SI Readiness and Design Assurance

Provision of guidance and support to the Synergy Programme including the 4 cluster departments to prepare for the onboarding of the System Integrator and Design Assurance.

The Synergy Programme is in the process of a securing a System Integrator (SI) to support the Cluster to transition to a new SaaS platform, enabling the 4 cluster departments to transform their back-office functions. Subject to approvals the SI is due to onboard during August 2024 and will be expected to move at pace. This is due to the pressure to exit the existing SSCL contract and the need to realise financial benefits. The SI has identified dependencies on the Authority to enable them to deliver to the negotiated timetable; the Programme will need to mobilise accordingly to deliver to these dependencies once the SI onboards. These include:

Transformation: Key decisions with respect to the future operating model, roles and responsibilities and ways of working need to be agreed to ensure the SI is clear on the Programme's requirements.

SI Readiness and Governance: In readiness for the SI to onboard the Programme have prepared an onboarding plan. In support of this the Programme have conveyed the need for industry expertise to be onboarded to assure the Programme plans and to ensure the Authority is ready to receive the SI when they onboard. Also, it is critical for the Programme to ensure that there is a clear decision-making process and that the governance framework adopted is fully integrated into the Programme.

SI Onboarding Plan: To ensure that Synergy delivers effectively to the negotiated SI plan, the intent will be to progress through detailed design as quickly as possible. The SI has proposed that a global design will be adopted across all the 4 cluster departments. This means the 4 cluster departments will need to be aligned in the approved function decisions. Specific functional decisions need to be made around policy, process and data to adopt a "global design". All these decisions are required and are not dependent on the technology chosen. These decisions will require consensus from all departments to ensure unified design. Some of these decisions need to be agreed as soon as the SI onboards and are critical to inform the contract between the SI and the Synergy Programme.

In accordance with the current High Level Integrated Programme Plan there are a number of key events where the Synergy Programme requires an Assurance Partner onboard as soon as possible, including supporting the Programme with SI Readiness activities and supporting the key design decisions which will need to be made prior to the SI onboarding in August 2024. The Assurance Partner will be able to support the programme during the period of "Common Design and Detailed Design".