Counter Disinformation Data Platform Digital /Technical Project Management Team

Tender description

Summary of the work DCMS are seeking a supplier team to lead on an outcome-based contract to provide the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to lead a process of discovery, development and delivery for a prototype technological solution designed to address barriers of cross-Whitehall working and create a commonly understood information picture of disinformation. Expected Contract Length 18 months, optional 3 months extension. Option for Customer to terminate after phase 1 Latest start date Monday 18 October 2021 Budget Range Total project estimated cost of £1,500,000 to £2,000,000 (for the complete project). DCMS anticipates that the Discovery phase (Phase 1) should cost no more than £300k - £400k. Why the Work is Being Done Disinformation is a multifaceted issue which requires a number of areas of cross-government expertise and, as a result, monitoring, analysis and policy functions are spread across a number of departments and agencies. Whilst DCMS provides coordination of these efforts, there exist several significant limitations to more effective use of data, with enhanced capability increasingly needed to produce a comprehensive picture of disinformation and to support our response to the growing threat that it poses. DCMS has been successful in securing funding to deliver the Counter-Disinformation Data Platform project. The overarching objective of this pilot project is to improve HMG’s counter-disinformation capability: developing a more accurate, detailed and targeted understanding how harmful narratives are emerging and evolving over time, improving counter-disinformation data sharing across relevant government stakeholders, limiting duplication of effort and enabling effective interventions which reduce harm. We are looking for a multi-disciplinary supplier team to partner with to provide the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to lead a process of discovery, development and delivery for a prototype technological solution designed to address barriers and create a commonly understood information picture of disinformation. Problem to Be Solved We are seeking a supplier team to help us to develop and deliver a digital solution designed to ingest and store anonymised social media data, to allow for large scale analysis of narrative trends to understand how these are evolving over time. This solution will identify key areas of risk and help HMG to address the evolving and sophisticated tactics used by malign actors, with an overall goal of mitigating the negative impacts of mis/disinformation and reducing harm. The contracted project team will be involved across two phases of the project and will be responsible for delivering the outcome. To achieve this, the team will be expected to lead a Discovery process in Phase 1 (3 months), exploring and testing innovative ways of addressing barriers, understanding users needs and working through a range of questions which will need to be answered to ensure the feasibility of the project. The team will then project manage the development and the process of the technical build in Phase 2 through the Delivery phase (lasting approximately 12-14 months) informing the design of the solution. The discovery phase must be completed by January 2022 and the solution must be in place by March 2023. Who Are the Users Users will be internal teams across government. Primary users of the solution will be a team of analysts, who will use the anonymised social media data to produce insight to inform policymakers. Analysts Analysts will need to have access to anonymised social media data and analytical tools at an appropriate level, including accessing data which is held outside individual departments to generate high quality insights to inform policy making and delivery. Analysts will be based in teams across Government and will use the platform to connect, collaborate and share with other users across departmental boundaries and silos. Policymakers Policymakers need a whole-of-government, shared understanding of disinformation and an enhanced approach to developing and delivering government interventions, informed by data and using all available tools. Early Market Engagement Prior to this tender we took part in an early-market engagement exercise. We shared our initial specification and invited four suppliers to discuss the most appropriate delivery route. We also encouraged suppliers to comment on our strategic approach to procurement and our specification of requirements. The results of engagement have informed the requirements, with the key changes in approach being that the team who will deliver the technical build will be procured separately, potentially prior to the beginning of Phase 2, to allow for the findings of Discovery to shape the requirements. Work Already Done We have had initial contact with other key government stakeholders who are likely to be users of the platform, to confirm their support for the project. No further work has been conducted and there is no incumbent. Existing Team The supplier will work alongside the DCMS Counter Disinformation Data Platform internal project management team of three. This team’s responsibilities include administering contracts, providing secretariat for project delivery meetings and governance and leading cross-Government engagement. The project will also be supported by five project-specific analysts. Other relevant government departments will also