Through the Digital Skills for Defence programme, we have partnered with industry leaders to provide our people with several digital upskilling opportunities. One such opportunity is secondments.
Let me introduce you to Joseph Lanzon, a member of the RAF, who recently completed a secondment with BAE Systems.
Working in a new organisation means you are surrounded by new people, exposed to a new culture and presented with new ways of working. All this provides significant benefits for secondees to take advantage of.
We have identified two overarching benefits from completing a secondment:
A secondment is a great way to learn new skills and competencies but also refine and strengthen existing skills.
Whilst at BAE Systems, Joseph’s main focus was on software development, everything from testing new systems to the use of new technology. This exposed him to a whole new set of technical skills in the digital space that has helped him strengthen his software developing capabilities.
Joseph was integrated into BAE teams from day one and this allowed him to pick up new technical skills and competencies from team members which he can use to develop.
However, creating the digital leaders of the future isn’t just about building their digital skills; there is also the need to hone in on the soft skills. During the secondment, Joseph understood the importance of collaboration and teamwork. Through BAE’s collaborative ways of working, Joseph was able to develop his communication and leadership skills and he saw first-hand the importance of teamwork when unlocking real value from digital products and services.
Development is only one aspect of a secondment. At the end of the day, you are part of another organisation and this exposes you to a new perspective in all things work related. All organisations are unique and so a secondment offers you the opportunity to witness new approaches to problems, new ways of working and new cultures.
In Joseph’s case, a key takeaway was how people at BAE Systems worked using the AGILE framework and the several benefits this brought.
By picking up new digital skills and understanding new ways of working, you are able to bring it back to us and share it with project teams. Through knowledge sharing, it can help develop skills in our workforce and identify areas in our existing processes where we can improve.
Some key takeaways from Joseph’s experience which could benefit how we work include:
When asked about his secondment, Joseph’s manager had this to say:
With the introduction of a new DevSecOps (development security operations) platform, Joseph’s secondment has introduced industry software development practices and Agile frameworks to the team. The secondment enabled him to lead software development projects, develop pair-programming practices and further enrich his technical skill-set in preparation for advancement in rank.
I recommend personnel put themselves forward and take advantage of secondments in the future to further diversify skillsets as well as experience something new.
It is clear that Joseph’s secondment at BAE Systems was a huge success and we are in discussions to see how we can continue to collaborate and work on upskilling our staff with digital skills in the future.
Together with our industry partners, we are committed to providing more opportunities for our people to experience what Joseph experienced on secondment, help to advance our digital transformation and create our digital leaders of the future.
]]>Within the rapidly evolving landscape of maritime technology, the introduction of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite systems is projected to be a game-changer for the Royal Navy, particularly for our sailors, as it enables them to stay connected.
Most notably, the provision of Wi-Fi connectivity onboard HMS Protector enabled 90 of the ships company to stay connected with their loved ones over the festive period, even in the vast expanses of the open sea.
Historically, maintaining communication links during naval deployments presented significant challenges. Traditional satellite communication systems were often hampered by unreliable connectivity and poor signal coverage, leaving sailors frustrated with restricted access to the outside world.
The introduction of LEO satellites has reshaped this narrative. LEO satellites, positioned closer to Earth than traditional satellites, offer several advantages over their higher-altitude counterparts. With increased data transfer speeds, LEO satellites provide a reliable and efficient solution for seamless communication. This technological advancement has been harnessed to bridge the communication gap for sailors on our naval warships.
The implementation of LEO satellite technology on naval vessels involves the installation of advanced communication equipment capable of tapping into the satellite network. This equipment facilitates high-speed data transmission which is then connected to the existing onboard Wi-Fi. The implications of this connectivity go beyond mere internet access; it fosters morale and well-being among naval personnel by allowing them to connect with family and friends during deployments.
The ability to make video calls, exchange messages and stay updated with news from home contributes significantly to the mental and emotional resilience of sailors. Having the means to communicate with loved ones is a vital aspect of maintaining a healthy work-life balance for naval personnel.
As the Royal Navy continues to adapt to the demands of modern warfare and global connectivity, the integration of LEO satellite technology to provide access for welfare represents a remarkable stride forward. The once-isolated expanse of the ocean is now a space where sailors can stay connected, bridging the gap between duty and home with the power of advanced satellite technology.
We are at the beginning of this journey; work is already underway to deliver this capability across the fleet, reflecting a commitment to supporting the well-being and mental health of the dedicated men and women serving in the Royal Navy. This work will see further LEO trials being carried out on deployed units over the coming months prior to the introduction of a fully integrated capability planned for Summer 2024.
