ISS - Interim Support to SKYNET 6

Tender description

Summary of the work The Interim Support (IS) will assist SKYNET 6 in continuing to deliver all outputs/outcomes detailed in the workstream schedules through the provision and management of suitable qualified resources. Expected Contract Length 12 Months Contract with a possible extension of up to 6 months to facilitate a phased exit. Latest start date Tuesday 2 January 2018 Budget Range £9.2M over 18 months LOL £50K for T&S Why the Work is Being Done To provide delivery support (resources suitable to ensure the expected outcomes) to the Crown Servant project team running the SKYNET 6 (SK6) project. SK6 project will procure assets and services to maintain mission critical communication capability for the MOD/ UK Armed Forces beyond 2022, at which point the current Skynet 5 (SK5) PFI, will expire, with the orbital assets and ground stations transferring to the Crown. The delivery approach includes three delivery workstreams and two enabling workstreams Problem to Be Solved The Project delivery team has augmented its Crown Servant suitably qualified and experienced personnel (SQEP) with contracted resources, this contract is due to end in March 2018 (with a phased withdrawal from December 2017). Without a replacement contract in position SK6 will: • Cease to have sufficient numbers of SQEP to scope, define and deliver, planned assessment and concept phase activities as well as continue to progress and manage in flight activity. • Lose access to functional specialists and knowledge not available ‘in-house’ Who Are the Users Assist in SKYNET 6A Assessment Phase (AP) developing the procurement strategy for a UK sovereign military satellite and contract award 2019. Enable SKYNET 6 Service Delivery Wrap to establish the preferred solution and acquisition approach to start contract action in 2019 Support SKYNET 6EC Concept Phase (CP) with IGBC and early Assessment Phase activities. Provide Engineering & Requirement support through development and implementation of engineering products and requirements across the three delivery workstreams Support of procurement of a long term Acquisition Partner Work Already Done SK6 is being managed in accordance with the CADMID/T cycle. The primary workstreams are currently in the following phases: • 6A: Assessment (post IGBC, pre MGBC) • Service Delivery Wrap: Assessment (post IGBC, pre MGBC) • Enduring Capability: Concept (pre IGBC) As such, 6A and SDW are currently identifying user requirements and solution options to meet the KURs and will embark on the appropriate procurements once this has been concluded. EC is planning their assessment phase and IGBC There are further cross-cutting functional workstreams as part of the project, these are PCO/ Finance, Commercial & System Engineering. Existing Team The current core team comprise a mix of civil servants, military and contractors totalling 47 people – NB. At 47 the team is under resourced. 54% of the team is comprised of contractor resources (including MOD Contingent Labour). Functionally, the Crown Servant resources available consist of project management and commercial skillsets, along with a limited number of engineering personnel. There is also support provided through a number of output based supplier contracts and are not included in the core team count. Current Phase Alpha Skills & Experience • 15% Provide Requirements Capability: • User Requirements identification and development • Solution/ Organisation Design, including eTOM • Integration, verification, validation and Qualification • DOORs • 20% Provide Engineering Capability including: EtE Military Satellite System including User, Ground and Space systems, MILSATCOM Security SME, Engineering Governance, Systems architecture, Design assurance • 15% Provide Technology Specialists • Milsatcom/ Satcom inc Ground, User and Space segments • Communications Networks • Cryptography / Secure communications • 20% Provide Options Analysis & Investment Appraisal Capability • Options Analysis & Cost Modelling • COEIA & OASP • Cost Engineers • 15% Provide Procurement/commercial Specialists with experience of: exiting transition from PPP/ PFI contracts, Procuring solutions and/or XaaS in Networks & IT, Infrastructure and ‘large’, complex asset procurement • 5 % Provide Project Management and Administration capability • Core project management methodologies and principles • Proven understanding of MOD Approvals Nice to Haves • 2% Knowledge of solutions and architectures across the NATO and/or FVEY communities • 4% Experience of Service Management provision. • 2% Experience of Facilities Management • 2% Application experience: • EPM/ MS Project • Microsoft applications (Excel/ PowerPoint/ Word/ Access/ Visio) • MOOD • ARM • ADMIS Work Location Building 405 MOD Corsham Westwells Road Corsham SN13 9NR Working Arrangments SKYNET 6 project team is based in