be providing support and input on the content and format. The supplier will not be expected to deliver the technical build of the solution, in Phase 2 but will project manage this process and will work alongside and interact with the contracted team as required. Current Phase Not started Skills & Experience • Have demonstrable experience of digital/ technical project management, taking an agile approach to the design and delivery of services • Have demonstrable experience in conducting Discovery and applying the principles of user centred design to the development of digital solutions • Have demonstrable experience in leading a project through Alpha and Beta stages of technical delivery to deliver a prototype digital solution • Have the ability to assess the benefits and risks of options and make recommendations as to which are most appropriate to explore further • Have the ability to assess and identify the significance of existing barriers around data sharing • Have demonstrable experience designing data structures and creating solutions which take into account legal, practical and ethical barriers and concerns • Have demonstrable experience of leading and coordinating multidisciplinary/multi-organisation teams • Have demonstrable experience of developing work requiring data & process to be handled with elevated security measures • Have demonstrable experience working to the GDS Service Standard, including the Service Design Manual, Technology Code of Practice and wider industry standards • Have demonstrable experience of delivering solutions that fulfil WCAG 2.1 standards Nice to Haves • Demonstrate experience of working on digital projects for organisations of a similar size and complexity • Demonstrate experience of developing strategies for better use of data across organisations/departments • Demonstrate experience of designing collaborative services for use by multiple organisations/departments • Demonstrate experience working with secure data in similar environments • Provide evidence of strong knowledge of government and industry data security legislation, policy, patterns, standards • Provide evidence of strong knowledge/ experience of working on projects relating to/understanding of safety tech, disinformation and related risks to the information environment Work Location Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we expect the supplier will conduct the majority of their work remotely in the UK, however, as restrictions ease there may be a requirement for entry to the London Office (100 Parliament Street, London SW1A 2BQ) for face to face meetings. Working Arrangments The Supplier will be expected to work off-site using their own devices. Throughout the duration of the project we expect: Weekly check-in video calls with the internal project team; Monthly updates on progress remotely/ over video call while restrictions are in place and potentially in person when it becomes safe to do so; Ad-hoc calls/meetings as needed by default video calls but if necessary these may happen in person if it is in line with government guidance. All expenses must be included within the supplier's fee. Security Clearance All supplier personnel involved in this project should have a valid Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) clearance as minimum prior to starting work. Security Check (SC) clearance will be necessary for at least one member of the team. Additional T&Cs The standard contract will be used. Note that the contract will have a break clause at the end of Phase 1 (est. December 2021) with the customer retaining the right to terminate the contract following Discovery. One of the outputs from Discovery will be a review detailing the feasibility of the project, providing assurances that the proposed approach is viable and will work. Funding for subsequent phases of the work will be dependent on an assessment of this review by HM Treasury officials. No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • Conflict of Interest (Pass/Fail) • Cyber essentials/ Cyber essentials plus ISO27001 (Pass/Fail) • Understanding of Project Objectives - 10% • Proposed Approach and Methodology - 15% • How the approach aligns with the Cabinet Office’s service standard delivery methodology - 5% • Skills, Expertise and Capacity - 10% • Understanding of the Sector - 10% • Project Management and Delivery - 10% • Case Study - 5% Cultural Fit Criteria • Work collaboratively as a team with our organisation and with other suppliers, being comfortable making recommendations to non-technical audiences - 3% • Have a committed, proactive and ethical approach to work - 5% • Have experience of working with organisations of a similar size and complexity and with a range of different stakeholders - 2% Payment Approach Fixed price Assessment Method Case study Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 65% Cultural fit 10% Price 25% Questions from Suppliers 1. Under stage 2 you mention:“Cyber essentials/ Cyber essentials plus ISO27001 (Pass/Fail)”Do you need all 3 to gain a Pass? If so, shouldn’t this be under the 1st stage Essential skills section? Cyber Essentials is a prerequisite for all suppliers bidding for UK government contracts that involve the handling of sensitive and/or personal information and we would expect suppliers to have certification of either Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials plus, as well as ISO27001. 