Network Convergence Project

July 2020 – June 2021

Providing the warfighter with the best ICT capability to allow the warfighter and their command to make informed decisions in a timely manner.

Significance

To date the program, with the assistance of the commercial team, have developed a panel of providers for the sustainment and ongoing development of warfighting applications. The program, when completed will revolutionise the delivery of ICT to the warfighter, starting with the support and evergreen development of command-and-control applications.

Overview

Network Convergence is a Department of Defence program where four military ICT projects are being realigned to be delivered against four common product lines, including warfighting applications, platform, network & gateways, and compute and store. The result of the Network Convergence program is the development of an ICT Warfighting Support Organisation which will become an ICT factory for Warfighting Networks and Applications.

The existing array of networks and applications that support joint military operations are aged and are not configured to make command and control of operations as challenge free as possible. The program vision of the Warfighting Support Organisation is to provide the warfighter with the best ICT capability to allow the warfighter and their command to make informed decisions in a timely manner.

Involvement

Proximity delivered and developed all commercial deliverables for the Network Convergence program, including procurement and commercial strategies, probity advice, tender documentation development, contract management plans, management of commercial risk, project management and other deliverables required for the project to succeed.

Approach

Proximity personnel, seconded onsite in Non‑Material Procurement, have formed solid networks within the project to deliver commercial outcomes. Our logical approach to governance and commercial management has simplified the project teams understanding of the commercial arrangements. This approach has allowed Non-Materiel Procurement to be invited into the project meeting rooms to influence the commercial outcomes of the project. Our plain English approach to documentation and logical approach to commercial risk has allowed other technical and project teams to clearly understand the commercial strategy, which has aligned their technical documentation to ours.

Proximity personnel have played significant roles within the Network Convergence program, including taking on the role of Commercial Lead for the program, leading co-design activities with Strategic Partners, leading the development of the Statement of Works and the development of approach to market documentation for the provision of the services.

The outcome

During the development of the commercial documentation, including the approach to market for the provision of development and support of warfighting applications, it was apparent that to establish strategic partnerships with a range of providers it was essential to ensure that those providers were engaged in the development of requirements.

The engagement with industry was conducted through a series of co-design workshops that were co-led by Department of Defence and a Proximity Senior Advisor. The co-design sessions focused on the delivery of complex projects that were being established to provide innovative solutions to end users, both in Joint Command and Military. The collaborative approach to the development of a commercial solution that allowed Defence to realise it’s objectives whilst providing strategic partners with autonomy and an environment where they are able to provide innovative outcomes.