RM1043/INFO014 - DEFENCE CONNECT SERVICE SUPPORT

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done Defence Connect has been in use for 2 years and is used by over 20,000 users across Defence particularly those who do not have regular access to corporate supplier IT. It is deemed by the Army and Navy Reserve as Business Critical and has enabled the Reserves to move off open social media sites where the risk of compromise of sensitive data is greater. Defence Connect is also used by senior leadership within Defence to engage staff, as an intranet, to assist the transformation of the organisation and to enforce learning and cultural behavioural change identified in the Chilcot Report. Problem to Be Solved Provision of a cost effective technical support and administration service to work within IAS to maintain, upgrade and resolve incidents and problems on Defence Connect. Develop the roadmap strategy for applying Jive's future software updates. Be a focal point for users to resolve technical issues, assist users with setting up and maintaining sites, moderate the sites content (Community Management). Who Are the Users The users of Defence Connect services are: Regulars, Reserves, Civil Servants and Contractors. The users are required to log-on to the Defence Gateway and navigate to Defence Connect where they can collaborate and communicate. The technical support and administrators work within IAS, working with IAS processes and delivery frameworks to deliver to and support the users. Early Market Engagement None Work Already Done Defence Connect is deployed and has been in use for 2 years. It is maintained to the latest release. The system admin work within an Agile team that enables quick resolution of issues. Users requests and issues are normally answered within a few hours of them being raised. There is a thriving community on Defence Connect that is growing and needs the support to continue to use it. Existing Team The current team consists of 2 individuals who provide support between 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday excluding public holidays. Current Phase Live Work Location Whilst most work will be conducted on-site (Andover) there is scope to work remotely as this can offer benefits to both parties. Working Arrangments The supplier will deliver within IAS as part of the Defence Gateway team. The service support technicians will be providing direct support to Defence Connect. The supplier will interface with the service desk through which tickets are raised, technical architects for design and deployment issues. The supplier will work to the direction of the Product Owner from ISS for the policy and development of the product across Defence. Whilst most work will be conducted on-site there is scope to work remotely as this can offer benefits to both parties. Security Clearance Security Clearance (SC) will be required for the duration of the requirement. Incumbents are to follow both the letter and spirit of Army Headquarters security regulations. Additional T&Cs DEFCON 5J (Edn 18/11/16) Unique Identifiers; DEFCON 76 (Edn 12/06) Contractors on site; DEFCON 129J (Edn 18/11/16) Electronic business Delivery Form; DEFCON 516 (Edn 04/12) Equality; DEFCON 520 (Edn 02/17) Corrupt gifts and payments of commission; DEFCON 522 (Edn 18/11/16) Payment and Recovery of Sums Due; DEFCON 531 (Edn 11/14) Disclosure of Information; DEFCON 534 (Edn 18/11/16) Subcontracting and Prompt Payment; DEFCON 566 (Edn 10/16) Change of control contractor; DEFCON 642 (Edn 06/14) Progress meetings Skills & Experience Minimum 2+ years experience in administration of Jive Minimum 2+ years experience administrating and troubleshooting and performance monitoring of Red Hat Linux 6.x, MySQL, PostgreSQL, Apache and Java Recent and demonstrable experience in the system administration of Jive, including patching and updating the software. Recent and demonstrable experience in resolution of incidents/problems with Jive software and its use. Working with a Jive support team and process for the resolution of incidents and problems Recent and demonstrable experience of taking backups, auditing logs and reviewing system health to ensure the health of the system. Recent and demonstrable ability to assess and optimize Jive performance. Demonstrate excellent understanding of browsers such as Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc. Demonstrate excellent understanding of Social Media and Mobile technologies. Recent and demonstrable strong problem solving and research skills. Demonstrated proven ability to perform to SLA timelines and manage time constraints and pressures to ensure customer satisfaction. Excellent communication and co-ordination skills. Good technical team skills and the capacity and self-motivation required to meet the demands of tight timelines and rapidly evolving priorities. Previous experience in an IT support or customer service type role with experience of service desk software, preferably KAYAKO and Remedy, the service desk tools. Demonstrate how the supplier will deliver continuous improvement of Defence Connect to the users. Nice to Haves Experience of working in MOD, with a good understanding of ISS and wider business practices and relevant JSPs, including JSP604 and JSP440. Good understanding of the architecture employed in the current instantiation of Jive (Defence Connect). Understanding of the Defence Community that utilise Defence Connect and the stakeholders involved in running the capability. Scripting skills to aid future DR and failover capabilities. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria Evidence against the skills, experience and cultural fit. Plan for transition of service running and knowledge transfer. Plan how the supplier will provide the service. Risks and dependencies. Cultural Fit Criteria Recent proven experience of delivery of test services into an Agile/DevOps organisation. Working within SCRUM/Kanban frameworks within multi-skilled teams. Proving poly-skilled individuals capable of contributing to the team beyond testing. Recent proven experience of an open and collaborative working relationship at all levels with excellent communication and co-ordination skills when conducting daily stand-ups, team meetings, presentation and demonstrations. Have a no-blame culture and encourages people to learn from their mistakes, working as "one team". Payment Approach Fixed price Assessment Method Written proposal Work history Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 10% Price 30% Questions from Suppliers Budget range budgetary limit of up to £252,000 (inc vat) per year.