Deadline Date: Friday 15 August 2025 (was Thursday 14 August 2025)
Requirement: AFN/AFS Governance & Management Instantiation
Location: Mons, BE
Full Time On-Site: Yes
Time On-Site: 100%
Period of Performance: 1 Sep (tentative) to 19 Dec 2025
Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET
A-1 Overall Project Scope
The Alliance Federation Network (AFN) and Alliance Federation Services establishes a federated network that integrates the NATO Enterprise, NATO Nations, NATO Force Structures, and Multinational Entities across the Alliance. NCIA is the primary contractor to deliver the AFN/AFS Federation with NATO Nations on behalf on NATO Digital Staff, Brussels This integration facilitates the interconnection of Alliance Federated Participants (AFP) to the AFN by encompassing a range of technical services, including Communications, the Core Services, the Community of Interest (COI) Services, the Service Management and Control (SMC) and Communication and Information Systems (CIS) Security.
The AFN is a NATO Enterprise-driven and Nations-enabled initiative to build a modern, coherent, transparent and effective CIS platform for delivering and consuming C3 services across the Alliance. It evolves the current NATO Enterprise-centric Alliance-wide network (NS WAN) into a broader and distributed network of networks, building upon the model of the Internet and specifications developed under the Federation Mission Networking (FMN) framework.
The project will instantiate the Governance & Management structure to realise the intended AFN/AFS aims as stated above.
A-2 Objective
Support in the instantiation of a Governance & Management Support Structure to support AFN/AFS.
A-3 Scope of Work
• Provide subject matter expertise to facilitate the creation of the AFN/AFS Governance & Management Support Structure across the 32 NATO Nations also known as Alliance Federated Partners (AFPs) and NCIA;
• The contractor’s personnel shall provide the mechanism (processes) for the AFN/AFS assigned authorities (beneath) to collaborate with each other and receive requirements from NDS and Nations:
a. AFS Operational Authority
b. CIS Operational Authority
c. Information Management Authority
d. Service Management Authority
e. Technical Authority Verification and Validation Authority
f. CIS Security Coordinating Authority
g. Security Accreditation Authority;
• The contractor’s personnel shall draft the AFN/AFS roadmap and governance and managements plans; coordinate and synchronise and update as necessary with approval from NDS;
• The contractor’s personnel shall lead and Implement governance and management activities to ensure seamless application of the AFN/AFS instantiation and its operational and change management processes;
• The contractor’s personnel shall initiate a Communications and Information knowledge Management strategies;
• The contractor’s personnel shall create issue and risk registers and link to NCIA registers
• The contractor’s personnel shall direct the service management activities, processes and functions across the AFPs;
• The contractor’s personnel shall organise key stakeholder meetings in the name of AFN/AFS/NDS/NCIA; ensuring agenda, minutes etc. are recorded and distributed.
• The contractor’s personnel shall engage and interact with senior staff officers from all AFPs/NDS/NCIA;
A-4 Deliverables
The following provides the deliverables under this contract. The deliverables are derived from the requirements of the overall project. The deliverables are also grouped into payment milestones which is given in Section-B [EMW: NOTE that the numbering in this section is as provided by NATO]
Implementation: Interfaces
The Contractor shall carry out all relevant tasks for the instantiation of the
Governance and Management Structure for AFN/AFS
The Contractor shall carry out all relevant tasks for the implementation of the
Service Management Authority.
The Contractor shall carry out all relevant tasks for the implementation of the interfaces between the Governance and Management authorities including all documentation Terms of References, processes and procedures:
• Service Engineering WG
• Service Management WG
• Interoperability Assurance and Validation WG
• CIS Security WG
• Technical Authority
• Verification and Validation Authority
• Service Management Authority
• CIS Security Coordinating Authority
The Contractor shall act as the conduit for all AFN/AFS requirements coming from NDS and NATO Nations.
The Contractor shall create a plan for the instantiation of the Governance and Management Support Structure.
The Contractor shall attend and lead meetings in support of the AFN/AFS instantiation.
The Contractor shall produce a monthly progress update report to NDS/NCIA/Nations
The Contractor shall define the criteria and create template for a dynamic roadmap that should collect and show the overall AFN/AFS implementation project (NCIA and Nations plan)
The Contractor shall provide the following supporting documentation and registers:
• IKM Strategy
• Communication Strategy
• Risk & Issue Registers
A-5 Specific Expertise Required
The following highly specialist expertise will be required for the execution of this contract:
One (1) SMC Subject Matter Expert (SME) supporting activities related to AFS Service Management Authority Supporting Manager role.
A-6 Required Skills, Knowledge & Experience
[See Requirements]
A-7 Security Clearance
All personnel assigned to this contract by the Contractor are required to hold a valid NATO SECRET security clearance for the duration of the contract period of performance.
A-8 Period of Performance
The Contractor will perform all activities and tasks to achieve the deliverables during the period between 1 September up to 31 Dec 2025.
A-9 Place of Performance
Services under this SOW will be performed at the following NCIA sites: Mons (SHAPE)
Travel: The cost of travel and subsistence in/to the Duty Location shall be included in the bidders’ quote.
The consultant may be required to travel to other NCIA locations other than the stated duty location where required by the project. NCIA shall cover the costs of such travel in accordance with the NCI Agency’s prevailing travel policy at the time of travel and AAS+ framework contract provisions.
A-10 Language of Performance
All work under this contract, both oral and written, is conducted in English.
Proficiency in the English language (listening, speaking, reading and writing) is required
Annex B – Special Terms and Conditions
B-1 Special Terms
This Contract requires personnel with highly specialist skills to execute and complete the work.
The Contractor shall ensure Contractor’s personnel to hold valid NATO SECRET security clearances for the duration of the contract period of performance, and shall submit these documentation to Purchaser.
