Delivery Manager – Digital Archiving Infrastructure

Description

Summary of the work Delivery Manager required for a blend of on-going and new project work, involving: - Team coaching; backlog refinement; obstacle removal; progress tracking; meeting facilitation Engagement with prospective suppliers and peer organisations Production of requirements documentation in collaboration with team Project planning, stakeholder and procurement process management Specialist role Delivery manager Expected Contract Length 12 months, with the possibility of extension for a period of up to 6 months Latest start date Saturday 1 May 2021 Maximum Day Rate £600 + VAT per day Early Market Engagement The archival storage service currently in use at The National Archives is now approaching its end of life. With this in mind, an investigation of the storage market to gain an understanding of the range of technical solutions that are available was undertaken. Over the last 18 months, we have developed and maintained contact with a number of prospective suppliers and peer organisations and we now have a reasonable level of understanding of what the market has to offer and the benefits and disadvantages of a variety of different solutions. Based on this, we now have an outline design and the plan is to proceed with a hybrid architecture for the new archival storage service. The work involved in achieving this will form the main project that the specialist will help to deliver. Who Speclialist Work With The Delivery Manager will report to the Service Owner of Digital Archiving Infrastructure and will work with a team of technical specialists, together with colleagues across The National Archives; e.g. from the IT Operations, Estates and Procurement departments. In addition, the Delivery Manager will need to work collaboratively with a range of external partners and suppliers. What Specialists Work On Working closely with the Service Owner for Digital Archiving Infrastructure, the specialist will deliver a blend of on-going and new projects to support the work of the Digital Archiving department. Work will include: Coaching of the infrastructure team to enable successful delivery; backlog refinement; obstacle removal; progress tracking; meeting facilitation Engagement with prospective suppliers and peer organisations Production of tender documentation in collaboration with the team for the supply, installation and support of a replacement archival storage service Stakeholder management Management of the procurement process and planning for the new archival storage service Skills & Experience • Strong track record in building an agile working culture and of enabling a multi-disciplinary team to deliver services successfully • Good level of understanding of Information Technolog • Experience in the gathering of background information and the production of requirement specifications for an IT system or digital service • Proven experience in delivering a significant IT system or digital service • Excellent communication skills and the ability to present findings in a compelling way • Excellent stakeholder management • Ability to liaise transparently and equally with prospective suppliers Nice to Haves • Experience of working within GDS standards and best practice • Practical experience of hybrid system environments • Knowledge of a broad range of storage technologies • An understanding of the Archives – ideally digital – sector Work Location The National Archives UK, Kew, TW9 4DU https://tinyurl.com/yyzk83qo Working Arrangments Full time 5 days a week. The Digital Archiving Infrastructure team is located at The National Archives in Kew, Surrey. Whilst under pandemic restrictions, working arrangements are from home. All expenses must be included in the quoted rate. Security Clearance BPSS (If required, security clearance can be organised.) Additional T&Cs None No. of Specialists to Evaluate 4 Cultural Fit Criteria • Work as a team with our organisation and external partners / suppliers • Be transparent and collaborative when making decisions • Have a no-blame culture and encourage people to learn from their mistakes • Take responsibility for their work • Share knowledge and experience with other team members • Can work with clients with less technical expertise Assessment Method • Reference • Interview Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 65% Cultural fit 15% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers 1. Is there a current incumbent? No. 2. Is this in scope for IR35? We have checked the role requirements (to the best of our knowledge) using the assessment tool found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-employment-status-for-tax and the determination for the role(s) as advertised is that the intermediaries legislation does apply to this engagement. For this reason we will be adding clauses to the contract which ensure the appointed supplier is responsible for PAYE, NI and all other tax arrangements and that we will have the ability to audit compliance. 3. You mention ‘Information Technolog’ in the essential skills. Is this a typo, and do you mean Information Technology? Yes. 4. The earliest start date is 1st May 2021 which is a Saturday – presumably the actual start date would be the Monday following this date? Correct, latest start date should read Monday 3 May 2021. 5. What is the timeframe between close of applications to next stages for suppliers? If we are putting forward one applicant for the position how long would we be expected to keep that individual available whilst the supplier bid process is run? I understand this has a May start date – potentially 2 months? After receiving written submissions, we expect to interview on Tuesday 30 March 2021 and hope to reach an award decision that day. Then allowing time to agree contract terms and sign, obtain security clearance (which normally takes 2-3 weeks) and allowing for Easter, we felt a LATEST start date of Monday 3 May 2021 was realistic. However if the process can be completed more quickly, an earlier start is possible. The candidate on which your written submission is based, and is interviewed, must be the same one to work on the contract. 