TDA3 (Tactical Decision Aid) Development and Support

Tender description

Summary of the work TDA3 provides trained meteorologists with the ability to run configurable scenarios to provide mission-specific information to Defence customers. Delivery of new and enhanced modules to the existing TDA3 software code base is required as well as support for continued product lifecycle based upon user feedback. Expected Contract Length 2 years Latest start date Monday 14 October 2019 Budget Range Maximum £1.2 million which includes, but is not limited to, development, project planning and handover activities. Why the Work is Being Done Our Defence customers require new capabilities to meet their aspirations of improved interoperability and user experience in the Geospatial domain. These can’t be fully met by existing TDAs. There is a need to develop the current TDA3 application so that it can be deployed on Met Office and Defence customer environments, allowing pre-existing systems to be retired and new capabilities to be delivered. Pre-existing TDAs use deprecated technologies which are not sustainable for our customers. Problem to Be Solved There is a need for continuing development of point based TDA3 based on an existing Java Springboot based architecture. Development of area based TDAs based on a new architectural approach is also required. Who Are the Users Users are typically Defence meteorologists who use the outputs generated by the TDA3 system to determine the potential impact weather may have on Defence related activities around the world. The TDA3 system is also available for use by external organisations and countries, subject to MOD agreement. TDA3 can also be configured by users to produce data files for driving third party applications that are used by MOD. Work Already Done Over the last two years TDA3 has been developed to the stage where it is now being used operationally by selected users. Over 50% of the functionality needed to retire pre-existing systems has been delivered. Existing Team The Met Office in-house team consists of 1x Product Manager, 1x Solution Architect, 1x Technical Lead, 2x Back-end Developers, 1x Test Lead, 1x Project Manager. An additional Met Office developer will join the team early in this development. We have also been working with an incumbent supplier for development of the user interface and would anticipate a handover period to the successful candidate. Current Phase Beta Skills & Experience • Demonstrate experience of delivering complex software solutions working collaboratively with in-house teams • Demonstrate experience of tailored application of Agile methodologies, including Scrum and Kanban to meet prioritised project milestones • Proven ability to deploy software developers (SFIA PROG) up to and including level 5 • Demonstrate experience of Enterprise Java development including Spring, JPA and JNI • Proven experience in web UI development including JavaScript, HTML, Angular and CSS • Proven experience of delivering automated test suites • Proven experience of delivering automated software builds • Proven experience of automated software deployment • Demonstrate provision of a securely managed working environment outwith the Met Office environment • Demonstrate compliance with Cyber Essentials • Ability to provide SC level cleared staff Nice to Haves • Demonstrate experience delivering software projects for national or international Defence customers • Demonstrate experience of integration of scientific models and libraries • Demonstrate experience of advanced visualisation techniques used by scientific applications • Demonstrate experience of software build techniques and tools, specifically Jenkins, JIRA, GIT, Maven • Proven ability to deliver projects using cloud hosting services • Proven ability in exposing and consuming data via OGC services in GIS platforms • Proven ability in user-orientated approach to development, including prototyping techniques and UX • Demonstrate experience of performance testing using structured frameworks • Demonstrate experience of Behaviour Driven Development and Test Driven Development • Proven ability in using Continuous Integration and Continuous Delivery development approaches Work Location The successful candidate will be expected to work at Exeter Met Office HQ during handover and on-boarding activities. Remote working will then be preferred with regular attendance at Exeter Met Office HQ as agreed with the Met Office (see Working Arrangements). Working Arrangments A limited number of hot desks are available at Exeter Met Office HQ. Minimum engagement will be attendance at daily "stand-ups" (including remote attendance). Any supplier Technical Lead will work under the supervision of a Met Office Technical Lead and Solutions Architect. Outstanding work is logged in a product backlog which is continuously updated and prioritised by the Met Office Product Manager. Security Clearance SC cleared supplier staff will be required as soon as practicable. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria • Technical solution • How the approach or solution meets user needs • Estimated timeframes for the work • Approach and working methods • Value for money • Ability to meet security requirements included in Cyber Security Questionnaire Cultural Fit Criteria • Work as a team with our organisation and other suppliers • Be able to demonstrate effective remote working practices • Be prepared to coach and mentor in-house development teams • Plan to deliver knowledge transfer to the in-house team for the duration of the contract Payment Approach Time and materials Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 20% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers 1. Has the incumbent supplier been involved in the Beta product development to date, as opposed to just developing the User Interface? Yes, the incumbent has been involved in Beta development of the entire software stack in collaboration with the in-house team. But most of the incumbent supplier’s effort has been directed towards delivery of a new UI. 2. Regarding "Demonstrate provision of a securely managed working environment outwith the Met Office environment". Did you mean "outwith" or is this a typo? Yes we did mean to say outwith. We are looking for a demonstration of how the supplier would look after Met Office assets outside the Met Office control. For example, how would the supplier manage Met Office assets remotely?