2024-0264 Academy Assets Relocation Project Manager (NS) - WED 13 Nov

Deadline Date: Wednesday 13 November 2024

Requirement: Academy Assets Relocation Project Manager

Location: Oeiras, PT

Full Time On-Site: Yes

Time On-Site: 100%

Period of Performance: 2025 BASE: As soon as possible not later than 03 January 2025 – 31st December 2025

Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET

INTRODUCTION

The NATO Communications and Information Academy (NCI Academy) located in Portugal, Belgium and The Netherlands reinforces NATO’s technological edge through excellence in Cyberspace learning.

The NCI Academy has identified a number of areas for improvement after operating for five years in the Oeiras, Portugal location. These areas of improvement include: the redevelopment of technical courses, the implementation of an assets and configuration management system, the improvement of audio and visual capabilities in classrooms, the uplift of a studio to produce online content, the improvement of common facilities for student and instructors and systems accreditation.

The NCI Academy is looking to outsource the project management of seven project work packages in an Assets Relocation project. The service contractor will work closely with the NCI Academy Project Lead, and Technical Lead. The work shall involve project task planning and resource allocation; execution of work package tasks and coordination of other tasks, management of dependencies, compilation, review and acceptance of some deliverables; and monitor, control, and reporting on the progress of the work packages.

The work shall be primarily conducted onsite at the NCI Academy in Oeiras.

OBJECTIVES

The main objectives of this statement of work can be summarized as follows:

1. Plan, monitor, control, and report on the UNCAP project work packages.

2. Schedule, orchestrate and ensure completion of work packages deliverables (outputs and activities) with good quality.

3. Actively manage risks and issues related to work package deliverables and collect lessons learned.

4. Coordinate and ensure alignment with key NCI Academy and UNCAP stakeholders.

SCOPE OF WORK

The following activities require support under this SOW:

1. Plan, monitor, control and report on the overall project and work packages

2. Schedule, orchestrate, and ensure on time completion of work packages according to milestones

3. Actively identify and manage risks and issues related to work package deliverables, and milestones and collect lessons learned

4. Coordinate and ensure alignment with NCI Academy and NCI Agency stakeholders

The contractor will mostly work on their own but will take directions and guidance from the NCI Academy Deputy Dean and designated Technical Lead.

The contractor will provide the PM service using an Agile and iterative approach. Each sprint is planned for a duration of 1 month.

The content and scope of each sprint will be agreed during the sprint-planning meeting, based on the activities mentioned above.

DELIVERABLES AND PAYMENT MILESTONES

The payment shall be dependent upon successful acceptance of the Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) – (Annex A) including the EBA Receipt number.

Invoices shall be accompanied with a Delivery Acceptance Sheet (Annex A) signed by the Contractor and line manager.

2025 BASE: 01 January 2025 to 31 December 2025

Deliverable 01: Up to 12 sprints

Cost Ceiling: 12 * 3,450 NTE/sprint = 41,400 Euro

Payment Milestones Upon completion of each sprint and at the end of the work.

The number of sprints is estimated based on a start date of January 3, 2025. This estimate will be adjusted according to the actual start date..

EXPECTED OUTCOMES AND QUALITY

Sufficient progress within the project so that it is on track (to complete by December 2025), as currently planned or sufficient awareness of any blocking issues to ensure that the project stakeholders and customer can be informed, exceptions raised, mitigation actions taken and re-planning done if necessary.

Continuous joint awareness and alignment between NCI Academy and the contractor on deliverable requirements, standards, status, priorities, value for the mission and deviations.

EXPECTED PERFORMANCE

The contractor performance will be evaluated at the end of the sprint, during a sprint retrospective. The following will be expected:

1. The contractor shall be fully aware of the status of the work packages and deliverables at all times.

2. The contractor shall actively compile, with the appropriate SMEs, the output deliverables in an efficient and effective manner.

3. The contractor shall maintain a good relationship with the stakeholders to ensure accurate information, good coordination and high efficiency.

COORDINATION AND REPORTING

The contractor shall participate in status update meetings, sprint planning, and other meetings, physically in the office, or in person via electronic means using Conference Call capabilities, according to line manager’s instructions.

For each sprint to be considered as complete and payable, the contractor must report the outcome of his/her work during the sprint, first verbally during the retrospective meeting and then in writing within three (3) days after the sprint’s end date. The format of this report will be agreed with the line manager and as a minimum will include a brief description of the work completed, the development achievements, the main engagements, and the risks and issues identified and managed during the sprint.

Acceptance of each sprint completion will be documented in Annex A – Delivery Acceptance Sheet.

SCHEDULE

This task order will be active immediately after signing of the contract by both parties.

The BASE period of performance is as soon as possible but not later than 1 st January 2025 and will end no later than 31st December 2025.

CONSTRAINTS

All the deliverables provided under this statement of work will be based on NCI Agency templates or agreed with the line manager.

All documentation will be stored under configuration management and/or in the provided NCI Agency tools.

All the deliverables of this project will be considered NATO UNCLASSIFIED.

Part of the work may involve handling classified information, therefore, a security clearance at the NATO Secret level is expected for the contractor(s) undertaking this service.

SECURITY

The security classification of the service will be up to NATO SECRET.

The contractor providing the services under this SOW is required to hold a valid NATO SECRET security clearance

PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS

The contractor will be required to provide the service on-site in NCI Academy Oeiras (PRT).

Travel arrangements will be the responsibility of the contractor and the expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with Article 5.5 of AAS Framework Contract and within the limits of the NCIA Travel Directive.

He or she will work under the direction and guidance of the NCI Academy Deputy Dean or their designated representative.

This service must be accomplished by ONE contractor.

QUALIFICATIONS

[See Requirements]

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

This work requires a project manager with the following qualifications and experience:

• The candidate has a NATO SECRET security clearance, provided by the national security organization valid at the time of submission of the bid and covering the period of the contract.
• Fluent in English and must be able to read and write technical and user documentation.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field with 4+ years of experience OR 8+ years of relevant experience without a degree.
• Project management Prince 2 or equivalent certification.
• Experience with delivery of C4ISR training to NATO and National entities (military and civilian).
• Experience with NATO Education and Training and the Global Programming Approach.
• Knowledge of and experience with the NATO Command Structure, the NATO Force Structure, and the NATO Political Structure.
• Experience with development of curriculum, training materials and instructional aids.
• Experience working in an International environment with Military and Civilian elements.
• Knowledge and experience of working with NCI Agency.
• Knowledge and experience of working with the NCI Academy.
• Extensive experience in risk and issue management.
• Project management experience with the implementation of learning support technology.
• Knowledge and experience working with the Service Now tool for project management.

Desirable qualifications and experience

• NATO CIS Technical Instructor or equivalent qualification.
• Experience with Learning Analysis, Design and Development.
• Knowledge of and experience with training delivery of NATO C2, Functional, and Core Services  (Core GIS, INTEL FS, LOGFAS, NCOP etc.).
• Knowledge and experience with Agile implementation methodology.
• Experience with hybrid learning and the learning technology necessary to enable hybrid learning.

Language Proficiency

• Level 3 English language skills according to NATO STANAG 6001: Listening (3); Speaking (2); Reading (3); and Writing (2) or according to Common European Framework of Reference for Language level B2-C1/Upper Intermediate-Advanced level)