6. In regard to your response to Q2, please can you confirm if we propose a specialist (worker) who is an existing employee with us, and we are not a PSC (personal service company), then the off-payroll rules will not apply. If the worker is an existing employee, on your payroll, and is having PAYE and NI deducted at source, then you are correct that the off-payroll rules will not apply. 7. Hello, is this inside or outside of IR35 please? Please see Question 2 8. Regarding remote working, how many days on-site is required? Remote working as such has not been offered for this role. The appointee will be expected to work along with the other members of the team; the team are currently home-working as per lockdown restrictions. Discussions are ongoing as to what 'new normal' working patterns might look like post-lockdown, balancing on-site and remote working for all staff at The National Archives. Without prejudicing those discussions, we anticipate on-site working for approximately 3 days per week. We will discuss remote working options/possibilities with the appointee at the time of appointment. 9. What Technologies are you using? We currently use a range of technologies including the following: - HPE servers running Red Hat LinuxNetApp, Oracle and HPE disk arraysOracle StorageTek robotic tape libraryCisco firewall and network switchesAWS cloud servicesWith regard to storage systems specifically, we have been in discussions with a number of prospective suppliers and are open to utilising different technologies in the future. 10. Is the maximum day rate inclusive of supplier costs? Yes. 11. Is the role inside or outside IR35? Please see Questions 2 and 6. 12. Regarding the answer to question 2, could you please confirm whether the role is inside or outside IR35? We can only restate our answer to Question 2, alongside the answer to Question 6. The HMRC assessment tool has indicated that the Intermediaries Regulations apply to this engagement (i.e. in scope for IR35). 13. We have a small business with a number of employees working on a number of different projects. Our company supplies delivery managers, developers etc and will provide substitutes for illness if needed. By definition, none of our staff fall under IR35. Are we therefore precluded from applying for this engagement? Our understanding of the Intermediaries Regulations is that the role and the contract dictates the HMRC status determination, not the contractor. As stated in Question 2, we have checked the role specifications, which will in turn be reflected in the contract (for example, we will retain the right to reject a substitute), and the outcome is that the role is in scope. You are not precluded from applying, but the contract will specify that the Intermediaries Regulations apply. 14. The response to Q13 appears to contradict the response to Q6. Please can you clarify the situation when the specialist (worker) is an existing employee of the supplier, as described in Q13 and Q6. Apologies for any confusion. Provided the individual working under this contract is a direct employee of the organisation, having PAYE and NI deducted at source and with no 'intermediary' entity, such as a Personal Service Company, then the off-payroll rules will not apply. However our response to Question 13 stands insofar as we will retain the right to reject a substitute, and this will be reflected in the contract. The contract will also include clauses allowing us to audit to ensure tax and NI are paid appropriately. 15. The response to Q13 appears to contradict the response to Q6. Please can you clarify the situation when the specialist (worker) is an existing employee of the supplier, as described in Q13 and Q6. Part 2 - At contract award we will issue a Status Determination Statement in relation to the IR35 status. As stated at Question 2, at this time and with certain assumptions, we expect that determination to be that the role is in scope for IR35. It will be a matter for the appointed supplier to ensure compliance with relevant tax law from that point forward. 16. Given that this role is deemed to be within IR35, may I ask if benefits available to your permanent employees will also be made applicable to the successful candidate, for example longer notice periods, sick pay, holiday pay, training, pensions, and any other employment rights? No such benefits will be offered. 17. At Q15 you stated at award “we expect that determination to be that the role is in scope for IR35”. Do you mean only if the worker is via an employent intermediary that you expect the role to be in-scope for IR35?As we understand it, at award, if the winning supplier has proposed an existing employee as their specialist, and you are satisfied with what you have specified in your responses to Q6 and Q14, then the off-payroll rules will not apply. Hence there will be no IR35 (CEST) determination carried out as it is irrelevant. Do you concur? We intend to issue a status determination statement in any event for the purposes of avoidance of doubt. 18. Is this project to migrate data from servers into a cloud storage?If so, what cloud storage will be used – AWS, Azure?Will this project need to feature the set-up of a secure area to store data (if data is containing personnel information)? A key element of the main project that the specialist will work on, will involve secure data migration and storage in the cloud. At this stage an outline hybrid architecture for the new archival storage service has been designed and is based on a multi-cloud approach together with an on-premise system. To date the digital teams at The National Archives have had most experience using AWS cloud services, with more limited experience of using Azure and Google Cloud Computing Services. The selection of the cloud platforms that would be utilised for the new storage service has not yet been determined.