DInfoCom/0246-RM1043.8-1-Provision of Develop as a Service-MINISTRY OF DEFENCE - Strategic Command

Description

Summary of work ADS is the Army’s in-house delivery arm that delivers digital software solutions for the Army and wider Defence. This includes both bespoke applications which are developed from concept, and subject to iterative development, and also the ongoing sustain and maintenance function for its existing portfolio of live applications. ADS requires a service which will provide it with the required technical resources to meet these outcomes. As such the service will comprise two elements: • Core Element. This part of the service makes provision for the non-discretionary outcomes that ADS is required to deliver to the Army over the duration of the contract. These outcomes include the ‘sustain and maintain’ function for the existing portfolio of applications hosted by ADS (i.e., the In-Service Developers) and the technical outcomes required in managing its development pipeline. It includes any pre-agreed ADS contribution to application development which is subject to variation. Overall, this allows ADS to respond to incidents and, for example, ensure applications remain compatible with upgrades to operating systems. The specific composition of the team is likely to vary over the duration of the requirement in order to best respond to ADS’ evolving priorities and commitments at the time, although any variation to the service would only be expected to impact elements of the overall requirement. • Non-Core (Ad-Hoc Tasking Value) Element. This part of the service makes provision for future digital outcomes to be delivered that are to be funded by other parts of the Army (and wider Defence). This non-core requirement will therefore satisfy those application development requirements that are brought to ADS by other business areas during the life of the contract. It is necessary that this provision is both flexible and scalable to meet demand at any time. At the start of the contract, it is expected that a significant proportion of the pre-existing development projects will continue to deliver already-agreed digital outcomes under this arrangement. Requirements for new digital outcomes including functionality improvements to existing Apps will be accepted by ADS for delivery under this arrangement once they have been scrutinised and approved by the relevant governance and assurance bodies. Deliverables. The high-level deliverables for the service are outcomes associated with: • Business Analysis. To provide specialist resource to allow the initial and ongoing engagement with the business areas in order to understand and collate the business requirements in a manner consistent with Agile software development. This requirement may include the provision of Discovery phases into new projects. • Software Development. To provide specialist resource to enable the quality development of software solutions in a programming framework that is consistent with the Authority’s direction. This will include full compliance with ADS technical standards, deployment practices and procedures; and will include the need for documentation in accordance with industry best practice. The Authority will require developed software to be fully integrated across the potential span of SDLC, AHE and MODCloud including integration with the API management layers and the ADW. • Software Testing. To provide specialist resource to enable the quality testing of developed software solutions in a framework that is consistent with the Authority’s direction. This will include full compliance with ADS technical standards and deployment practices and procedures and will include the need for documentation in accordance with industry best practice. The outcomes associated with this will provide the assurance to the Authority that the deployed software is of acceptable quality, performance and reliability. • Other Agile Roles. To enable the successful deployment of software, the Authority may require other outcomes associated with current Agile best practice. This may include, but is not limited to: Scrum Master, Delivery Manager, Solution Architect and Release Train Engineer outcomes. Other specialist resources may be called upon as required. The team will be required to work with and alongside other suppliers/ strategic partner’s resources and internal ADS staff to ensure a coherent delivery of service. The service Supplier will need to ensure that transition from the outgoing Supplier is properly planned and executed, with risk mitigated in order to provide continuity of delivery and reassurance to external senior stakeholders. The Transition Period to adequately prepare for the assumption of service provision would be required in advance of the start date, no later than Monday 04 Sept 2023 with the Contract Starting on Monday 02 Oct 2023. Where the supplied staff will work North East England Where the supplied staff will work North West England Where the supplied staff will work Yorkshire and the Humber Where the supplied staff will work East Midlands Where the supplied staff will work West Midlands Where the supplied staff will work East of England Where the supplied staff will work London Where the supplied staff will work South East England