suppliers may bid for both the ICT and ISI contracts. To ensure independence of outputs a supplier cannot “win” both. Suppliers bidding for both contracts must indicate a preference which will not influence the scoring. The ultimate decision is with the buyer. A bidder’s conference for the short-listed suppliers will be held and they will be supplied with a Statement of Requirement against which to produce their technical proposal. The Cyber Risk Profile has been identified as HIGH. DEFCON 703 applies to this contract. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Describe how the proposed solution will be successfully implemented, including the approach and methodology, to deliver the core requirements and deliverables. (25%) • Describe how you will successfully implement the Essential SAFe configuration constructs to meet the programmes objectives. (10%) • Describe your proposed team structure including but not limited to the roles, responsibilities, ways of working and location. (5%) • Demonstrate how you will work collaboratively in a geographically distributed, multi-supplier environment. (5%) • Explain how your proposed solution provides the MOD Value for money. (5%) Cultural Fit Criteria • Describe how you will adopt and implement (10%): (1)The Lean Agile Mindset. (2)Concepts of the Agile Manifesto. (3)The SAFe Core Values. (4)A Continuous Learning Culture. (5)Knowledge Transfer. • In response to changing requirements and uncertainty, describe how you will effectively and positively, deliver change through effective collaboration and leadership. (5%) Payment Approach Fixed price Assessment Method • Case study • Work history Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 65% Cultural fit 15% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers 1. Noting the statement “Suppliers may bid for both contract, however, to ensure independence of the outputs, a supplier cannot ‘win’ both”It would be useful to understand if the statement refers only to the ability to prime both contracts, or, if indeed refers to the wider construct of a proposed supply chain. As an example, please confirm if the following acceptable:A)Bidder A prime ISI with Bidder B as sub-contractorB)Bidder C prime ICT with Bidder B as sub-contractorA)Bidder X prime ISI with Bidder Y as sub-contractor B)Bidder Y prime ISI with Bidder X as sub-contractor Yes the statement only applies to the Prime Contractor, how the sub-contractor teams are formulated are up to the individual Companies, with only a few caveats:- The same person or team cannot work on both contracts. So if a person/team is part of the ISI, the person/team from the same company who may be on the ICT contract must be different, and have the correct firewalls in place to ensure, as standard with MoD contracts, that information from 1 contract does not flow into the other contract. 2. Is there an incumbent supplier for this? No 3. Will you be releasing the Security Aspects Letter (SAL) for ODYSSEY as part of the ITT? Yes this will be released to the downselected companies with the rest of the ITT and draft contract documentation. 4. Can the authority please confirm who undertook the discovery phase? Dstl and Montvieux 5. Under the 'Essential' and 'nice to have' criteria there is a response box at the start without any criteria attached. Is this response field assessed, should be provide an overview statement, or should we leave it blank? Please respond N/A to this question. This was to ensure we could provide detail of the weighting of the section and no other information is required. 6. You state the budget range is £3.0M-£4.6M with a LOL of £2.3M. Is the LOL associated with the + 6mth extension, or is it for additional work identified over and above what will be in the SoR (I.e. £3.0M-£4.6M + additional £2.3M for new requirements which may be added over the course of the contract as change requests) making a possible total maximum budget value of 4.6 + 2.3 = £6.9M)? The LOL is in place for any potential additional tasking requirements that are not included in the SoR. They may be added over the 24mth contract period. 7. Would you accept SMEs bidding together as a team (i.e. a single response from the prime on behalf of both companies) where the prime contractor is not List X but the primes sub-contractor/partner is List X? We would accept SMEs bidding together as a team and this should be made clear in the return.The team must have access to/provide a List X facility to undertake the work of this contract. 8. In the first essential criteria “Demonstrable experience of delivering complex data centric Architecture in highly regulated environments through to approval” can you be more specific about what you mean by approval please? Approval at: Architecture, Governance and Coherence Boards