ITIP0177 - Digital by Default – Toolset – Common Data Environment – System Integrator

Description

Summary of the work Design, development, integration, and deployment of a Common Data Environment for Highways England’s Major Projects Directorate as part of the wider Digital by Default programme. Expected Contract Length Expected completion date 31st March 2023. Latest start date Sunday 1 August 2021 Budget Range Maximum spend £5.275mil. exc. VAT. Why the Work is Being Done The Digital by Default (DbyD) programme is a key enabler for the digital transformation of MPs delivery capability and is a workstream within Major Projects Directorate Transformation (MPDT). Although effective digital solutions are already being rolled out across MP, this effort is federated by specific programmes, resulting in duplicative functionality, inconsistent use of data, inaccuracy and potential for duplicative investment. The DbyD Programme has been developed to introduce shared standards and approaches, and to focus on structured change management, embedment and digital upskilling across MP. DbyD will work closely with HE IT to deliver a digital toolset, including a Common Data Environment (CDE) and common data model to improve the way we connect with the supply chain, reduce the level of waste and inefficiency in how we capture, exploit and manage data. Problem to Be Solved The component parts of this workstream are: • MPCDE: Creating a ‘single source of truth’ common data platform to underpin development within Major Projects. • A common point of data entry/exchange for Major Projects. • The MPCDE will ingest and share data sets with downstream systems in accordance with agreed interface specifications to enable automation. • The System Integrator should ensure that the teams that manage the downstream systems are tasked with producing and maintaining a specification of their data requirements (e.g. scope, frequency, format). • Pick up and augment the existing MP Data Hub solution to create the MPCDE, allowing the associated MP team to continue to deliver crucial project and financial reporting. • Spatial Data Management: A common repository for storing and managing spatial data so that it can be made accessible. • Secure Interfaces: Working with the ‘Digital by Default – Toolset’ Data Integrator to standardise and enforce data management between MP and suppliers, and broader HE. • Support Model: The System Integrator will be responsible for defining and agreeing a support model with HE IT to ensure that the MPCDE is supported beyond the period of this project. Further details here (email DaaS@highwaysengland.co.uk for access): https://highways.sharepoint.com/sites/DaaS/DbyD Who Are the Users • As an HE employee I need to be able to access data stored within the MPCDE for the purposes of reporting, analysis, and decision-making. • As an HE employee I should be able to easily navigate between different data types that relate to the same asset or entity (e.g. alphanumeric/ spatial/document/model). • As an HE data owner/manager I need to be able to review the data stored within the MPCDE, its provenance and level of conformance to the common data model, data quality errors, and to manage RBAC. • As an HE or supply chain solution developer I need to be able to access standard conformed data feeds for relevant datasets from the MPCDE using secure and documented connectors. • As an HE or supply chain employee I need to understand how to transfer Information Models, documents, and spatial data to and from Highways England. • As an HE IT Data Architect I need to be able to easily access data within the MPCDE from the HE DaaS platform, preferably without extensive additional configuration. • As an HE IT Service Delivery Manager I need to have recourse to an implemented service support model for the MPCDE. Early Market Engagement N/A Work Already Done There are several existing data management solutions in use within Highways England and Major Projects, both PaaS and IaaS within HE’s tenancies and SaaS solutions. The principal objective of Digital by Default toolset is to create a standard, HE-owned common data environment (MPCDE) that will use existing data pipelines, collate these, and use as the ‘single source of truth’ to provide data feeds to existing and future solutions. To provide further context we have a bidder subsite: https://highways.sharepoint.com/sites/DaaS/DbyD For access to the subsite email daas@highwaysengland.co.uk We are not responsible for supplier-side access issues to the SharePoint site (e.g. M365/AD issues). Existing Team The winning bidder will need to work alongside existing Major Projects and IT stakeholders, particularly the MP Digital by Default, MP Delivery Services, IT CDO, and IT Business Partner teams. The winning bidder will need to work in collaboratively with the winner of the Digital by Default Data Integrator and IT Support contracts. Current Phase Discovery Skills & Experience • Driving value by rapidly collating and making data accessible for reporting, analytics, exchange, and applications using Azure PaaS architecture at an enterprise level. • Delivering data projects using Azure DevOps, infrastructure-as-code, CI/CD, agile, and other techniques at an enterprise level to drive adoption and benefit by users. • Aggregating and modelling data, making it easy to consume by non-technical users. Deploying effective and actionable data profiling in Azure to allow non-technical users to address data quality issues. • Realising construction efficiencies by effectively managing the movement, storage, governance, and meta-data management of BIM/CAD documents, information models, and spatial data for large construction projects. • Driving engagement, adoption, and use of enterprise data platforms in complex multi-supplier multi-stakeholder environments. • Please describe the most successful large scale digital and data transformation programmes/projects that your organisation has played a leading role in over the last three years. Nice to Haves Transport / Infrastructure / Highways England sector experience Work Location Nationwide, predominantly London, Bedford, and Birmingham. Working Arrangments Our business is located across the whole of England and so are our teams and suppliers. We would expect our supplier to work flexibly and be mobile when required, but also support remote