Materiel Strategy – Managed Service Providers – Work Package 1 – Project Delivery.

Descriptions

Defence services. Business and management consultancy and related services. The UK MOD's Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation has a requirement to appoint a number of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to transform and improve the operation of its project delivery. For this requirement project delivery is used to describe the totality of the products and services that DE&S delivers to MOD, be it procuring new military equipment, commodities and services, supporting in-service equipment through-life or managing global logistic operations.This requirement is part of the DE&S's wider Materiel Strategy change programme. Under the change programme, the DE&S organisation has been established as a Bespoke Central Government Trading Entity within the public sector from 1.4.2014, with new management freedoms and controls that are appropriate to its challenges and the specialist nature of its business.BackgroundDE&S performs a vital, bespoke and challenging role in the support of national security: it equips and supports the UK's Armed Forces for operations now and in future. In procuring and supporting new military equipment, commodities and services, supporting in-service equipment through life and managing global logistic operations, DE&S is responsible for delivering some of the most complex products and services in the world which covers some 14Bn GBP per annum of the MOD's total third party spend with industry. DE&S employs a mix of civil servants and military personnel, plus contractor staff to perform specialist roles and its internal workforce of over 12 000 personnel (as at 1.4.2014) is deployed at over 150 locations in the UK and overseas. The bulk of the workforce, however, is located on several main operating sites, with over half based at the main acquisition hub at Abbey Wood, Bristol.DE&S's activities range from the provision and support of complex platforms, such as nuclear submarines and combat aircraft, through the provision of global logistic operations in hostile environments, to the provision and support of high volume, low value items such as clothing and commodities, such as fuel and food. This often involves innovative technologies, complex safety assessments, sophisticated supply chains and a mix of sourcing strategies. The outputs from DE&S are used by the UK's Armed Forces in uncertain environments and operational roles that are subject to changing demands.DE&S's role therefore demands best-in-class business capabilities and standards that need to be suitable for a wide range of types of products and services, of widely varying value, complexity, uncertainty/risk and criticality/priority.RequirementThe Work Package is split into four contracts covering project delivery of each of the four Domains – Land, Fleet, Air and Joint Enablers.The MSPs will be a key provider of the services / requirements driving the DE&S Materiel Strategy change programme. They will drive a step-change improvement of project delivery across DE&S, be it procuring new military equipment, commodities and services, supporting in-service equipment through-life or managing global logistic operations. The MSPs will design, build, implement, help operate and embed a system of project management techniques and project controls across DE&S that will improve effectiveness and efficiency of its output delivery. Potential MSPs should note that DE&S is planning to appoint other MSPs for two further Work Packages – Work Package (WP) 2, Finance/Management Information/Information Technology (Fin/MI/IT) to transform and improve the operation of its financial and information management capability and Work Package (WP) 3, Human Resources, to build and embed its Human Resources capability.To successfully deliver the requirements, the MSPs will require significant experience and know-how of delivering complex technological products and services in demanding environments and will bring in high quality management and control techniques, including supplier management. They will have a key role in defining the behaviours required in the DE&S workforce and the MSPs' personnel must be role models of ‘what good looks like’ as DE&S transforms. The significant number of interfaces associated with the Materiel Strategy change programme, demands that the MSPs must adopt and be committed to a collaborative working approach.In delivering the contract the Project Delivery MSPs shall provide sufficient suitably qualified and experienced staff to deliver the requirements. This shall include a senior individual who is capable of operating in close support of the Chief of Materiel (MOD 3* civilian/military officer) for the relevant Domain and also staff to work in a ‘rainbow' central team comprising DE&S personnel and personnel from the other Work Package MSP organisations. The MSPs shall be able to make available additional suitably qualified and experienced personnel to undertake bounded project activities within the Domains as necessary.Companies are advised that they may bid for one or more Domains (up to all four), but will only be contracted to support a maximum of two Domains.Companies are requested to e-mail the Materiel Strategy Commercial team once their PQQ has been uploaded, to indicate which of the Domains they are intending to bid for, and if companies are interested in more than one Domain, please list in order of preference. E-mail: descdm-matstrat-commercialteam@mod.uk.An industry day for interested personnel will be held on 29 April at the Ministry of Defence, Abbey Wood, Bristol. Please register your interest in attending this event by 12:00, 24 April by sending an e-mail to: descdm-matstrat-commercialteam@mod.uk.