2. Could you confirm the anticipated team size and roles you would expect for this assignment? The proposed makeup of the team is one of the selection criteria and so we are looking for suppliers to propose the size and make up of the team you deem to be appropriate against the requirement. 3. Please confirm the primary interfaces and any adjacent projects or programmes with which the team will have to collaborate during the course of Discovery? Further information about stakeholders etc. will be shared with the successful supplier and managed by the internal project team. 4. With which departments, i.e. PAG – do DCMS anticipate sharing information in the Disinformation Data Platform? This will be shared with the successful supplier 5. Please could you disclose the name of the Authority’s strategic partner or any extant supplier that has helped the Authority to secure the funding to deliver the Disinformation Data Platform? The funding was secured by an internal Authority team. 6. Is there a current incumbent supplier and if so please share who that is? There is no incumbent supplier. 7. Which supplier helped with the Disinformation Data Platform business case? The business case was created by an internal Authority team 8. Is there an existing infrastructure environment (dev, test or prod) that might be part of discovery? This is a new requirement with no pre existing infrastructure environment. 9. Which of the suppliers participated in the Disinformation Data Platform early market engagement and what steps are the Authority taking to level the competitive field? DCMS view this as confidential information.DCMS has commenced this procurement, via the DOS framework to ensure transparent, open and fair competition following the guidance for pre-tender market engagement. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/talking-to-suppliers-before-you-buy-digital-marketplace-services. 10. What levels of protective marking are likely to apply to the service? This is to be confirmed through the project though is likely to be Official. There may be a requirement for higher classification which would be scoped as part of the discovery. 11. Is it possible for the Authority to share more information about the senior business user for the Disinformation Data Platform and their objectives for the assignment? The objective for the project is to provide a shared view of the disinformation threats across departments to inform better responses to the threat. The primary objectives of the project are to:Improve HMG’s understanding of the threat of disinformation and therefore its ability to respond effectively;Improve counter-disinformation data sharing across relevant government stakeholders;Improve consistency and effectiveness of government analysis of counter-disinformation data; andImprove counter-disinformation threat information sharing with wider Government Departments. 12. What delivery approaches, i.e. Lean-Agile, SAFe, etc is the Authority using that are likely to apply to this assignment? This is a new requirement with no pre existing delivery approaches. It would be for the delivery partner to propose their approach. We expect suppliers to align to practices and principles that enable continuous, user-centred product delivery in a complex environment. As such, your proposed delivery approach must cope well with ambiguity and be highly responsive and change-tolerant 13. Can the Authority confirm any interfaces that the Disinformation Data Platform is likely to have – notwithstanding the fact that discovery has yet to take place? No decision has been made, we anticipate that this will be scoped as part of the discovery work. 14. The Authority has asked, “Demonstrate experience of working on digital projects for organisations of a similar size and complexity.” Is the Authority able to share any volumetrics to inform this response, i.e. data volumes, End Users, transactions per second, number of interfaces, etc? We do not have volumetric data to inform the response as we anticipate that these issues will be scoped as part of the discovery work. For this criteria we are looking for evidence of experience of working with organisations with a range of competing stakeholder needs and motivations, which may have a complex organisational structure 15. Can you explain what is meant by “Experience of tailoring delivery approaches in line with performance” – are you looking to tie payment to delivery performance, or do you mean something else? By tailoring, we mean the supplier would have experience in managing flexible and agile projects and revisiting their approach if needed due to changing dependencies. The use of ‘performance’ refers to the expected progress against agreed planned activities for both client & supplier. 16. Has a decision been made as to whether this would sit on Azure or AWS or another Public Cloud Service Provider? No decision has been made. 17. Do you accept bids for partners that are exclusively for Azure, AWS or another cloud service provider? We would expect to explore a range of options through discovery, though we remain open to the recommendations of the supplier. 18. We hold Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation but we are not ISO27001 certified, is that a PASS or FAIL against the proposal criteria? We would expect suppliers to have certification of either Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials plus, as well as ISO27001. Lack of ISO27001 certification would be a fail against the proposed criteria. 