Information technology services. The UK Energy Portal is a Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) digital system primarily supporting the regulation of the oil, gas and electricity infrastructure industries. The system is also used for some DECC corporate applications and by Government partners for their own licensing and case management systems. The vast majority of Energy Portal applications are now based on the open source software, FOX Open. DECC is seeking expressions of interest from suppliers to participate in a framework arrangement which would be used to tender a range of contracts to fulfil the delivery and support of the above range of applications.
Ref: TRN527/11/2012,
Department of Energy and Climate Change
Bay 3b, 3 Whitehall Place
For the attention of: Paul Buckfield
London
UNITED KINGDOM
Telephone: +44 3000685750
E-mail: paul.buckfield@decc.gsi.gov.uk
Further information can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)
Specifications and additional documents (including documents for competitive dialogue and a dynamic purchasing system) can be obtained from: The above mentioned contact point(s)
Tenders or requests to participate must be sent to: The above mentioned contact point(s)
Contract value: UK Energy PortalThe UK Energy Portal is a Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) digital system primarily supporting the regulation of the oil and gas industry and electricity infrastructure industry. The portal acts as a hub for applications, consents and notifications required by the oil and gas industry over a wide range of business areas including Petroleum Licensing, Offshore Surveys, Well Drilling, Environmental Consents and Directions, Chemical Permitting, Chemical Use, Field Production, Flaring and Venting Consents, maintaining Pipeline Data and serving Decommissioning Liabilities for Offshore Installations.In addition, the same application solution offers online regulatory services and information resources relating to Necessary Way leaves, Overhead Lines, Tree Lopping, Safety Zones and approval of Decommissioning Plans for offshore renewable installations. The Portal is also utilised by DECC for a series of corporate, internal-facing systems - such as correspondence handling and HR Appraisal - and by DECC's partners in government (such as the Marine Management Organisation and the HSE) for their own case management and licensing systems.The portal environment has been developed to provide flexibility as regulations are amended, ensure security, support complex on-line transactions and web services, support complex work flow and generate digitally signed and legally admissible consent documents. The vast majority of its applications are now based on the open source FOX Open, details of which can be found here: http://www.foxopen.net/AboutService Management Framework ScopeTogether, the above range of applications make up the Department of Energy and Climate Change's (DECC's) Line of Business Applications service tower. DECC is seeking expressions of interest from suppliers to participate in a framework arrangement which would be used to tender a range of contracts to fulfil the delivery and support of the applications in this service tower.DECC is moving to a Service Integration and Management (SIaM) service model in line with Cabinet Office strategy and will be delivering all IT services within a SIaM framework by the end of 2014. The line of Business service tower is a critical delivery tower of key applications to the desktop service and users of the DECC IT systems, as well as to external users.Key Service AreasSuppliers must have demonstrable skills and experience in delivering complex web based enterprise solutions. The key service areas required are as follows:1. Application Transition, Maintenance and SupportSupporting and maintaining the existing service applications (these will be specified in more detail at a later stage in the procurement process but are almost all FOX-Open based). Providing a managed service to agreed service levels with responsibility for bug fixing, minor enhancements, and integration between applications and with other DECC systems. This service will include the provision of at least 2nd and 3rd line support to the SIaM Service Desk Provider.2. Application Design and DevelopmentProviding iterative application design, development and testing (Unit, System, User Acceptance and Performance testing). Associated Project Management skills will also be required.3. Associated Support ServicesSupport and maintenance of the core technologies utilised to deliver the above applications such as Fox Open, GIS applications and business intelligence environments. The provision of an Oracle DBA function and potentially a hosted development environment and associated technical activities.High Level RequirementsThis section defines the high level skills and experience required to deliver the key services. Further lower level requirements will be defined in the specification issued in the Invitation To Tender in due course. The following competencies will be required to deliver each key service area:- Technical competencies, skills and experience;- Security Management and Assurance;- Service Delivery and Management;- Development, Deployment and Project Management;- Understanding of the public and/or energy sectors.Technical competencies, skills and experienceThe key technologies and standards that deliver the Line of Business applications comprise of the following:- Fox Open;- Oracle 11g Enterprise edition and Database Administration functions;- Linux operating system enterprise management (ideally using Red Hat and Tom Cat);- XML and schemas;- GIS based mapping solutions.Security Management and AssuranceDECC currently operate internal corporate systems at Restricted High. The Energy Portal interfaces with external customers via an internet web based portal. The requirement is to provide a secure system which enables secure access for external customers, with appropriate levels of security gateways into existing Restricted DECC systems.The plan for future DECC systems is to follow the emerging Cabinet Office General Protective Marking Scheme (GPMS) to the Tier 1, Official level and DECC systems will primarily be within this Official tier. Suppliers will need to be flexible enough to respond to any required changes in this area.Energy Portal applications utilise security policies to ensure that users' data is treated in accordance with data protection laws and with a highly developed awareness of commercial sensitivity. For example the system is set up to ensure that access to one part of the system does not equate to access to all system data. It will be important to preserve and enhance this approach.Service Delivery and ManagementThe Line of Business supplier will be required to interface with the other SIaM service providers and provide service monitoring and reporting information to enable DECC to manage its service within the ITIL v3 framework. They will be required to deliver good levels of system management and maintenance within agreed service levels, along with patching and release of planned system updates. The supplier will also be responsible for providing at least 2nd and 3rd line support services to the SIaM Service Desk provider and must fulfil mutually defined operating level agreements.Development, Deployment and Project ManagementDECC require suppliers to operate an agile development approach to ensure that the delivery process is as efficient as possible and allows for detailed discovery processes with the customers of the planned service or application. DECC also require service introduction and transition are all delivered using a recognised project management framework and that documentation is held in a CMDB and shared amongst suppliers where appropriate.Understanding of the public and/or energy sectors.Management and development of UK Energy Portal Services requires an understanding of the role of Government in issuing consents and licences to a range of industry bodies. This will be required in order to understand user reported issues with the systems and the business processes that underpin the systems. Successful suppliers may also be required to interface directly with industry liaison groups, represent DECC at industry meetings and act as intermediary between DECC policy/operational experts and the industry – providing technical advice as required. Whilst we will work with successful suppliers to develop knowledge in the required areas, it would be useful to have some experience and understanding of the energy sector and/or a consenting regime in another public sector context.Estimated value excluding VAT: Range: between 5 000 and 5 000 000 GBP
Published: 5 Jan 2013, Receipt by: 15 Feb 2013
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