Free

NGCN Industry Day

Name: NGCN Industry Day
Start: 2021-07-08T10:30:00
End: 2021-07-08T12:00:00
Location: Online

10.30am – 12pm 8 July 2021 Online Online

To express your interest in attending this industry day, please contact: [email protected] who will then issue will issue Conditions for Participation for attendees to complete.

NGCN Background

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Defence Digital (DD) has stated that the NGCN Programme is one of his top three most important programmes as it is a key building block and enabler of MOD’s Digital Backbone as outlined in the 2021 Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.

NGCN is tasked to replace the MOD’s existing core network with a more flexible and agile network that is better able, both commercially and technically, to consume modern technologies and innovations through, amongst other levers, an Open Innovation approach to industry engagement. As MOD’s Digital Strategy states:

‘Digital is all pervasive and is changing the character of warfare and politics, as data-driven capabilities change the way we communicate, live, work and compete; which brings both opportunities and threats.’

To enable the Digital Strategy the MOD needs to replace its existing core network with one that meets the needs of the Department, maintaining critical, business and operational systems as well as providing agility and flexibility as the Department’s needs change. Some drivers for change could be the need for MOD users to consume ever greater data volumes, to better manage and respond to ever changing (and more numerous) cyber threats, to provide improved network resilience at key sites (and to provide more appropriate solutions to those that aren’t) and, as the Pandemic has highlighted, enable more people to work remotely and at higher classifications, to support the MOD in changing the way its staff work.

This ‘vision’ is fully aligned to the Government Digital Services (GDS) strategy. Proposed service Bundles for discussion and review are:

Bundle 1	Bundle 2	Bundle 3
WAN and Access Bearers	UK Sites	International Sites
Gateways
Encryption
Sensors

Industry Day

The Industry Day will be a virtual event and will be held on 8 July 2021 (from 1030 to 1200), through Microsoft Teams, supported by TechUK, and will be held at OFFICIAL. All attendees must comply with the “Conditions for Participation” which will be sent following expression of interest.

NGCN is key to the Authority’s future operational effectiveness and cyber defensive capability. It is the intention to adopt a much more collaborative approach to Industry engagement including use of Open Innovation workshops and Design Thinking. We are therefore seeking advice and guidance from Industry for options to satisfy a possible subsequent procurement, and Industry are encouraged to suggest alternative and innovative approaches that may meet the requirements of the Authority.

If you are interested in participating in this exciting and innovative Industry Day, and working with the Authority to evolve our thinking, please join us for the event.

You must not take this announcement as confirmation that the Authority shall award a contract for this requirement. The Authority is publishing this announcement without any commitment to issue a tender or place a contract. The Authority also reserves the right to vary or cancel the Industry Day at any time. Accordingly, any expenditure, work or effort undertaken before contract award is a matter solely for the commercial judgement of potential suppliers. Announcements may also be published on the Defence Sourcing Portal, Contracts Finder or the Find a Tender service, as appropriate.

Agenda for NGCN Industry Day

Opening remarks and Introductions – John Fitzpatrick
Digital Backbone – Phil Jones
Strategic Command – Capt Bruce Cotterill
Cyber Defence & Risk - Christine Maxwell
Common Technology Architecture - Neil Burton
Vision & Business Case for Change - John Cowen & Tony Galvagni
Open innovation workshops – Ben Parish & Tony Galvagni
Commercial – Chris Hamley
Q&A and Next Steps

Speakers Biographies:

Phil Jones - INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SDO

Phil Jones assumed the post of Interim Executive Director, of Defence Digital, Service Delivery and Operations in May 2019. He is responsible for delivery, operation and cyber defence of the MoD’s core information capabilities.

Prior to joining the Ministry of Defence, Phil gained 24 years industry experience from leading IT across the UK and Europe as Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Lloyds Banking Group (Insurance division), as EMEA CIO and Change Director at Prudential UK and as Interim Transformation Director at ATOS. He has an extensive background in IT particularly in the fields of Geographical Information Systems, Database technology and Applications Development. He has worked as an IT Programme Director, Chief Operating Officer (Application Development and maintenance) and held various Programme Director roles including the biggest Data Integration programme undertaken in the UK to date. More recently he has focused upon Transforming businesses through the exploitation of the latest technologies (especially Artificial Intelligence) to build internal capability, enable sustainable and lasting value from both IT and business operations.

He has significant experience in leading business innovation, driving business change programs, leading extensive teams, and designing and leading IT delivery at very large scale in complex, multi-stakeholder business environments, especially through Fin-Tech.