working and the utilisation of collaboration tools. Subject to prevailing COVID restrictions some co-location at the supplier’s offices would be helpful. Security Clearance We expect all our suppliers to have BPSS as a minimum, access to our Production environment will require security clearance. Additional T&Cs Further info here: https://highways.sharepoint.com/sites/DaaS/DbyD (email DaaS@highwaysengland.co.uk for access) Weightings: Technical = 60% (5% essential criteria, 55% proposal with individual weightings) Cultural = 20% (with individual weightings) Price = 20% (8% capped cost, 12% rate card) Shortlist: 3 suppliers minimum, 5 suppliers maximum No. of Suppliers to Evaluate 5 Proposal Criteria • How will you work with the DbyD and IT teams to agree a prioritised and deliverable backlog of work? How will you de-risk (cost/time/quality) the backlog? Cite experience. (10%) • How will you approach design and delivery of the Common Data Environment? How will you create a complete, accessible and supportable platform and draw on existing infrastructure? Cite experience. (10%) • How will you drive delivery of DbyD’s benefits? How will you continuously improve your MVP? Where will you innovate? How will you enable process automation in the future? (5%) • How will you deliver a joined-up way of working across alphanumeric,spatial,document, and model data types? How will you integrate with BIM tooling? Where have you done this before? (7.5%) • How will you work with the other toolset contracts and existing solution providers over the course of the project? (7.5%) • What will you hand back to Highways England? How will you help ensure that HE can support your solution in the long run? Where have you delivered lasting change? (5%) • Provide 3 case studies (1/2 A4 each) showcasing successful digital transformation delivery for an infrastructure organisation. (10%) Cultural Fit Criteria • How do you excite and engage construction and delivery-focused staff? IT staff? Supply chain? How/where have you made this work in the past? (4%) • How will you incorporate service design principles and design thinking into your work? How/where have you made this work in the past? (4%) • What will be different at Highways England following your work on this project? (4%) • How do you see this work fitting within the context of the wider infrastructure and transport sectors? How does this project align with the values of your own business? (4%) • Provide evidence/examples of how you successfully collaborated with different suppliers and stakeholders in multi-disciplined, cross-functional team to deliver results. (4%) Payment Approach Capped time and materials Assessment Method Presentation Evaluation Weighting Technical competence 60% Cultural fit 20% Price 20% Questions from Suppliers 1. I have sent an e-mail to: daas@highwaysengland.co.uk to obtain access for the sharepoint file. Could you please request the IT team to enable e-mails to be received from external e-mail addresses? Apologies, we had some teething issues with the email address, which should now be resolved.If you have received an 'undeliverable' response please resend your request, and feel free to copy in ian.gordon@highwaysengland.co.uk for redundancy. 2. Please can you confirm how we get access to the the bidder subsite as emails to daas@highwaysengland.co.uk return undeliverable “The group daas isn’t set up to receive messages from... Status code: 550 5.7.193The Microsoft 365 group, daas@highwaysengland.co.uk, is configured to reject messages sent to it from outside its organization – unless the sender is a guest group member”. Please refer to Q1 - Apologies, we had some teething issues with the email address, which should now be resolved.If you have received an 'undeliverable' response please resend your request, and feel free to copy in ian.gordon@highwaysengland.co.uk for redundancy. 3. We are getting an “undeliverable” notification when sending an email to daas@highwaysengland.co.uk to request access to the DaaS/DbyD subsite noting the following “Delivery failed because the sender isn’t a group member or external senders aren’t permitted to send to this group”. Please can you advise? Please refer to Q1 - Apologies, we had some teething issues with the email address, which should now be resolved.If you have received an 'undeliverable' response please resend your request, and feel free to copy in ian.gordon@highwaysengland.co.uk for redundancy. 4. We sent an email to DaaS@highwaysengland.co.uk, to request for the additional information/documents available on SharePoint. But the email has not been delivered. Please could you confirm the correct email address? Please refer to Q1 - Apologies, we had some teething issues with the email address, which should now be resolved.If you have received an 'undeliverable' response please resend your request, and feel free to copy in ian.gordon@highwaysengland.co.uk for redundancy. 5. Can you provide more details around “downstream systems” from the MPCDE As described in the 'Dependencies on existing IT infrastructure' page of the bidder subsite, the predominant "downstream systems" are BIF, Chrysalis, REM, and PowerBI reporting currently produced using the existing MP Data Hub. 6. We are looking to partner with an American based Data consultancy company for this bid. Could some of our Data Engineers / Scientists work remotely from America? Not all resources need to be UK-based, but there will be strict limitations on what non-UK resources can do. It is unlikely that resources based outside of the UK will be able to access any development or production environments. There will also be additional governance around any data transfer to US servers.Refer to the 'location of resources' item on the 'Bidding Guidance' page. 7. Could you provide information on what level of support will be required from the supplier as part of the support model, whilst working with HE IT The System Integrator and IT Support partner should arrive at an agreed Service Support Model for the MPCDE by the end of the contract period such that on-going support of the MPCDE can be either procured from the market or transitioned into an existing support contract (such as the DaaS Managed Service).We expect the System Integrator and IT Support partner to agree an incremental transition of functionality to the production MPCDE during the project. As MPCDE functionality moves into production, the System Integrator should be able to provide 2nd and 3rd level support for the remaining contract duration. 