Royal Navy publishes Digital and Data Plan 2022-2025

The Royal Navy has published it's Digital and Data Plan, which outlines how the Navy will implement the digital backbone to unlock insight and deliver towards it's 2030 digital vision.

The Digital and Data Plan is the Royal Navy's response to both the MOD’s Digital Strategy for Defence and Data Strategy for Defence. It sets out the transformation activities that must be undertaken up until 2025 to ensure that the Royal Navy seizes the opportunity to enable a decade of delivery and realise the Royal Navy's digital vision by 2030. This vision is to be data and evidence driven, from Strategic HQ to the tactical edge, enabling the integrated force to make smarter decisions and deliver military effects.

The Plan also establishes a Maritime Digital and Data Framework, that focuses on the specific needs of the maritime component of the Integrated Force and its shore-based support. The Framework provides the structure to overcome the digital and data challenges that confront the Royal Navy. Supported by  Defence Digital and other delivery agencies, it establishes a unified strategic direction for TLB personnel to align to and play a proactive role in building the digital and data capabilities that are needed now, and in the future. Navy Digital will be the cohering point for the directorates and enabling functions to deliver against this Framework.

The Maritime Digital and Data Framework comprises of:

Vision and Strategic Outcomes: a clear digital and data vision for the Royal Navy, key outcomes and capability direction for the future

Enablers: required to transform the Royal Navy into an enduring data driven enterprise, empowering our people with the skills and technology to make smarter decisions

Implementation: the supporting mechanisms required to co-ordinate and facilitate the execution of this plan by establishing and embedding the Enablers. These include the funding, delivery plan, measures and governance

The Ends, Ways and Means to achieve the Royal Navy's 2030 digital vision as set out in the Maritime Digital and Data Framework are as follows:

The Ends

Outcome 1: Cohered, curated and assured data from the HQ to the tactical edge 

Outcome 2: Smarter decision making at all levels of command

Outcome 3: Efficient business processes that drive force readiness and sustainability 

Outcome 4: Improved cyber security and resilience 

Outcome 5: Enhanced integrated effects from the maritime domain

Outcome 6: Adaptable and resilient C2 systems

Outcome 7: Faster integration of capabilities to the front line

Outcome 8: Empowered digitally savvy workforce that is inspired to create and collaborate 

The Ways

People: digitally upskilled whole force that can exploit data and technology for operational and business advantage 

Process: outcome focused projects enabled by Enterprise Architecture and standards 

Data: as a service - integrating and curating data and decision support tools

Technology: system integration and exploitation of new and existing technology-aligned outcomes and end user experience 

The Means

Funding: ensuring funding approach required across the Royal Navy and wider Defence to realise the vision and be data and evidence driven

Plan: the Delivery Plan ensures that the Royal Navy can cohere and integrate its digital and data requirements across the TLB. The milestones in the plan also empower Defence Digital. 

Measures: baseline deliver measures the Royal Navy must track progress against to ensure its transformation to a data and evidence driven organisation 

Governance: the mechanisms and arrangements to allow the Royal Navy to maintain schedule adherence and support the assurance and approvals processes 

The Digital and Data Plan goes into further detail in each of these areas, and describes how the Plan will be implemented as well as how success will be measures.

You can read the full plan here

Fred Sugden

Fred Sugden

Associate Director, Defence and National Security, techUK

Freddie MacSwiney

Programme Manager - Defence and Cyber, techUK