Corsham, Wiltshire. The bidder will be expected to deploy staff on site and be available during core business hours Monday through Friday. Access to MOD systems will be provided, and other productive assets may be utilised if they meet MOD security standards and can obtain the required documentation There may be a requirement for occasional travel to other locations based on tasking but these will be limited and T&S provision has been made. Security Clearance SC must be in place for every individual prior to the commencement of the contract. DV is required for some individuals delivering the systems engineering outcomes. Individuals involved in certain activity are to be single UK nationality, and must not have held dual nationality at any time. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • 10% Mobilisation and exit: How the IS proposes to meet the challenges of handing over with outgoing resources on mobilisation and incoming resources on exit, including knowledge transfer • 10% Resource Scaling: Proven resource scaling, to enable new resources to arrive on tasks with the requisite skills, experience and the context for the task • 10%: Coherence: How the IS will help the MOD to ensure outputs are coherent and integrated at both the workstream and project levels • 5%: Engagement Governance & Reporting: Demonstrate how the bidder proposes to manage the governance & reporting of the IS engagement with the team. • 10% Delivery: Proven track record of successful delivery of complex projects within challenging timescales • 10% Conflict of interest: How the IS will manage any potential conflicts of interest when supporting the MOD in procurement activities • 40% Price/ Rates: Illustrative rate card for all grades of resources by function Cultural Fit Criteria • The ability to work with SKYNET 6 and embrace a ‘one team’ ethos • Transparent and collaborative working at all times • Have a no-blame culture and encourage people to learn from their mistakes Payment Approach Time and materials Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 55% Cultural fit 5% Price 40% Questions from Suppliers 1. What do you anticipate to be the minimum number of full-time specialists required to efficiently support this service? This requirement via the DOS framework is outcome based. The Authority therefore expects that suppliers will use their expertise, knowledge and experience of the problem and information as advertised to scope the resource required. 2. What is the current split between MOD Contingent Labour (CL1) and other contractor resources, can you confirm which framework the other contractors are sourced through? This procurement does not seek to replace those resource currently employed through the MOD Contingent Labour Framework. The other contractor resources are provided through a number of contracts with the majority being provided through a consortium contract, contracted through an OJEU competition. 3. Who are the existing incumbents providing the service or labour for the current phase of the project? Project support to date has been provided by a wide range of contracts, providing a range of skills and guidance. The Interim Support is one of these contracts and is a standalone requirement. 4. In the guidance about the work one of the tasks states 'Support of procurement of a long term Acquisition Partner'. If this is the case would undertaking this interim role preclude the applicant from undertaking the long term Acquisition Partner position, given the potential conflict of interest? The authority can confirm that the award of this contract will not exclude the winning contractor from other opportunities relating to SKYNET 6 downstream. The proposal evaluation criteria as advertised includes, evidence of how the potential conflict of Interest will be addressed by the supplier, ie how appropriate ethical walls and separation will be established, maintained and governed. 5. Please can you confirm which contractors are currently working within the Skynet 6 project team, how long they have been in post and what elements of support they are providing? Please can you also confirm whether the project team has taken any advice on Skynet 6 from a large Prime consultant / customer friend in the last 12-24 months? Due to commercial confidentiality this information is not available. The complexity of the project has resulted in support from a wide range of contracts, providing a range of skills and guidance dependant on requirement. The Authority intends to deliver SKYNET 6 using a ‘mixed economy’ of resources comprising crown servants, Interim Support and individually contracted Tech Sp and SMEs. 6. Can the Authority please provide a detailed breakdown of the required roles and whether each role is required on day 1, including how many roles of each type? This requirement via the DOS framework is outcome based. The Authority therefore expects that suppliers will use their expertise, knowledge and experience of the problem and information as advertised to scope the resource required. 