HS2: Delivering Critical & Transformative Programmes Across The IT End-To-End Project Lifecycle

The Challenge

HS2 required specialist support in the delivery of aspects of their critical programmes and their internal transformation programme. They were looking for a partner that could provide multi-disciplinary teams with specialist DDaT skills, working across the technology landscape, including public cloud IaaS/PaaS and leading ISVs.

The partner would need to deliver the services collaboratively, encompassing shared objectives and demonstrating flexibility, innovation, and a value-add culture. Importantly, this partner would need to be willing to share best-practice and build capability to bridge internal skills gaps, providing coaching and mentoring.

The scope of the contract covered all stages of the HS2 IT end-to-end project lifecycle, including but not limited to:

• Defining requirements and user need.
• System and data model design.
• Development of Alpha and Beta services using a range of technologies.
• Documentation of work package deliverables/solutions.
• Quality assurance, testing and defect resolution.
• Beta, go-live and early life support.
• Development of subsequent releases.
• Knowledge transfer and business change.

The skill profiles provided covered Architecture, Business Analysis, Service Management, Product Management, Delivery Management, RPA, IdAM, PMO, DevOps Engineering, Business Intelligence, Innovation and Design, and delivery of IoT and RPA solutions.

The Project

Green Park People Solutions were pleased to be awarded the contract on the strength of our collaborative and flexible approach, extensive multi-disciplinary talent networks and our track-record delivering complex large-scale Government projects.

We proposed to manage the service through a series of iterative three month work-packages. This provided a level of flexibility to HS2 to adjust the requirement in line with their changing needs and priorities.

The initial statements of work were scoped and agreed with HS2 following a series of discovery meetings during the scoping phase of the service. A governance process was put in place with monthly reviews between Green Park’s dedicated Service Delivery Manager and HS2 activity managers to review progress against deliverables and priorities.  This allowed a review point and mechanism to manage change though the agreed change control process. Quarterly reviews were held with HS2s Commercial Lead to review the overarching service and discuss the ongoing and future requirements and overarching work-package.

As part of the contract governance, we agreed an exit process which was written into each of the work packages. This included the Green Park Specialists providing a comprehensive handover, including weekly handover meetings in the month prior to exit, knowledge transfer and upskilling.

At the end of the handover period a final sign off meeting between the Green Park Service Delivery Manager and the HS2 Activity Manager took place, along with an exit meeting between and the Green Park Specialists and Activity Managers. This ensured a seamless handover of company devices & the retirement of accounts/documents in line with the security policies.

The Results

Digital, Technology and Cyber

Green Park People Solutions deployed DDaT team of Architects to provide specialist knowledge and work with HS2 to drive Business Process and Operational improvement by developing its enterprise architecture function and capability. This has included:

• Documenting As-Is Reference Architecture.
• Development of Business, Integration and Information Architecture 12-month Roadmaps, aligned with the overall Enterprise Architecture 2020 Plan.
• Review of existing artefacts against industry best-practice and known high-level requirements.
• Review and define Enterprise Integration, Business and Information Architecture Principles.
• Support value for money through provision of Integration Architecture expertise in Vendor selection, ensuring alignment with HS2 Procurement Standards.
• Creation and facilitation of a Digital Framework for enhanced collaboration between HS2 and the Tier 1 Supply Chain.

Change Management and Business Process Improvement

Additionally Green Park have supported HS2 in Change Management and Business Process Improvement this included:

• Review and improvement of change management processes to ensure effective governance is in place.
• Implementing improvements to and adoption of PMO Gateway processes.
• Implementation and adoption of a Data Toolkit and processes for resourcing and creation of dashboards.
• Review of risk management processes and implementations of improvements.
• Review of Demand Management processes to support improved planning and forecasting across the change portfolio including:
  • Development of artefact templates and management information to create the process for demand reporting to programme board.
  • Improvements to initial triage processes and, approvals process and required MI.
  • Identifying and implementing data quality and process improvements to reduce the time and effort required to provide good quality demand data.

MS Azure, RPA and DevOps

On MS Azure our specialist RPA and DevOps team delivered:

• Process discovery & assessment for Microsoft Power Platform (PowerApps & Power Automate) in various portfolios.
• Work with the DevOps team to undertake assessment and knowledge transfer of the PowerApps and Power Automate usage on Atlas 2 CDIP Microsoft Power Platform (PowerApps & Power Automate).
• Development, testing and deployment of identified process for automation using Power Platform (The list of processes approved by IT Demand) environment setup.
• Work with EA team to formulate an enterprise strategic approach for RPA (BluePrism/ PowerSuite).
• Integration of Supplier Database Source into Atlas Enterprise Datawarehouse.
• Develop proof of concept of Testing Power Apps Application.
• Develop and deploy CI/CD pipeline for deploying MS Power Apps.

EA/BA

Our EA/BA team delivered:

• Supported IOT – Internet of Things / sensor data and telematics project – developed and designed assurance for Conceptual, Logical Data Model designs for these scope data applications.
• Facilitated ongoing knowledge sharing and upskilling of BA practices and skills within the team.

Click here to find out more about Green Park People Solutions.