]]>Fail to prepare, prepare to fail
That's what a former manager used to say to me. Although I'm not a big fan of motivational workplace quotes, this one stuck because it's undeniably true.
I work within the Digital Foundry as a User Researcher, capturing findings from end users’ interactions with Defence ICT and playing this back to assist with decision making. A big part of my job involves being on site and from experience, there are three important things to consider when planning for onsite user research (UR):
Recruiting end users for research or testing prototypes is essential to user-centred design (UCD). However, identifying and connecting with participants from one of the three frontline commands (FLCs, i.e. the Army, Royal Navy and RAF) can take a long time. In fact, this initial task is often regarded as the most demanding aspect of organising UR in Defence.
Finding the right people for your research within Defence can be difficult if you don't have the luxury of an internal point of contact. The Digital Foundry’s Defence Developer Services (D2S) can assist with this task via the D2S Research Community database.
This resource helps provide access to FLC personnel willing and able to participate in MOD UR. It streamlines the selection, registration, documentation and tracking of participants. Plus it reduces ‘research fatigue’ by preventing the same individuals being repeatedly approached for UR.
However, even after making initial contact, it can still take up to a month before you get approval from a senior officer allowing you to visit a military base to conduct interviews and workshops. Therefore, setting aside a generous amount of time in your research plan to allow for this is advisable.
It is worth noting that people’s rank and duties inform their perspective on matters. For example, a signals regiment will collectively focus on comms however senior officer will offer a more strategic outlook whilst lower ranks, in contrast, will have a more hands-on view of the world. Hence, it is important to consider the purpose for your research as this will inform what role(s) you target in your UR.
Defence is complex, comprised of organisations developed over centuries, accommodating changing needs, technologies and procedures.
Embedding a serving or ex-military subject matter expert (SME) into your team, permanently or temporarily, and having them with you onsite during research is invaluable.
A military SME can assist you with military terminology and a host of other potentially problematic tasks, such as:
If you don't have a military SME on your team and are carrying out UR within the Foundry Federation, the Foundry has experts in-house from the different FLCs that can help. Even if you only interact with them minimally, there will be notable benefits.
Military bases are enormous. There are potentially numerous entrance gates, rows of unremarkable buildings from the 1940s, confusing signage and one-way road layouts that repeatedly trap you in a loop of doom. Even personnel who live and work onsite get lost from time to time.
Your host isn't meeting you at the gate? Well you can improve your chances of finding the correct entrance and UR session destination by obtaining the postcode or digital map pins for both locations in advance. You'll still need your wits about you, but at least you'll stand a fighting chance of locating where you're supposed to be.
And remember to keep those coordinates to hand for the end of the day, plus an extra quarter-hour of journey time because you may think you'll remember how to find your way back to the gate, but you won't.
In military circles, an often-quoted statement is attributed to former US President Dwight Eisenhower: "Plans are nothing; planning is everything".
This is so true, especially in the context of UR with military personnel. Participants can be called away at the last moment for urgent operational requirements or your reserved room is suddenly taken by someone significantly more important than you.
However, you'll still require a research plan to ensure you have your question set, along with pens, post-its and biscuits to hand, on the off chance everything you've set out to do indeed goes as expected (or at least some of it).
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We have teams creating great content for their users. How can we share their ways of working across Defence?
The content toolkit is a collection of tools for you to create and manage user-centred content. It will help people find your content and rely on it to make better decisions.
We’ve published the first version of the content toolkit in the Defence Service Manual. It includes:
The publishing process helps you create and manage great content — from identifying a need to archiving or deleting content.
Using the step-by-step publishing process in the content toolkit, you can:
A content audit is a way to understand how much content you have, the quality of your content and its value to Defence.
Many teams do not know where to start with a content audit.
Using the audit templates in the content toolkit, you can:
Content and Transaction Services (CTS) works on ways to get the right information to the right people – wherever and whenever they need it. The content toolkit is part of this vision.
To build new tools, we spend time with people who publish and manage content in Defence. Their challenges and approaches help us shape things that you can reuse.
Before publishing new tools, we ask a few teams to test them. Here are some of the things they have told us:
“It is helpful for us to think: do we need this content?”
“It's great to have a thorough system through which we can consistently push all of our content. This way nothing is overlooked and the user needs are always put front and centre!”
“I like having your template - an actual place to put down information, rather than jotting down notes.”
“These tools are easy to use and put user needs at the heart of content publishing. I spent some time working with the content audit tool and it helped me to understand the content. With it I was able to evaluate and plan what I needed to do.”
We’re always learning how teams use the tools so we can improve them. Remember to give us your feedback.