Where the supplied staff will work South West England Where the supplied staff will work Scotland Where the supplied staff will work Wales Where the supplied staff will work Northern Ireland Who the organisation using the products or services is Army Digital Services (ADS) is the Army’s in-house delivery arm that delivers digital software solutions for the Army and wider Defence. This includes both bespoke applications which are developed from concept and subject to iterative development, and the ongoing sustain and maintenance function for its existing portfolio of live applications. ADS requires a service which will provide it with the required technical resources to meet these outcomes. Why the work is being done The Army Digital Services (ADS) ‘Develop as a Service’ (DaaS) will provide a cost effective, flexible and scalable development service that can meet the demands of the Army’s application development ambition which is delivered by ADS. This is in order to support and deliver enhancements to the existing application services and also meet new application requirements by providing specialist technical development resource. The business problem DaaS is responsible for the provision of outcomes consistent with the full DevSecOps cycle for the delivery of software applications. This is inclusive of, but not limited to: • Business Analysis outputs. Including Discovery and outcomes in support of Agile project teams throughout development. • Software development outputs, with particular emphasis on Oracle APEX, Microsoft .Net and Power Platform. Other technology stacks could be exploited. • Test/ Quality Assurance outputs, with particular emphasis on Oracle APEX and .Net. • Other Agile project roles as required. The people who will use the product or service User type: The Army business areas and wider Defence Definition: need ADS to secure digital outcomes from specialist resource in order to continue to deliver applications and services. Which phase the project is in Not applicable Existing team The existing DaaS teams consists of around 110 Full-Time Equivalents (FTE) including Business Analysts, Developers (multiple technologies), Testers, Scrum Masters, Delivery Managers, Release Train Engineer, Data Architect and UX/UI Designers. These resources operate within the ADS framework which is a multi-vendor environment with enabling support provided by military personnel and civil servants. Address where the work will be done Army Digital Service, Army Headquarters, Ground Floor, Ramillies Building, Monxton Road, Andover, Hampshire SP11 8HJ Working arrangements The supplier will deliver in line with ADS direction and in accordance with the ADS operating model, policies and standards. ADS uses Azure to provide a remote development capability. Once code is ready for deployment it is brought onto ADS on-premise cloud dev/test environments, to be deployed through the DevSecOps pipeline onto the Army Hosting Environment via system integration/security testing/pre-production. Expenses are to be in accordance with MOD Statement of Business Travel Guide. Costs will not be paid to and from the normal place of work. Security and vetting requirements Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) Security and vetting requirements Security Check (SC) More information about the Security requirements: All teams members will require security clearance. The minimum acceptable level is BPSS. On a case-by-case basis some resource will require SC. Latest start date 4 September 2023 Expected contract length Contract length: 2 years 0 months 0 days Optional extension: 1 years 0 months 0 days Special terms and conditions special term or condition: DEFCON 5J (Edn 18/11/16) Unique Identifiers, DEFCON 76 (Edn 11/22) Contractors Personnel on Government Establishments, DEFCON 129J (Edn 18/11/16) Electronic Business Delivery Form, DEFCON 513 (Edn 04/22) Value Added Tax, DEFCON 516 (Edn 04/12) Equality, DEFCON 518 (Edn 02/17) Transfer, DEFCON 520 (Edn 08/21) Corrupt Gifts and Payments of Commission, DEFCON 522 (Edn 11/21) Payment and Recovery of Sums Due, DEFCON 531 (Edn 09/21) Disclosure of Information, DEFCON 532B (Edn 12/22) Protection of Personal Data (Where Personal Data is being processed on behalf of the Authority), DEFCON 534 (Edn 06/21) Subcontracting and Prompt Payment, DEFCON 537 (Edn 12/21) Rights of Third Parties, DEFCON 539 (Edn 01/22) Transparency, DEFCON 550 (Edn 02/14) Child Labour and Employment Law, DEFCON 566 (Edn 10/20) Change of Control of Contractor, DEFCON 604 (Edn 06/14) Progress Reports, DEFCON 642 (Edn 07/21) Progress Meetings, DEFCON 658 (Edn 10/22) Cyber, DEFCON 659A (Edn 09/21) Security Measures, 660 (Edn 12/15) Official Sensitive Security Requirements, DEFCON 671 (Edn 10/22) Plastic Packaging Tax, DEFCON 694 (Edn 07/18) Accounting for Property of the Authority, DEFCON 707 (Edn 11/22) Rights in Technical Data. Expenses Policy - Expenses are to be in accordance with MOD Statement of Business Travel Guide. Costs will not be paid to and from the normal place of work. Budget Indicative maximum: The contract value is not specified by the buyer Indicative minimum: The contract value is not specified by the buyer Contracted out service or supply of resource? Supply of resource: the off-payroll rules may apply