7. Can the Authority confirm that the successful bidder will still be able to bid for future opportunities related to Skynet6 downstream? The Authority can confirm that the award of this contract will not exclude the winning contractor from other opportunities relating to SKYNET 6 downstream. 8. Can the Authority confirm whether or not TUPE will apply? The Authority intends to deliver SKYNET 6 through a mixed economy of resources. The Interim Support is just one of a number of support contracts, therefore TUPE will not apply to this procurement 9. Can the Authority confirm which Defcons will apply to this contract? No Defcons will apply to this contract 10. Can the Authority provide an expected organisation structure? The existing team comprise of 47 people with a mix of civil servants, military and contractors. The team are deployed across 3 delivery teams SKYNET 6A, SKYNET Service Delivery Wrap and SKYNET 6 Enduring Capability as well as Systems Engineering and Requirements enabling layer. This procurement as advertised is seeking outcomes to support all 4 of these workstreams. 11. Can the Authority confirm which roles require DV clearance? The Authority have anticipated that supplier solutions will include a requirement for DV clearance within the system engineering function. Those shortlisted suppliers will be provided with additional information on the outcomes required and therefore the necessity or not for DV clearance support within the solution. 12. Can the Authority please confirm whether the proposal and cultural criteria detailed in the OJEU notice will only be applied to the submitted proposal or to all three assessment methods / stages (Written proposal, Work history and Presentation). The Authority will be evaluating the Proposal and cultural criteria against written proposal, work history and the presentation. 13. From the proposal criteria it is not clear how the Authority will assess a Bidders approach and capability to deliver the work within the SKYNET6 programme. Could the Authority confirm if the skills and experience criteria will be used as part of the evaluation of the proposal, work histories and presentation. Please could you confirm the method by which the technical score will be generated. The skills and experience criteria is the evaluation criterial for the down selection process. Whilst this information will be available to evaluators at the proposal stage it will not be re-evaluated. Those shortlisted suppliers will be provided with additional information on the outcomes required and invited to an assessment stage including a 2000 word proposal. The proposal and cultural fit criteria advertised will be evaluated against the proposal, work history and a presentation. 14. Could the Authority confirm and share how the price evaluation and value for money assessment will be conducted. As an outcome based contract, will it be based upon a total price for the requested outcomes? The price evaluation and VFM assessment will be based on total price. However a low price is not regarded as VFM if the Technical/Proposal criteria is assessed as not meeting the desired outcome. 15. Can the Authority please confirm the procurement timetable, in relation to the submission of the proposal, work histories, the presentation dates and contract award. The following are current planned dates:Proposal Submission by Suppliers 15/11/2017 including work HistoryPresentations planned for 30/11/2017 and/or 1/12/2017Contract Award planned for 22/12/2017" 16. Can the Authority confirm which roles and for which activities need to be single UK nationality, and must not have held dual nationality at any time. The Authority have anticipated that supplier solutions will include a requirement to review sensitive information within the system engineering function. Those shortlisted suppliers will be provided with additional information on the outcomes required and therefore the necessity or not for support within the solution to be single UK nationality. 17. IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING PAYMENTPlease see the accompanying answer for details of payment terms which should have been included in the original advert but which were inadvertently missed off. The method of payment for this contract will be via invoice submitted via CP&F (MOD’s electronic Contracting Purchasing and Finance) system. Other methods (i.e. manual invoicing) will not be considered.If you are unfamiliar with CP&F please see the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mod-contracting-purchasing-and-finance-e-procurement-system/cpf-guidance-for-suppliers 18. Can the Authority confirm whether or not the personnel supplied will be subject to IR35. The contract will not be subject to IR35.