CPG/11934/2024 RM1043.8-1-FCDO Digital Products and Services Delivery Partner

Description

Which phase the project is in Not started Existing team The delivery partner will be expected to work with an existing FTE team. This team comprises of professional full stack software and data engineers, testing roles and product management Address where the work will be done Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AH. Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office, Abercrombie House, Eaglesham Rd, East, Kilbride G75 8EA. Working arrangements The supplier staff will work normal business hours: Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm, 7.5 hours per day + 0.5 hour lunch time. There may be some limited out of hours work expected depending on business need. Out of hours work will be agreed between the parties when required. There will be some expectation for occasional site working to bolster knowledge transfers, innovation and hackathon style working. These are likely to be held around East Kilbride or at the FCDO offices in King Charles Street, London, SW1A 2AH if required. Travel and subsistence expenses will require prior approval. Provide more information about your security requirements: Security Check (SC) Provide more information about your security requirements (optional): All must have SC as a minimum. Preference for contractors to already hold DV clearance, however we would be willing to sponsor the DV clearance process at the supplier's expense. One person in the team must have DV clearance. Latest start date 2025-06-01 Enter the expected contract length: 2 years Are you prepared to show your budget details?: Yes Indicative maximum: £1.5m per year. £4.5m total. Provide further information: Funding will be drawn down via individual statements of work and is uncommitted until SoW is agreed by both parties. Confirm if you require a contracted out service or supply of resource Contracted out service: the off-payroll rules do not apply Summary of work The scope of the programme is to build on the successes and lessons learnt in the 2022-2025 Delivery Platform work to : Build or enhance accessible Data Products and Services to facilitate the whole programme lifecycle including : - Pre-Programme : Supporting briefing, upskilling, deployment of new programmes in field. - Operationally : Measuring benefits, managing emergent risk, responding to political change efficiently and effectively, capturing historically ‘siloed’ data. - Post-Programme: availability of lessons learnt, post closure benefits. Plug the critical gap in capability to measure Programme Benefits the capability to record, measure and utilise Programme and Portfolio results. Facilitate a broader church of Programme Users, acting as an accelerator, facilitator or advocate within IDD and the wider FCDO for value driven capabilities and and multi use, flexible technologies. All products and services proposed within this Business Case, as with previous years delivery, will be delivered under the following key principles : Scalable, re-usable and flexible – Creating fast-delivery Data products which can be re-used and scaled by different User Groups (not just niche cases), programmes or adopted with confidence at an Enterprise level within IDD. Secure by Design – Balancing valuable User needs against Secure by Design principles and robustly compliant Information Management practise – aiming to compromise neither (rather than a historical ‘security says no’ stance). Measurably Beneficial and Cost effective – Delivery of Data products or services with clearly articulated expectations around benefits and clear metrics for measuring success. Where the supplied staff will work London Where the supplied staff will work Scotland Where the supplied staff will work No specific location (for example they can work remotely) Why the work is being done Boosted Workforce Productivity: Empower staff with intuitive self-service data products or tools, significantly reducing time (and cost) spent on manual tasks within the programme or portfolio lifecycle. Facilitates a more agile and responsive organization through easier access to data, making them better equipped to adapt to changing demands Increased efficiency, budget and cost savings: Streamline programme processes (especially as they pertain to isolated data sets, CSVs/Excel etc) - reducing inefficiencies, leading to significant cost savings. Enable faster data-driven decision-making, enabling more effective use of resources. Improved Transparency and Accountability: Enhance the ability to measure and demonstrate programme outcomes, aligning with government objectives and mitigating a significant gap in capability. Support FCDO’s leadership in global aid transparency and reporting standards. Enhanced Security and Resilience: Supports and strengthen FCDO’s digital infrastructure aspirations, ensuring secure operations even in challenging environments or complex User needs. Improve operational risk management and continuity of mission-critical activities. Strengthened Mission Capability: