SPS2454 - ICT Technology Partner

Tender description

Summary of the work Technology partner to provide: -Technology landscape/systems assessment -Recommend/advise that aspects of architecture/infrastructure should prioritise for modernisation -Future council technology development -large physical to cloud data migration in October 2022 preparation -Help plot a path away from our legacy systems -Staff remoteworking improvements -Provide bridging infrastructure/engineering skill set while team grows. Expected Contract Length 1 year with the option to extend for a further 1 year Latest start date Thursday 1 April 2021 Budget Range Up to £500k Why the Work is Being Done Please email andrew.clark@royalgreenwich.gov.uk for futher information Royal Borough of Greenwich has a new and ambitious digital strategy that identifies 6 key workstreams and major areas of opportunity. One of these is to radically improve our infrastructure, including moving services to the cloud. The lead department, Digital and Customer Services, is undergoing a significant restructure and building an entirely new team with in-house development capability. While that team will be able to realise our strategy independently in the future, we won’t have the full team for some time, and we need a partner to begin the work, advise us on our use of technology, and help our new team bed in and upskill. As a result of this work, we want the council to have modern, resilient and fully supported infrastructure, systems and platforms; to have a full and self-sufficient internal infrastructure skill-set, and to have achieved some of the major milestones prioritised as a result of the work. Problem to Be Solved Royal Borough of Greenwich is beginning to realise its digital strategy. We have some clear internal and external delivery priorities for the year, but we don’t yet have the team in place to deliver on these. In particular, our technology function is growing at a slow pace, with some skills and strategic roles proving difficult to recruit to, but we have some major pieces of work on the horizon which need specific and intense technical advice and development. We need a technology partner to: • Assess our current technology landscape and systems • Provide us recommendations and advice about which aspects of our architecture and infrastructure we should prioritise for modernisation • Help us develop a vision for the future of technology in the council • Help us to prepare for a large physical to cloud data migration in October 2022 • Help us to plot a path away from our legacy systems • Help us to improve remote working for our staff • Provide us a bridging infrastructure engineering skill set while our team is growing. Who Are the Users The users are residents and staff of Royal Greenwich Council Early Market Engagement None Work Already Done You can read our new strategy here: https://www.royalgreenwich.gov.uk/blog/digital/post/103/we%E2%80%99ve-published-our-first-digital-strategy-at-the-royal-borough-of-greenwich Existing Team We have a technology team of around 20 people across infrastructure, application support and service desk. We don’t currently have any architects, cyber-security experts or hands-on infrastructure engineers. Current Phase Not applicable Skills & Experience • Technical architecture, including knowledge of cross-government patterns and platforms, knowledge of Java and PHP, knowledge of AWS and Azure • Infrastructure engineering, including knowledge of AWS and Azure • Software engineering, including knowledge of Java as well as common API protocols such as REST • Business analysis, preferably with technology-heavy skill set • Cyber-security/ethical hacking including knowledge of NCSC guidance and good practice • Knowledge of modern remote desktop/VPN protocols • Knowledge of managing and configuring enterprise-wide networks Work Location Likely to be initially from home due to Covid restrictions, but moving over the summer and beyond to up to 3 days per week at The Woolwich Centre, 35 Wellington Street, London SE18 6HQ. Working Arrangments We would eventually prefer co-location onsite for 3 days a week (as soon as Covid-19 allows), most weeks in order to engage with the current team, building broader engagement with the style of working (eg through show and tells), and capability building activity through activities such as pair programming/design review. However, we also know that remote working is both possible and will also be necessary over the next few months. Security Clearance BPSS – we will ask for evidence of this from incoming partner staff Additional T&Cs None No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Ability to meet the team size and skill criteria set out • Understanding our needs across delivery, upskilling and support/handover - Clarity of approach • Experience from a similar engagement Cultural Fit Criteria • Work as a team with our organisation and other suppliers • Be transparent and collaborative when making decisions • Share knowledge and experience with other team members • Take responsibility for their work • Have a no-blame culture and encourage people to learn from their mistakes • Ability to put forward a representative team for the diversity of our council and borough Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method • Case study • Work history • Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 50% Cultural fit 20% Price 30% Questions from Suppliers 1. Latest start date 1st April 2021? is that a mistake? This is a typing error. The confirmed start date is 1st August 2021. 2. Additional Information. (Part 1) We expect the following outputs from the period of engagement:1.One or more architectural diagrams and associated documents, mapping whole of the RBG technical/systems landscape.2.Recommendations document setting out our options for improving remote desktop/VPN, as well as engineering necessary to redesign/rebuild if agreed3.Documentation as necessary to support our transition to the cloud. This documentation may relate to our data centre migration or to wider cloud engineering or replatforming4.Newly developed code as necessary, engineered to agreed cross-government standards and published if appropriate5 A recommendations document about cyber-security in the council, followed by newly engineered services/components as necessary 3. Additional Information (Part 2 and Final) We expect the following outputs from the period of engagement:6. A skills assessment and recommendations as to key skills gaps.7. Full documentation of anything else built, advised upon or recommended.8. Assistance in recruiting our infrastructure and application support teams, including advising on technical skills to put into job specifications, and potentially sitting on recruitment panels or technical tests.9. Some dual running of partner skills and our skills.10. A series of handover meetings with our team at the point the partner leaves, allowing us to be fully self-sufficient. 4. The opportunity lists the start date as 1st April 2021, and my time machine is broken.... :-). Please could you confirm if a future start date would be possible, as opposed to one in the past. As already answered in Q.1. This is a typing error and the start date is 1st August 2021. 5. Please can you clarify the reason for the Off-payroll determination and whether you would consider applications from a business whose operating model utilises outside IR35 resource with appropriate contracts and working practices. RBG will consider companies who use external people (eg an associate model) to be outside of IR35 and welcome applications from such organisations provided they have the appropriate contracts in place with associate and subcontracted organisations 6. Evaluation Criteria (Part 1) Technical Competence: Total 50 % Broken down as below:Ability to meet the team size and skill criteria set out - 20%Understanding our needs across delivery, upskilling and support/handover - Clarity of approach 20%Experience from a similar engagement 10% 7. Evaluation Criteria (Part 2) Cultural Fit: Total 20% Broken Down as below:Work as a team with our organisation and other suppliers 4%Be transparent and collaborative when making decisions 4%Share knowledge and experience with other team members 4%Take responsibility for their work 3%Have a no-blame culture and encourage people to learn from their mistakes 3%Ability to put forward a representative team for the diversity of our council and borough 2% 8. Evaluation Criteria (Part 3) Price 30%Price will be evaluated based on the blended rate card provided by bidders using the formula:Lowest Price/bid price x price weighting % 9. Evaluation (Part 4) Scoring Rationale: 0-5:0 = No response1 = Weak Response (Serious Reservations)2= Poor response (Minor reservations)3 = Acceptable Response (Meets Expectations)4 = Good Response (Above Expectations)5 - Excellent Response (Outstanding with added value)