The Contractor shall provide the professional information to the Purchaser regarding the proposed candidate personnel and shall arrange the requested interviews by the Purchaser
The Purchaser will interview the proposed personnel
Services related to the Contract shall be performed on-site at the Duty Location indicated.
Travel to the Duty Location shall be included in the price of this Contract.
Office space and computer equipment shall be provided by NCI Agency at the specified Duty Location.
Extraordinary travel (Purchaser Directed Travel) may be required to other NATO or non-NATO locations as necessary. Purchaser directed travel to non-Duty locations shall be subject to AAS+ framework contract provisions and current NCI Agency Travel Directive.
NATO shall retain the intellectual property rights for all products developed in relation to this contract.
During the contract execution, due to interdependencies with other Work Packages, NCIA reserves the right to re-align the deliverables and associated delivery dates if the project so requires. The adjustment(s) will be within the scope of the contract and without exceeding the total value of the contract and shall be executed through a bilateral contract amendment.
B-2 Obligations on the Contractor and / or any Contractor’s Personnel
Below are the Contractor’s obligations required under this Contract:
In the performance of all work under this Contract, it shall be the Contractor's responsibility to ascertain and comply with all applicable NATO security regulations as implemented by the local Security Officer.
The Contractor’s personnel shall provide services under all reasonable conditions as agreed between the Contractor and the Purchaser.
The Contractor’s personnel may not be voluntarily diverted by the Contractor to perform work outside of the Contract.
The Contractor shall provide services as an integral part of the Purchaser’s delivery team.
The Contractor’s personnel shall take direction from the appointed Purchaser Project Manager, or the designated alternate, and Technical Lead.
The Contractor’s personnel shall abide by the project plan, schedules and priorities as dictated by the Purchaser’s appointed Project Manager and Technical Lead.
The Contractor shall follow the Project Manager and Technical Lead’s directions with respect to project rhythms, status, and other reporting requirements related to project progress.
The Contractor shall abide by the requirements outlined in the project’s Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM).
The Contractor’s personnel shall review the project’s RTM, as per the Technical Lead’s directions, and abide to its contents for the implementation of the work under this Contract.
The Contractor shall support the Purchaser in the necessary tasks for the implementation of a Change and Configuration Management toolset for project use.
The Contractor shall review and provide written feedback on various Purchaser produced documentation, including but not limited to project schedule, high level designs, detailed designs, as built documentation, and training material.
The Contractor’s personnel shall interface with other teams as required for the correct execution of this Contract.
The Contractor shall submit any required change requests as necessary, using the Purchaser furnished equipment and processes.
B-3 Obligations on Purchaser
The Purchaser shall:
Provide identification to all Contractor personnel who have at least a NATO Secret Clearance to allow them unescorted access within Purchaser facilities;
Provide the Contractor’s personnel with office space and furniture;
Provide the Contractor’s personnel with materials for NATO SECRET network access, where required, and materials for NATO RESTRICTED network access with internet access functionality;
Inform the Contractor’s personnel of any major changes / issues that may affect the contract deliverables.
Provide the Contractor’s personnel with instruction and guidance (within the limits of this scope of work), certification of task execution, processing CIS requests.
Prioritise execution of tasks assigned to the Contractor personnel as per the current contract. The work to be performed will be mutually agreed with the Purchaser identified project team on a weekly basis and shall depend on the project activities and needs.
Countersign the Delivery Acceptance Sheet(s) confirming that the work completed by the Contractor’s personnel is satisfactory and acceptable for payment.
In some circumstances, absence, some of the activities listed above may be delegated.
B-4 Delivery and Payment Schedule
This requirement is for the deliverables laid out in section D ‘Deliverables’.
Payment will be made based on the milestones indicated in the table below. The Payment Milestones are based on the phases and progression of the overall project’s plan and schedules, as dictated by the Purchaser, and include a set of the Deliverables (Ref. Section A) that the Contractor is expected to have completed.
Base contract
Item: P-1
Payment Milestone: Two Monthly progress update report
Completed Deliverables: Sub Set
Timeline Target: 2 Months (The estimated timelines are based on calendar months, not working days)
Value (% of total base contract): 50%
Invoices shall be accompanied with a Delivery Acceptance Sheet (Annex C), signed by the relevant project authority
Item: P-2
Payment Milestone: Two Monthly progress update report
Completed Deliverables: Sub Set
Timeline Target: 2 Months (The estimated timelines are based on calendar months, not working days)
Value (% of total base contract): 50%
Invoices shall be accompanied with a Delivery Acceptance Sheet (Annex C), signed by the relevant project authority
Requirements
A-6 Required Skills, Knowledge & Experience
Profile for AFS Service Management Authority Lead Manager
1. A university degree in computer science or a related scientific or engineering discipline. The lack of a university degree may be compensated by the demonstration of particular abilities or experience of interest to the Agency;
2. Extensive relevant and recent experience (at least 10 years) in IT Service Management experience in a military service provider environment
3. Extensive relevant and recent experience (at least 10 years) in Project Management, Prince 2;
4. 5 years’ experience in preparing, planning and participating in formal testing events such as NATO interoperability exercises
5. Microsoft SharePoint
6. Experience in engaging with the primary customers NDS, NHQ, ACO etc.;
7. Knowledge of the NATO processes especially for requirements management and capability planning
8. Prior experience of working in an international environment comprising both military and civilian elements;
9. Leadership within the Federated context AMN, FMN, AFS
10. Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organization, including International, International Military Staff and NATO Digital Staff (former C3 Board).
A-7 Security Clearance
11. All personnel assigned to this contract by the Contractor are required to hold a valid NATO SECRET security clearance for the duration of the contract period of performance.