Lower the barrier to entry (increase Digital literacy) for non-technical Users to access data (via a marketplace) which enable more informed, timely decisions operationally Position FCDO as a leader in international diplomacy and development, enhancing FCDO’s global impact through more efficient delivery of programme outcomes. The business problem you need to solve The FCDO is currently facing significant challenges in managing and delivering its digital products and services efficiently. To address this, there is a critical need to establish a robust Digital Products and Services Programme and Portfolio Delivery Hub. The primary business problem to solve involves ensuring streamlined operations, effective resource allocation, and timely delivery of digital initiatives. This program aims to enhance the coordination and oversight of various digital products and services, which are essential for maintaining competitive advantage and meeting customer demands. The project is structured in a phased approach, with an initial investment of £1.5 million plus VAT for the first year. The total lifecycle cost, subject to approval of all phases, is estimated at £4.5 million plus VAT. The phased approach allows for incremental improvements and adjustments based on ongoing assessments and feedback. The anticipated completion date for the first year is 1st April 2026, with the final phase expected to conclude by 1st April 2028. First user type: Internal FCDO staff Questions and Clarifications 0. We noticed the requirement for a 'Gold level Microsoft partner.' As Microsoft retired the Gold/Silver competency framework in 2022 and replaced it with the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program (MCPP), we would like to clarify the specific criteria you are seeking. Looking at the scope of requirement it would appear you are looking for a Microsoft Solutions Partner with designations in Data & AI, Digital & App Innovation, Infrastructure and Modern Work. Yes - We would like you to confirm your professional relationship with Microsoft and present accreditation level. Last Updated: <strong>2025-03-20T09:33:27.54577Z</strong> 1. Do staff require SC clearance before contract start? Or can we begin clearing staff on contract award should we be successful? We require SC clearance for the majority of staff upon contract commencement. Last Updated: <strong>20 March 2025, 09:35</strong> 2. Good Afternoon, your requirements state the supplier should be a MS Gold Partner, as MS Gold Partnership is no longer available after January 2025, is this still a requirement? MS Gold partnership is not a requirement. We would like you to confirm your professional relationship with Microsoft and present an equivalent accreditation level. Last Updated: <strong>20 March 2025, 09:43</strong> 3. Could FCDO please advise if there is an incumbent service provider? The incumbent service provider is Storm (ID) LTD. Last Updated: <strong>20 March 2025, 09:45</strong> 4. Could you please confirm if you require the Essential and Nice to Haves be answered using examples? You are not required to provide examples but extra detail to support is beneficial. Last Updated: <strong>2025-03-20T09:47:50.89225Z</strong> 5. Nice-to have skills: Question 2: Do you mean our experience of implementing AI for sustained use OR our experience using AI in our day-to-day work? Implementing AI for sustained use. Last Updated: <strong>20 March 2025, 09:50</strong> 6. For Nice-to have skills: Question 3: Is this referring to market-facing thought leadership we have produced, or applying market leading practice to deliver results for our clients? This is referring to market-facing thought leadership you have produced. Last Updated: <strong>20 March 2025, 09:52</strong> 7. Can you please confirm whether the MS Solutions Partner is required to prime the bid, or whether they can be part of a consortium or partnership arrangement with another entity acting as the prime bidder? We would require the contractor to be a prime. Last Updated: <strong>20 March 2025, 09:54</strong> 8. There are few questions under Nice to have skills and experience where we have been asked about the evidence in Public service. Please confirm does public service here means only those services that are rendered by Public sector bodies like DVLA, DWP etc OR it could be publicly available services from private organisations like MNC Banks etc? Public service refers to services rendered by public sector bodies. Last Updated: <strong>20 March 2025, 09:58</strong> 9. Do you have an estimated work split between the Scotland and London offices for this contract? There is no mandatory requirement to have a permanent presence in either area. Some in person engagement will be required at both sites, we would prefer to have a presence on site which is based in East Kilbride. Last Updated: <strong>20 March 2025, 10:03</strong> 10. Is one person in the supplier team with DV clearance required for contract commencement? No - DV can be obtained once the contract has begun. Last Updated: <strong>20 March 2025, 10:05</strong>