19. Considering this statement: “The supplier will not be expected to deliver the technical build of the solution, in Phase 2 but will project manage this process and will work alongside and interact with the contracted team as required.”Please could you confirm if the winning supplier for this piece of work will also be able to bid (and if selected, deliver) the build contract? The successful supplier will have the opportunity to bid for the delivery of the build contract. This will be tendered through a separate process 20. Please could you provide some information about what you would see the make-up of the procured supplier team being? In particular, the types of roles and if you have a view at this stage of the approximate size The proposed makeup of the team is one of the selection criteria and so we are looking for suppliers to propose the size and make up of the team you deem to be appropriate against the requirement. 21. Please can you confirm if being chosen as the successful supplier for the Project Management Team will preclude that supplier from any future procurement concerning the technical build in Phase 2? The successful supplier will have the opportunity to bid for the delivery of the build contract. This will be tendered through a separate process. 22. As Cyber Essentials and ISO27001 are different, please can you confirm whether you require Cyber essentials/Cyber essentials Plus Certification AND ISO27001 accreditation, or whether this is an either/or requirement? We would expect suppliers to have certification of either Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials plus, as well as ISO27001. Lack of ISO27001 certification would be a fail against the proposed criteria. 23. Are you content for bidders to use private sector examples for the Essential and Nice to Have skills and experience providing the example provided is relevant to the question posed? We believe our private sector experience will be valuable in the context of some of the questions posed. Yes, we are content for suppliers to use private sector examples where relevant. We are looking for suppliers to demonstrate that they have the Essential and Nice-to-have Skills and Experience when responding to the questions, and we will consider any relevant experience that allows them to demonstrate this. 24. Do you anticipate there will be a gap between Discovery and Build (phase 2)? In our current draft timelines, the Discovery Phase (Phase 1) is expected to last 3 months between October and December 2021. The Delivery Phase (Phase 2) is then expected to start in January 2022, so we do not anticipate a large gap between the phases, though there will be a short review period to ensure feasibility of the second phase. Note that timelines may be subject to change 25. For question “Provide evidence of strong knowledge/ experience of working on projects relating to/understanding of safety tech, disinformation and related risks to the information environment” please could you elaborate on what you are looking for in terms of “safety tech” in the context of this project? Safety tech refers to the development of technology or solutions to facilitate safer online experiences, and to protect users from harmful content, contact or conduct. We are looking for suppliers to provide evidence of experience or understanding ways in which technology or solutions can be applied to the challenge of identifying and responding to mis/disinformation or related harms. 26. In a previous question you stated ‘Lack of ISO27001 certification would be a fail against the proposed criteria.’ If a supplier were currently going through the process of accreditation and could demonstrate a plan of how they were going to achieve ISO accreditation by a certain date, would this meet the pass criteria? Where ISO accreditation does not exist potential suppliers must demonstrate as part of their response at what stage they are in the accreditation process. They should provide indicative timeframes on when they expect to receive this by and the organisation undertaking the assessment. Ideally this should be in place at the point of contract award for assurance purposes and is a mandated requirement. 27. Considering your statement “The results of engagement have informed the requirements, with the key changes in approach being that the team who will deliver the technical build will be procured separately, potentially prior to the beginning of Phase 2, to allow for the findings of Discovery to shape the requirements.”, are there any other reasons why the procurement is being split? Procurement is being split as the contract includes a break clause scheduled at the end of Phase 1, in December 2021. The continuation of the project is subject to HMT releasing the funding for Phase 2 following the submission of a review detailing the feasibility of the project, and providing assurances that the proposed approach will work after the end of the planned discovery work.The break clause allows us to terminate the contract in the unlikely event that we are unable to proceed with the project, or if the supplier is not adequately meeting the needs of the contract. 28. With regards to IP, if a supplier were to invest its own funding in the development of the deliverable, therefore reducing the costs significantly, would you consider providing perpetual royalty free rights to use the research outcome for the purposes of developing a product independently of the customer? We would not be able to facilitate this, though we may explore options to provide wider access to the solution as part of the project. 