Phil lives in a small town between Brecon and Swansea (with far too many consonants to inflict on people) with his wife Carys, daughter Catrin, son Carwyn, and two dogs – Meg and Trixie. Phil enjoys all sports particularly football, but is also a keen and active walker, that said his life-long passion is Fly-Fishing - particularly at night for sea-trout (an acquired taste). He remains an optimistic supporter and season ticket holder of Swansea City Football club – the curse that keeps on giving at the moment…

Christine Maxwell - Director Cyber Defence & Risk

Christine Maxwell is a cyber security leader who has worked across multiple industries including Defence, Oil and Gas, Banking and Professional Services.

Christine joined the Cyber Security team at MoD in April 2019 as Director Cyber Defence and Risk (CISO) and is accountable for driving defensive cyber strategy, capability development and defining policy and Defence-wide defensive cyber requirements and compliance including the Defence Cyber Protection Partnership (DCPP) and awareness, behaviours and culture.

Prior to joining the MOD Christine held leadership roles in the security governance, risk and compliance domains and led large-scale cyber transformation programmes.

Christine has extensive experience working with Boards and Executive groups to understand cyber security risk from a business and operational perspective and creating achievable cyber security strategies that improve the overall risk position.

John Fitzpatrick – SRO

John is an ambitious Digital leader with extensive experience of Digital Transformation across the Civil Service, currently leading complex change in technology across Defence. His role includes oversight of Chief Technology Office, Enterprise Architecture, Innovation, Automation and the Digital Academy. He is SRO for Next Generation Communication Networks.

Ben Parish – Head of Innovation

As Head of Innovation, Ben leads a team of digital professionals and innovators delivering an enduring pipeline of projects addressing challenging and complex problems with new digital concepts. Ben joined the Defence Digital team in June 2019. From April 2017 to June 2019 Ben was the UK MOD embed within the US DOD Defense Innovation Unit, leading Cyber and IT Innovation projects for the DOD. In this role Ben was able to drive UK US collaboration around digital and IT innovation and provide insight from the Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem. Prior to heading to the US, Ben spent 15 years working in MOD Defence Science and Technology Labs (Dstl) leading and delivering science, technology and research in C4ISR and Cyber.

Captain Bruce M COTTERILL, BEng(Hons), MA, MSc, RN

Captain Cotterill joined BRNC Dartmouth in 1987, completed initial sea training and graduated from the Royal Naval Engineering College, Manadon in 1992. Selected for submarines, he served in HMS TRAFALGAR as both Deputy Weapon Engineer Officer (DWEO) for Ocean Wave 97, circumnavigating the world and Weapon Engineering Officer in 2004 which included a successful TLAM Block III missile flight test.

In support to operations, he has served in Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST), responsible for submarine training ashore and afloat, with a focus on Weapon Engineering and in Service Delivery and Operations (SDO) in MOD Corsham, responsible for Service Management Operations for a variety of deployed systems.

His capability and acquisition roles span appointments as Cap Deterrent and Underwater C4I, Tomahawk US Liaison Officer and Tomahawk DE&S Project Manager. On promotion to Captain in 2020 he joined Cap C4ISTAR as Dep Hd for the Networks and Information Services Capability Planning Group (CPG). Bruce is married with 3 children, lives in Bath and enjoys endurance running and dinghy racing.

Neil Burton - Head of Enterprise Architecture

Neil Burton is the Head of Enterprise Architecture and Head of the Architecture Function within Defence Digital, MOD’s IT Organisation. He is responsible for setting technical strategy, policy and standards for Defence ICT and representing Defence’s needs within NATO and our close international partners. With a background in electronics and avionics, Neil has been involved in ICT for the last 20 years and in his prior role was the architectural lead within the Defence team that moved 200k users onto Office 365.

Chris Hamley - Head of Commercial for Networks

Chris joined the Government Commercial Organisation (GCO) to support the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Information Systems and Service (ISS) function in March 2019 as Head of Commercial to lead the Commercial Networks team with a mission to drive best practice from across MOD, Crown Commercial Service (CSS) as well as across Central Government and wider industry to enable Commercial to become more effective and efficient.

Prior to joining the Department, Chris was General Manager for Procurement at BT where he was responsible for a number of different procurement category teams including Business Customer Premises Equipment (LAN and WAN equipment and services), Conferencing Solutions and Consumer Devices. Chris also led the procurement teams supporting Openreach and the categories of Engineering Field Services, Materials and Automotive & Fleet.

Before BT, Chris was a Senior Procurement Manager at Aviva where he was responsible for Data Centre Procurement (hardware, software and services) and also previously worked for ESRI, a software company, responsible for contracts of supply to government (both local and central) as well as industry.

Chris has a law degree (LL.B Hons) and completed the Legal Practice Course (LPC) and became a Member of the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (MCIPS) in 2005. Chris has more recently been awarded Fellowship, the highest grade of membership within the CIPS, together with the award of Chartered Procurement & Supply Professional from March 2019.

Chris lives in Berkshire with Sarah his partner and their two cats and enjoys travelling and going to watch his beloved Chelsea FC at Stamford Bridge.