CDS Infrastructure & Technology

Tender description

Why the Work is Being Done Customs Declaration Services (CDS) is a large scale IT change programme being delivered through a combination of in house delivery groups supplemented by external suppliers and procured Commercial off the Shelf (COTS) software. CDS is a strategically important programme for HMRC and is driven by the principal need to first dual run with, then replace and decommission the CHIEF (Customs Handling of Import/Export Freight) system and supports the wider HMRC EU Exit strategy. C&IT Infrastructure & Technology (I&T) is the group responsible for delivery of the infrastructure that hosts CDS products and components and the CI/CD strategy that underpins delivery. Problem to Be Solved We require a delivery partner to provide delivery of infrastructure and technology (I&T) components, delivery working in Scrum Teams, delivering phased sprints. The CDS system is live with minimal user base. External readiness teams want to increase migration of users from the CHIEF system against ambitious timelines. I&T must build the capability to support these ambitions. I&T delivery teams require additional capability to support delivery: * Live Support tooling to enable problem and incident resolution (logging / monitoring / alerting) * Ecosystem tooling to enable CI/CD and robust automation framework including test automation *Platform hardening including data encryption *Performance tuning Who Are the Users As UK Importer/Exporter we need capability to electronically submit HMRC declaration data so that movement of commodities across borders can be maintained with minimal disruption and delay. We need to ensure all electronic HMRC declaration data is valid and conforms to UK policies/tariffs so the correct duties can be collected, appropriate statistical information can be harvested and UK borders are protected against prohibitions and restrictions. CDS Service Support Team needs the right tooling available to monitor stability and performance of the CDS system so service is highly available and any potential disruption to the service can be suitably investigated. Early Market Engagement Work Already Done CDS is a live service that is under support on a Monday to Friday 9-5 basis. We are working against a maturing ecosytem using agile and devops methodologies for delivery. Scrum teams for monitoring, logging, encryption and database platforms are established and delivering. We are delivering and supporting a suite of environments in AWS including development, functional integration, stress, PVT, OAT and outwardly facing trade test. Existing Team We currently have a mixed team including in-house staff, existing Service Providers plus contingent labour contractors. There are currently a number of teams working on these services, in Southend. The successful supplier team will work with these existing capabilities. A part of the role of the supplier will be to assist HMRC in growing its own capability and we will expect a level of support for our staff at all levels from apprentice through to senior management. Current Phase Beta Work Location Alexander House, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS99 1AA Working Arrangments The supplier will report directly to I&T Head, providing performance metrics and other reports to demonstrate progress. HMRC will provide regular service feedback to facilitate continuous improvement. HMRC will provide list of tools required to be used for implementation. Line management and control of service delivery will be wholly the responsibility of the supplier. If appointed individual(s) replaced with equivalent resource during contract period, HMRC will be informed so they are able to access to systems and accommodation. The service provider to estimate their delivery on the basis of the team it provides. A fixed price proposal will be considered. Security Clearance BPSS but if working in Production then SC is required which HMRC will sponsor Additional T&Cs Additional HMRC specific terms in relation tax compliance among other things will be added to the call off contract Skills & Experience Have demonstrable experience providing relevant skills, roles and resources against variety of technologies required to form Scrum Team, scaling up and down teams to accommodate new requirements/changes within delivery pipeline. Have demonstrable experience of collaborative working with a client's ‘in-house’ teams, including coaching and mentoring, and knowledge sharing. Have demonstrable experience of integrating test automation within the delivery pipeline. Have demonstrable experience of delivering at pace to support ambitious programme milestones Evidenced outcomes of delivering performance improvements through multi technology optimisation/implementation in the last 3 years. Have good understanding of DevOps principles and benefits of CI/CD and are able to demonstrate ability to stay up to speed with current developments in platform automation and DevOps principles. Have demonstrable experience of proficiency with tools commonly used for automating deployments, particularly those used when adopting a DevOps framework including delivery of containerisation and AMI creation. Have demonstrable track record in recommending strategies that promote cost saving initiatives in relation to an enterprise cloud solution such as reserved instances and environment right-sizing. Nice to Haves Experience of working with a Public Sector body or relevent large organisation with evidence of adapting quickly to an organic architecture and shifting priorities. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 4 Proposal Criteria Technical solution Approach and methodology Team structure Value for money Cultural Fit Criteria Able to start on the work immediately. Have excellent communication skills with staff at all levels of the organisation Be willing to collaborate and partner, including with other suppliers and HMRC staff at all levels. Proactively share knowledge and experiences with members of team, especially with junior HMRC staff. Be innovative and promote ideas and suggestions as applicable Payment Approach Fixed price Assessment Method Written proposal Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 50% Cultural fit 10% Price 40% Questions from Suppliers Budget range £3 million