Awarded to PA Consulting Services Limited (UK)

Start date: Wednesday 10 October 2018
Value: £270,000
Company size: large

Her Majesty’s Passport Office

Her Majesty's Passport Office - Agile Project Manager

13 Incomplete applications

13 SME, 0 large

29 Completed applications

24 SME, 5 large

• Published: Thursday 20 September 2018
• Deadline for asking questions: Monday 24 September 2018 at 11:59pm GMT
• Closing date for applications: Thursday 27 September 2018 at 11:59pm GMT

Overview

• Specialist role: Programme manager
• Summary of the work: An experienced IT Project Manager with recent experience of managing projects within a hybrid agile/waterfall environment. Problem solving, team building and governance skills essential. Will need SC clearance. Ability to bring strong servant-leadership without disrupting effective established team as important as well-proven professional skills.
• Latest start date: Monday 1 October 2018
• Expected contract length: 12 Months
• Location: London
• Organisation the work is for: Her Majesty’s Passport Office
• Maximum day rate: £1125

About the work

• Who the specialist will work with: The post holder will work closely with and report to the Civil Service Portfolio Director. They will have support from two project support staff. They will need to work closely alongside: Business Change Managers, Agile Delivery Director, Agile Delivery teams, Dependency Manager, Governance Manager and Service Manager.
• What the specialist will work on: Act as Project Manager within an agile IT software and business process development programme.; • Identify and unblock issues that may delay development ; • Liaise with internal and external stakeholders; • Manage project budget ensuring accurate forecasting, monitoring and accounting; • Manage Statements of Work for all associated contractors and all associated commercial arrangements; • Deliver against all internal reporting/ governance requirements (budget, risks, issues, interfaces, progress); • Act as part of ; • senior leadership team ; • Develop usage forecasts and inform development accordingly ; • Report to Portfolio Director on concern, issues and risks

Work setup

• Address where the work will take place: London - Clive House, Petty France
• Working arrangements: The post-holder will need to be based on site for at least four days a week to work effectively with the agile development teams. They will need to be self managing and self starting but able to contribute to and help build team working. There will be considerable senior management and external stakeholder interface and problem solving and presentation/influencing skills will be essential.
• Security clearance: SC Clearance is required. HM Passport Office will support the clearance process.

Additional information

Skills and experience

Buyers will use the essential and nice-to-have skills and experience to help them evaluate suppliers’ technical competence.

• Essential skills and experience:
  • Leadership within a hybrid agile/waterfall environment.
  • Governance – effective reporting and escalation through a waterfall governance process including risks, issues, dependencies, progress and budgets.
  • Problem solving – ability to identify potential problems and issues proactively and work through them to effective conclusion
  • Team working – ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with a range of established professionals and specialist – both civil servants and contractors
  • Commercial awareness – maintain contractor contracts, write statements of work for agile delivery teams and ensure delivery against them
  • Budgetary and finance – develop forecasts, produce monitoring reports and maintain project budget to tight constraints
  • Project management – apply appropriate planning and progress monitoring tools to support an agile development project
• Nice-to-have skills and experience:
  • Recent experience of working in HMPO/HO or similar regulated Government environment.
  • Mentoring or knowledge transfer skills.
  • Relevant recent experience of combining project management disciplines in an agile delivery environment where waterfall style governance is required but mustn’t adversely impact agile delivery approach.
  • Proven problem solving skills in complex and or sensitive areas.
  • Ability to build trust and relationships with disaffected stakeholders.
  • SC clearance.

How suppliers will be evaluated

• How many specialists to evaluate: 3
• Cultural fit criteria:
  • Ability to provide strong governance and leadership in an agile environment with sensitivity to established agile development teams
  • Self-starter and self-Manager who takes responsibility for their own work. Also an experienced team player, able to consult and take direction but also able snd willing to give advice
  • Team player who wants to build consensus and emphasise collaborative working.
  • Approachable and open to/willing to suggest new ways of working/approaches.
  • Proven credibility with both agile and waterfall exponents.
  • Transparent and collaborative when making decisions.
• Assessment methods:
  • Work history
  • Interview
• Evaluation weighting:

  Technical competence

  60%

  Cultural fit

  20%

  Price

  20%

Questions asked by suppliers

• 1. Do you currently have an incumbent in place for this position ?: There is currently an incumbent in post.
• 2. Is there a current incumbent?: There is currently an incumbent in post.
• 3. What is the IR35 status?: We expect this engagement to be outside IR35, however status is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• 4. Is this role deemed inside or outside IR35 please?: We expect this engagement to be outside IR35, however status is assessed on a case-by-case basis.
• 5. Is there a current incumbent and if so will they be applying?: There is currently an incumbent in post. The present incumbent supplier can submit a response for this opportunity should they wish.
• 6. Knowing that there is currently an incumbent in post, will the incumbent be the preferred candidate for this role or is there a transparent intention to evaluate every application afresh; giving each supplier the same opportunity?: The incumbent nor any other supplier would be deemed a preferred candidate for this role. This requirement is being advertised through the Digital Marketplace and therefore must follow the same principals set out in the Public Procurement Regulations 2015 namely, a fair, open and transparent process. Each supplier will be given the same opportunity and evaluated on it’s on merits’
• 7. How many people or teams is the Project Manager expected to manage?: There is one delivery team with three sprint teams reporting to a delivery manager. The project manager will work directly with them.
• 8. Would PRINCE2 be accepted as experience of Waterfall?: Yes
• 9. What level of experience of Project Manager are you looking for e.g. Principal, Senior, Intermediate or Junior?: Senior.
• 10. You have stated up to £1,125 per day for this position. We have a ceiling on the rates we can submit for the application. Will you consider higher rates from us once we get to the next stages for the opportunity?: We can only consider rates submitted with responses.
• 11. Is the incumbent leaving or biding for this role?: The current contract is due to come to an end this is why the role is being re-advertised. The current incumbent supplier may submit a response to the requirement should they wish.