29. To provide a little wider context, please could you share some examples of the sort of disinformation that would be relevant here? HMG defines Disinformation as the deliberate creation and dissemination of false and/or manipulated information that is intended to deceive and mislead audiences, either for the purposes of causing harm, or for political, personal or financial gain. 30. Can you confirm whether or not the complete budget for this work also includes a future build project? If yes, can you please give an indication of what proportion of that complete budget you expect to make available for this work? 31. Can you confirm whether or not the complete budget for this work also includes a future build project?If yes, can you please give an indication of what proportion of that complete budget you expect to make available for this work? DCMS anticipate that the total estimated cost of the Project Management Team will be between £1,500,000 and £2,000,000 for the entire process (both ‘discovery’ in Phase 1, and ‘delivery’ in Phase 2). There is a separate budget for the supplier team who will be procured before delivery in Phase 2 to build the solution. 32. Could you clarify the precise contractual delivery responsibilities for the supplier team in P2 as it is unclear whether the scope is to lead delivery, take responsibility for the outcome or project manage another unspecified supplier’s delivery. The documentation states:“seeking a supplier team to…lead a process of discovery, development and delivery for a prototype.”“supplier team will be responsible for delivering the outcome.”“team will then project manage the development and the process of the technical build in P2”“supplier will not be expected to deliver the technical build of the solution...but will project manage” In ‘discovery’ in Phase 1, the Project Team will define the technical build team requirements.In the ‘delivery’ in Phase 2, the Project Team will be augmented by the procurement of additional specialists who will inform the design and the development of the data platform project, and will be contracted to build the solution itself. In Phase 2, the Project Team will manage project development and the process of the technical build of the solution, ensuring that adequate protections are in place for freedom of expression and privacy and providing sufficient protections to keep data anonymised, with regular stakeholder testing. 33. What proportion of the total project estimated cost of £1,500,000 to £2,000,000 is ring-fenced for the supplier who will deliver the technical build of the solution, and what portion is allocated to this project management task? DCMS anticipate that the total estimated cost of the Project Management Team will be between £1,500,000 and £2,000,000 for the entire process (both ‘discovery’ in Phase 1, and ‘delivery’ in Phase 2). There is a separate budget for the supplier team who will be procured before delivery in Phase 2 to build the solution 34. Why is the digital solution required to ingest and store only social media data that is anonymised? To ensure that adequate protections are in place for freedom of expression and privacy, it will be important that the data is anonymised. 35. What is the required ‘Technology Readiness Level’ (TRL) of the ‘prototype technological solution’ on delivery of the solution in March 2023 (https://www.gov.uk/government/news/guidance-on-technology-readiness-levels) Answering these questions ahead of the discovery phase would be premature.The Project Team is expected to use the agile approach to project management to build and run the service. Agile methods encourage teams to build quickly, test what they’ve built and iterate their work based on regular feedback. As such, where applicable, this agile approach will inform the TRL throughout the discovery and delivery phases. 36. What is the expected scope of supplier responsibility for both business design and technical design under this contract? It is unclear whether design responsibility rests with this team, or the supplier who will deliver the technical build of the solution; or whether the technical build supplier is responsible for both technical and business design. The tender states:• “the solution must be in place by March 2023”.• “The team will then project manage the development and the process of the technical build … informing the design of the solution” In ‘discovery’ in Phase 1, the Project Team will define the technical build team requirements.In the ‘delivery’ in Phase 2, the Project Team will be augmented by the procurement of additional specialists who will inform the design and the development of the data platform project, and will be contracted to build the solution itself. In Phase 2, the Project Team will manage project development and the process of the technical build of the solution, ensuring that adequate protections are in place for freedom of expression and privacy and providing sufficient protections to keep data anonymised, with regular stakeholder testing. 37. In what capacity are you expecting the contracted team to participate in the procurement for the team who will deliver the technical build? The successful supplier of this procurement will be the project team to lead the process of ‘discovery’ in Phase 1. In this phase, the project team will help to define the technical build team requirements and contribute to the procurement of the team who will deliver the technical build in the ‘delivery’ in Phase 2.The team who will deliver the technical build will be tendered through the Digital Marketplace in a separate process.