Next Generation Contracts Project Portfolio Management Services

Tender description

Summary of the work The Next Generation Contracts (NGC) project within the Home Office are looking for a Supplier to act as Project Portfolio Management Partner to work alongside the organisation and support the delivery of key projects. Initial departments are the National Communication Data Services (NCDS) and Digital Communications Capabilities Unit (DCCU) Expected Contract Length 24 months Latest start date Wednesday 1 February 2023 Budget Range Up to £5,000,000 across Contract Term with +20% Contingency (non-committal) Why the Work is Being Done The National Communications Data Service is an area within the Home Office that is moving towards new ways of working that will enable the organisation to deliver its strategic objectives over the next 2 - 5 Years. NCDS/DCCU work in three key areas being Live Services, New and Emerging and Projects (large and small) which all require a number of key supporting roles. This work is in support of our Next Generation Contracts (NGC) project which aims to improve strategic alignment, provide flexibility to respond to changes in Policy, products and our Workforce, maximise Return on Investment, encourage joint working, and enhance systems and service integration. The outcomes of this Opportunity will deliver the current and future requirements for the NGC project. The work will also support the "One Home Office" mission to become more strategically alligned across the DDaT space. Problem to Be Solved NCDS requires Project Portfolio Management (PPM) services based on Outcomes and Capabilities, to support NCDS delivery it's key objectives for the present and future. The current organisation does not contain the required capabilities needed to lead and support the organisation in maintaining its pace of delivery and within a complex area. There is therefore a requirement for a flexible and responsive Service that provides the correct capabilities to support the organisation and projects to ensure deliver, exit and transition are met against the agreed delivery milestones. The primary objective of this contract is to provide PPM Services to the Authority due to the lack of this skill set within the organisation, the secondary objective is the capability to flex with surges in additional PPM profession requirements and business change during the contract period, as required. The contract is expected to improve the internal capability with upskilling and Knowledge Transfer. Who Are the Users • NCDS sit within the Homeland Security Group (HSG) and are key stakeholders in the Communications Data Lawful Intercept (CDLI) Service Partnership; a multi-agency collaboration led by HSG. • The CDLI Partnership provides a wide number of relevant Public Authorities with sustained access to communications related data and other Lawful Intercept and Targeted Equipment Interference capabilities required to progress operations to detect and disrupt criminality, prosecute the perpetrators, protect the vulnerable, and save lives. • NCDS needs support in key PPM services across Home Office (NCDS/DCCU) in order to meet its objectives and Priorities. Work Already Done Currently we have an number of incumbents that has been delivering similar services to NCDS/DCCU since 2019. The original focus was around transition of tech from private to public cloud services and major projects. Existing Team The NCDS/DCCU currently have around three incumbent suppliers that provide PPM services to the organisation as well as internal Civil Servants. The team(s) are expected to collaborate with the blended team comprising Civil Servants and third-party supplier subject matter experts. Current Phase Not applicable Skills & Experience • Provide evidence of experience managing End to End Project Delivery, including risk management and the management of planning and dependencies, within Central Government organisation • Provide evidence of experience in delivering organisation-wide (client and supplier side) integration and stakeholder management within Central Government organisations • Provide evidence of experience controlling and managing delivery to budget(1) and demand for resources(2) at Portfolio and Project level within Central Government organisations • Provide evidence of experience delivering Supplier Management (Technical Delivery) within Central Government organisations • Provide evidence of experience in Business Cases writing (5 Case model) and Business Change (including Benefits Realisation) within Central Government organisations • Provide evidence of experience navigating governance and change control within Central Government organisations (Commercial and Business approvals etc) Nice to Haves • Provide evidence of experience and knowledge of working within the telecommunications industry • Provide evidence of experience and knowledge of working with big tech industry experience • Provide evidence of experience delivering PPM within the National Security and/or Law Enforcement space • Provide evidence of experience delivering PPM within the digital, data and technology space Work Location Base locations are 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF & Soapworks Colgate Ln, Salford M5 3LZ Working Arrangments Flexible/hybrid working with office attendance and specifics around face-to-face meetings to be set at a SOW level. The expectation is that the Supplier may work at their offices or at home, and will be required to attend our base location(s) for face-to-face meetings as required and requested. Security Clearance SC is required for all members of the team. Access to some DV cleared staff may be required. The HO will work with the supplier to ensure that capabilities dependent for the achievement of such outcomes are understood and planned for, including sponsorship of appropriate clearances where necessary. Additional T&Cs 1. We will retain ownership of the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) created during the contract. 2. Travel and Expenses will not be paid. 3. Key Supplier staff included at the proposal stage will be expected to work on the contract; replacing resources with Civil Servants is within outcome. 4. We reserve the right to agree fixed price Statements of Work (SoW); the Supplier shall not unreasonably withhold its agreement to such requests. 5. Sub-contracting is permitted. 