8. Please elaborate on what is meant by construction efficiencies Construction efficiencies are anything that reduce the cost and time of constructing our assets. We believe that better provision of information can have wide ranging impact on the efficiency of our construction. The OBC document begins to lay out some of the areas where we expect to realise efficiencies. These include provision of better asset and site information to avoid costly resurveying or construction delays, better safety information to help identify and mitigate the causes of safety incidents, reduction in manual handling of information to allow our staff to focus on decision-making, etc. 9. Has the Enterprise Architecture process been completed? We expect the System Integrator and IT Support partner to work together to fully document and assure the proposed Enterprise Architecture.Firstly, we have shared the 'DbyD Arch v4 for Bidders' document. This provides a high-level overview of some of the architectural outcomes that we are looking to accomplish.Secondly, we expect the System Integrator to pick up and enhance the existing MP Data Hub infrastructure, and to follow the existing Data-as-a-Service architecture wherever viable.Our default assumption is that the MP CDE will follow the Microsoft Azure analytics architecture pattern or similar (as per DaaS). 10. Is their any upskilling of existing staff expected from the supplier as part of the DbyD programme There will be a comprehensive digital competency development for MP personas (PMs, PMOs, Commercial, Delivery Services, etc.) as part of DbyD transformation, whereby the curriculum will focus on data foundations, working with data, business intelligence, digital workflow and digital leadership. The Business Change partner will lead development & delivery of digital curriculum. We expect the System Integrator to work with the Business Change partner to identify training needs for Highways England staff. We expect the System Integrator to work with the IT Support partner to provide enough handover to IT staff to enable the day-to-day management of the support model. 11. What Change Management Methodology is being used? DbyD will apply existing Highways England Change Management framework to embed digital change across MP Portfolio. This has also been used by other workstreams within MP Delivery Transformation Programme. We expect all DbyD suppliers to contribute and comply with this framework throughout the transformation journey. Further details added to the bidder's subsite here: https://highways.sharepoint.com/sites/DaaS/DbyD/SitePages/Context--Change-Management.aspx 12. Will HE consider licensing proprietary software to deliver aspects of the MPCDE that are not a part the Microsoft Azure stack, but can be deployed within Azure? Consider, yes. But our preference is for PaaS before IaaS. 13. What roles are the markers for this piece of work? - PMO Director- Head of Data Architecture- Principal Data Architect 14. For how long is the new MDE expected to run alongside the existing solutions? This is negotiable, and should be confirmed between the supplier and HE early in the project.We want to incrementally switch functionality over from MPDH to MP CDE over the life of the contract, rather than name a single 'big bang' switch over date.We want to avoid parallel running at a functional level (e.g. the two systems will run in parallel, but they will always be meeting different use cases). As functions are migrated to the MP CDE they should be switched off on the MPDH. 15. Are you encouraging bidders to identify other industry-leading systems beyond those already employed by Highways England to augment the existing Major Projects data hub. For example, property systems required for land assembly and the consents process to manage:- Land & Property case and compensation management- GIS based Land Referencing/Land ownership data- Legal commitments to stakeholders- Land access and Exercise of Powers No, sorry, these are not use cases that we are currently prioritising for this work. 16. What are the cadence and type of the data feeds coming into the Data Hub? As in, are these all batched coming in once a day, streaming real time, and large historical data loads? Currently the datahub is updated at various points throughout the month and via various methods, some API but others are manual uploads of csv files with the majority taking the previous month data and appending to the dataset already within the datahub however this does vary dependent on the data.Going forward I would envisage daily updates where possible (some more frequently). Some data may only be updated monthly so we wouldn’t require a daily update. 17. Would any award under this DOS opportunity preclude a supplier from any other Digital by Default opportunities under other frameworks? In line with GDS guidance which states that “If a company has a contract for service provision, it should not also do the service integration for that service” we would anticipate that the IT Support contract would have to be awarded to a unique supplier and not one who had bid for the Data Integrator or Systems Integrator opportunities. In order to maintain a similar degree of separation, we would request that suppliers interested in bidding for the Business Change opportunity, consider refraining from bidding for the Data Integrator and Systems Integrator opportunities. 18. Please see amended wording to answer Q17 above, "Would any award under this DOS opportunity preclude a supplier from any other Digital by Default opportunities under other frameworks?". Changes shown with asterisks. In line with GDS guidance which states that “If a company has a contract for service provision, it should not also do the service integration for that service” we would anticipate that the IT Support contract would have to be awarded to a unique supplier and not one who had **been awarded** the Data Integrator or Systems Integrator opportunities. In order to maintain a similar degree of separation, we would request that suppliers interested in bidding for the Business Change opportunity, consider refraining from bidding for the Data Integrator and Systems Integrator opportunities.