2025-0046 BMD Operational Studies and Products Maintenance (NS) REMOTE - 3 Mar

Deadline Date: Monday 3 March 2025
 
Requirement Title: Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Operational Studies and Products Maintenance

Location: REMOTE
 
Full time on-site:  Yes        
 
Not to Exceed: 351,900 EUR
  
Required Start Date:  14 April 2025
 
Required Security Clearance:   NATO Secret
 
Introduction:
To strengthen the Alliance through connecting its forces, NATO Communication and Information Agency  (NCIA) delivers secure, coherent, cost effective and interoperable communications and information systems in  support of consultation, command and control and enabling intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance  capabilities, for NATO, where and when required. It includes IT support to the Alliances’ business processes (to  include provision of IT shared services) to the NATO HQ, the Command Structure and NATO Agencies.  

Scope of Work:
The team of contractors will apply OUX and C4ISR engineering principles together with NCIA project 

• The team of contactors will hold 4 (four) skill sets:  
• Principal Operational User Experience (OUX) Technologist (POUX-T),  
• Senior Operational User Experience/User Interface Designer and Developer (SOUX-D), 
• Principal C4ISR Engineer (C4ISR-E).  
• Principal C4ISR Data Architect (C4ISR-D).  
• The size of the team will be determined by the Bidder. Each contractor in the team shall possess only  one skill set and it is not possible to combine more than one skill sets within one contractor.  
• The team of contractors will provide support services and deliverables as follows:
• Maintaining and upgrading NATO TBMD and BMD CONEMP Viewer.  
• Leading operational studies to investigate and document impacts of new concepts on BMD  capability (such as, Integrated Air and Ballistic Missile Defence (IAMD) and 360-degrees defence).  
• Capturing needs for data-centric architecture for BMD capability and working on alignment of  BMD architecture with NATO C3 Taxonomy.  
• Planning and performing operational user research (OUR) for inclusion of secure tactical chat  inclusion in mission applications. Findings are compiled in a “change suggestions report” and a candidate  design document that describe users' needs, attitudes, pain points, and behaviours for such capability.  
• Designing and describing functional specifications of tactical chat for mission applications.
• Developing user interface prototypes for tactical chat in mission applications.  
• Preparing and providing subject matter (BMD OUX) briefings and expert reports related with the  project work.  
• Performing expert OUX reviews on BMD related NATO Battle Management Command, Control,  Communications and Intelligence (BMC3I) information systems and documenting findings in an expert review  report.  
• Planning and performing subject matter (BMD OUX) training sessions to the project team  members and a wider NCIA community.  
• The deliverables will be required by various dates, as identified in Section 5, throughout the contract  execution.  
• All deliverables are to be peer reviewed within its delivery cycle. Input and guidance will be provided by  NCIA in written form and during the targeted review meetings.  
• During the period of performance a Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS) shall be provided to the Purchaser  for each scheduled delivery, as identified in Section 5. The Template is provided in the Annex C. The Purchaser  will confirm the acceptance by signing Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS).  
• The expected classification level of the deliverables is NATO Unclassified or NATO Restricted.  
• The execution of duties may require contractors to access information as per 2.4 up to NATO  Restricted therefore some contractors will be asked to fill a Certificate of Security Obligation (CSO) form for  accessing NATO Restricted information throughout the contract execution.  
• Contractors possessing Principal Operational User Experience (OUX) Technologist (POUX-T)  skill set require to hold a valid NATO Secret security clearance due to involvement in CONEMP upgrades  and other activities at operational headquarters.  
• The contract will have optional scope extensions to be executed in 2026, 2027 and 2028 should NCIA  choose to exercise them.  
• The Agency Point of Contact for the daily execution of the contract is the NCIA PM.

• Principal Operational User Experience (OUX) Technologist (POUX-T),  
• Senior Operational User Experience/User Interface Designer and Developer (SOUX-D),
• Principal C4ISR Engineer (C4ISR-E).  
• Principal C4ISR Data Architect (C4ISR-D).  
• The size of the team will be determined by the Bidder. Each contractor in the team shall possess only one  skill set and it is not possible to combine more than one skill set within one contractor. Therefore the team size  shall be minimum 4 experts.  

• University degree in computer science  
• More than 15 years professional experience in user experience design and implementation in  mission critical projects.  
• Good level of knowledge on NATO BMD mission, organisation, processes and BMC3I systems  
• More than 10 years working level NATO BMD operational user experience (NATO BMD OUX)  involvement in the design and/or implementation of one or more Battle Management Command, Control,  Communication and Intelligence (BMC3I) information systems (ACCS, NCOP, TOPFAS, AirC2IS, Intel FS)  composing the NATO BMD architecture.  
• Extensive experience about Operational User Research (OUR), analysis of main NATO BMD  processes and the BMD CONEMP product.  
• Hands-on experience on OUX design of NATO BMD user functions (asset list, defence design,  tactical information and situational awareness, enemy courses of action) used in BMC3I systems.  
• Prior experience and involvement of organising and leading NATO BMD operational user  workshops where the BMD OUX design of functionalities were discussed and agreed by the NATO BMD  Operational Users.  
• Prior experience and involvement of performing OUX expert review for one or more NATO BMC3I  systems (MEAT, CSI, ACCS, NCOP, TOPFAS, AirC2IS, Intel FS)  
• Excellent command of spoken and written English.  

