The Department of Defence’s Chief Information Officer Group (CIOG) today announced it would be shortly be selecting companies for an Applications Management Services Partner Arrangement (AMSPA) in a deal expected to push through approximately $340 million worth of value.

In tender documents released this morning, the CIOG stated its request for tender in the area would be released on or around April 20, and that the Defence would utilise its AMSPA deal to commission projects in excess of $340 million between financial years 2011/2012 and 2014/2015. The CIOG said AMSPA would run for an initial period of five years, that could possibly be extended by other two or three years.

The department said in a statement one of the key objectives of the development was to empower the CIOG to deliver end-to-end Applications Management Services, which included system integration activities, allowing it to forecast ICT applications development and service management demand.

“The high-level objectives of the AMPSA are to enhance application management knowledge required for designing, testing, managing and improving IT services within CIOG,” the draft request said. “[and to] enable CIOG and industry personnel to work jointly and share knowledge, information and skills to deliver ICT outcomes.”

Selection criteria for partners includes the ability to deliver end-to-end applications managed services for major Defence enterprise resource planning systems; as well as being able to offer systems integration for planned corporate and military system integrations into the Defence Information Environment. Also, the document states that partners shall have Information Iechnology Infrastructure Library-compliant development methodologies and PRINCE2-compliant project management methodologies.

Potential tenders are expected to assist Defence providing services in major business activities, such as human resources, finance, military and inteligence. After being selected, preffered industry partners will be allocated to the domain of their competence. “A competitive process will be undertaken after the execution of the Deed of Standing Offer to align successful PIP/s with specific Domain responsibility,” the draft stated. “It is the intention of Department of Defence that a PIP who is allocated a Domain responsibility will retain that responsibility for the duration of the Deed”.

The Request for Tenders process will accept applications until May 20. Applications will be evaluated within the following six weeks and deeds will be finalised by September 16. The Department of Defence assured in a statement that successful applicants would be engaged in a long-time relationship.

“Subject to the findings from its overall evaluation process, the Department of Defence seeks a long-term, mutually beneficial and cooperative relationship with the [Preferred Industry Partners],” the draft said, while warning that “The PIPs must also be proactive, and strive to add value beyond the specific requirements of its contractual obligations”.

Image credit: Asif Akbar, royalty free

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