6. Collaboration Agreement No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 3 Proposal Criteria • Supplier response to initial SOW detailing team structure and composition, evidencing the proposed team's skills, experiences and work history. (25 points) • PPM Model - including RAID, supplier and planning management, Technical delivery whilst minimising reliance on Buyer, against Supplementing existing resources and Supporting large projects scenarios. (25 points) • How you will deliver VFM for the Buyer across the full contract term e.g. free of charge resources and services, duration/volume based reduced margins, or alternative approaches. (10 points) • How will you deliver Social Value with the aim of tackling workforce inequality, specifically around supporting in-work progression and skill development of women and ethnic minorities. (10 points) • Proposed methodology in how you would impact assess innovative ideas/products created by the organisation (feasibility, affordability etc) and mobilising a team to support delivery. (10 points) • Proposed approach for dealing with integration management across the organisation that considers completing priorities and different stakeholders with different timelines. (20 points) Cultural Fit Criteria • Approach to sharing knowledge, skills and experience with our team of Civil Servants to support the building of internal capability. • Approach for responding to, managing, and overcoming project setbacks or errors that may be caused by people both within and outside of your team. Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method • Reference • Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 75% Cultural fit 5% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers 1. The NCDS/DCCU currently have around three incumbent suppliers that provide PPM services to the organisation as well as internal Civil Servants.”is this piece of work to unite all incumbents or is it a project to replace? also will the current incumbents be bidding as they would, understandably, have an unfair advantage on “cold” bidders This contract is designed as a replacement for existing contracts that are no longer fit for purpose based on the changes to the organisation, this will create a single PPM Contract. The questions have been structured to make the procurement open to any bidder who has PPM capability and Capacity to undertake the Service. 2. big tech”. Are you looking for familiarity with Microsoft, Amazon, Google, etc. technologies and architectures or with engaging to procure from these companies, supporting their systems, or some other aspect? We are looking Ideally for organisations who understand how the big tech companies operate and have a sound understanding of their products/services. Whilst this service will not need to fully understand the technologies or architecture, knowing the industry and how they work is beneficial. 3. Please could you provide confirmation of how we will provide our pricing for this requirement; will a template be provided Shortlisted bidders will be given a cost model that contains a scenario based cost evaluation and a rate card evaluation which will make up the 20% weighting. 4. Can the Authority confirm whether TUPE will apply to the full contract when it commences on 1/2/2023 TUPE will not apply to this contract. 5. Can NCDS confirm whether or not they consider there to be an incumbent Supplier for the requirements of this opportunity The opportunity is open to all bidders, the procurement activity is open and transparent where all bids will be evaluated against the detailed criteria. 6. Please could you say who the three incumbents are and the number/roles that they are fulfilling? Whilst the Authority uses multiple suppliers, the two main providers of PPM services are LA International and Roke Manor. At it's peak we had approx. 15-20 FTE's full time 7. Within the DOS notice you state that the NCDS/DCCU currently have around three incumbent suppliers that provide PPM services to the organisation, can you confirm if this contract is to replace these incumbents with a single supplier or to retain the incumbents and award work to a new supplier? This procurement will be to replace all existing PPM Services. There is expected to be a Knowledge Transfer phase for all inflight projects where an incumbent is delivering. There may be some exceptions, but the approach is to replace and take on new work. 8. Will NCDS make a minimum contractual spend commitment to the winning Supplier under this opportunity? The Authority will not set a minimum spend, however a SoW will be set within the first few weeks of the contract for a major project. 9. The questions asked refer to examples working within Central Government. Can I clarify whether MoD is considered as a Central Government Department and therefore any example citing them would be acceptable? Yes, MoD is an acceptable example for Central Government experience. 10. Can you clarify the IR35 position – “Supply of resource: the off-payroll rules will apply to any workers engaged through a qualifying intermediary, such as their own limited company” – essentially if our team operate through their own limited company are you assuming they are inside or outside the IR35 rules? The contract has been deemed as inside IR35 due to the levels or guidance and control from the Authority 11. Would engaging with HO on this opportunity restrict suppliers in the wider NGC future work? This would be on a case by case basis. As PPM Services are client side services, there may be occasions where this service has supported in defining requirements, which if this is the case would not be able to bid on that specific piece of work 12. Could you please clarify what you mean by ‘Central Government’ for example does a Government Arms Length Body count in this definition? The list of departments, agencies and public bodies can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations. These are what we would define as Central Government. 13. Are local authority and arms-length body case studies acceptable for the 5 case models? This will be for the bidder to evidence how the governance/scrutiny is similar to that of HMG 14. Please could you describe the types of project and makeup of the portfolio of projects that will be managed under this contract? Are they ICT projects, digital development, systems integration or other, and what number/size of projects? The pipeline of projects is currently under review which is subject to change. In the last 2 years, NCDS have conduct 1 large transformational project (Private Cloud to Public Cloud), and around 3 - 5 Medium size projects (Large > £5m, Medium < £5m).