• Experience with development of C4ISR user interface style guides.  
• Experience with development of C4ISR reference applications for both web-based and mobile  applications, following a common style guide.  
• Experience with innovative and emerging technologies (artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual  reality, augmented reality, etc.) and their usage in training and user documentation.  
• Experience with the NATO BMD Programme and programme tranche concept as a capability delivery  method,  
• Prior working experience in an international environment comprising both military and civilian  elements.  
• Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organization, including ACO and ACT.  

• University degree in computer science, engineering or technology  
• More than 5 years professional experience in user experience design and implementation in  mission critical projects.  
• Working level involvement in the design and development of the BMD CONEMP Viewer software.  Experience with operational user experience work done for NATO BMD capability.  8.5.5 Expert in front-end development using technologies and tools listed below:  8.5.5.1 HTML5. CSS3 and JavaScript (ES6+)  
• CSS frameworks, preferably Bootstrap and Tailwind CSS.  
• JavaScript framework and libraries, preferably React, Angular and Vue.js.  
• Frontend build tools, preferably Webpack, Vite and Babel.  
• Cross-browser compatibility and responsive design.  
• Building and using web-components.  
• UI component frameworks, preferably, NATO C4ISR UI framework Compass UI, Material  components and Telerik.    
• Candidate must have the nationality of one of the NATO nations.  
• Excellent command of spoken and written English.  

• Experience with development of C4ISR user interface style guides.  
• Experience with development of C4ISR reference applications for both web-based and mobile  applications, following a common style guide.  
• Experience with innovative and emerging technologies (artificial intelligence, machine learning,  virtual reality, augmented reality, etc.) and their usage in training and user documentation.  
• Prior working experience in an international environment comprising both military and civilian  elements.  
• Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organization, including ACO and ACT.  

• University degree in engineering or computer science.  
• More than twenty years international professional experience in NATO C4ISR systems,  specifically ballistic missile defence and tactical chat usage.  
• Strong understanding of NATO joint operations and the usage of tactical chat, JCHAT for  operations.  
• Expert in tactical data link, situational awareness, air operations, time sensitive targeting and  targeting.  
• Hands-on experience with standards used in this domain (XMPP, HTTP/S, Link16, NVG, APP 11) and mission applications: JCHAT, ICC, JTS/FAST, NIRIS, CSI and JOCWatch.  
• Actively used JCHAT in experimentation, operational exercises, and missions, such as CWIX,  Steadfast –series, FMN, AMN and ISAF.  
• Previously conducted scientific and technical studies on C4ISR related information exchange  standards, such as USMTF/ADatP-3, Link 16 and IDM.  
• Strong background and involvement in NATO C4ISR system development and maintenance.  8.7.9 Candidate must have the nationality of one of the NATO nations.  
• Excellent command of spoken and written English.  

• Experience with innovative and emerging technologies (artificial intelligence, machine learning,  virtual reality, augmented reality, etc.) and their usage in training and user documentation.  
• Prior working experience in an international environment comprising both military and civilian  elements.  
• Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organization, including ACO and ACT. 

• University master’s degree in computer engineering.  
• More than twenty years international professional experience in C4ISR/IT system development  life cycle (management, analysis, design, system engineering, development, integration and  implementation).  
• Experience in modern software technologies and techniques.  
• Took lead responsibilities in NATO/national/international C4ISR or complex system projects as a 
• data architect.  
• Has expert knowledge on Bi-SC AIS/C4ISR system data models (TOPFAS, LOGFS, AirC2IS,  ICC, JTS, NEDB-NG, etc.) and performed data model reviews on them.  
• Previously performed a data architecture analysis work at a programme level and authored  results in a form of “data architecture guideline”.  
• Ability to produce technical documentation (e.g. reports and specifications) focusing on C4ISR in  English.  
• Previous knowledge of NATO work environment, Bi-SC AIS and BMD Programmes.  8.9.9 Candidate must have the nationality of one of the NATO nations.  
• Excellent command of spoken and written English.  

• Experience with innovative and emerging technologies (artificial intelligence, machine learning,  virtual reality, augmented reality, etc.) and their usage in training and user documentation.  
• Prior working experience in an international environment comprising both military and civilian  elements.  
• Knowledge of NATO responsibilities and organization, including ACO and ACT.