You’ll find more tools in the content toolkit soon, for example a checklist for writing good content and ways to measure quality.
We’re working with many content teams across Defence. If we have not spoken to you yet, please get in touch.
There is more content guidance in the Defence Service Manual.
If you work in Defence, you can also join the content community.
We work in the Defence Digital Foundry which provides user-facing digital services, plus enabling tools and platforms to help digital teams across Defence deliver better and faster.
Its mission is to provide strategic advantage and capability for Defence through rapid and effective software delivery.
Blog posts in this series
Definitive guidance for digital services 23 March 2023
Making the MOD an information-driven organisation 6 March 2023
The Foundry provides user-facing digital services, plus enabling tools and platforms to help digital teams across Defence deliver better and faster.
Its mission is to provide strategic advantage and capability for Defence through rapid and effective software delivery.
One of the tools that DAS provides is the Defence Data Analytics Platform (DDAP).
The DDAP is a secure data and analytics platform. It’s the primary platform used by the Defence Artificial Intelligence Centre (DAIC) for data science experimentation and prototyping.
The DAIC have recently been using DDAP for experimenting and prototyping solutions which leverage the power of Large Language Models (LLM’s), utilising the GPU resources available to accelerate their experimentation.
Beyond the DAIC, we have over 40 active use-cases on the DDAP across Defence - covering Air Command, Space Command, DE&S, DSTL and others - and around 6,000 end users. In this post I’m going to talk about the DDAP and how Defence users can get involved.
Throughout my career, I have always seen opportunities where data science techniques can extract value from data held by organisations.
The main barrier for teams to gain insights from their data was the lack of the right tools for the job. Because of this, data analytics work was limited to Excel. You can do some great things with Excel, but I could see the potential for teams if they had easy access to data science tooling on MODNET, MOD’s internal network. This would help them to exploit the right data at the right time.
I’ve been lucky enough to be heavily involved with the development of DDAP for the Foundry. My team and I have been involved throughout the development of the platform to build out use cases to test functionality and feed back to the engineering team on improvements and new features. The best thing about this service is that it’s available across MOD, so anyone can request the creation of a tenant (a secure area within the platform for you or your team to work) to start using the tools available on your own data.
I think one of the most important things that DDAP will do is help to support what I call “grass roots data science”. This is where there isn’t a massive development project pre-planned over several years with a team of data scientists, engineers and developers, but someone with an interest and the motivation to see what they can do with their data. Nobody knows their data or their problems better than the people working on it day to day, so providing them with easy access to the right tools is fantastic.
What DDAP gives you is a great starting point for your data science project
You get a virtual desktop interface, accessible via your web browser, with a standard set of data science development tooling available out of the box.
Find out how you can make the most of your data. Email Data Analytics Service and tell us how you will use DDAP.
]]>Keeping Defence safe always has been and always will be a top priority for the MOD. One of the best ways of doing this is to rely on the help of MOD personnel, along with civilians and contractors who work on MOD sites, to challenging suspicious behaviours when they see them.
This is why the ‘Challenge Me’ initiative was established in 2022. During the month of March trained teams are sent to various MOD establishments across the UK, and sometimes overseas to display low-level suspicious or risky behaviours in the hope that personnel will spot and confidently challenge the team to ensure the sites’ safety.
Using mobile phones in prohibited areas and tailgating through security entrances are just two examples of behaviours that should be challenged. No matter how harmless they may seem, these may be the types of behaviours exhibited by someone who isn’t authorised to be there, thus posing a high security risk. That is why this initiative is so important.
Through exercises such as this, the MOD hope to develop and encourage a positive, constructive challenge culture across Defence. It is key to the safety of Defence that all personnel feel comfortable in challenging and being challenged in a polite, safe, and assertive manner, regardless of seniority or rank.
Throughout the initiative, those individuals who correctly identified and delivered a constructive challenge to a member of the team received a limited edition Cyber Confident Challenge Coin in recognition of their positive action.
The main thing to keep in mind when challenging suspicious behaviours across MOD establishments, is that the positive outcome of challenging a genuine threat will always outweigh the cost of politely challenging a simple mistake or misunderstanding. Keeping Defence safe by constructively challenging is something that must happen throughout the entire year, not just when initiatives like this are running.
The Cyber Confident Team develops and distributes a variety of materials to inform and educate Defence personnel on cyber security risk and response. If you would like to find out more, please listen to our ‘Cyber Sound Bytes’ podcast available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Remember, the front line is you.
]]>Secure by Design is a key component of how cyber security will be improved within the MOD.
The culture and approach to how cyber security is addressed in capability programmes across MOD is changing. Cyber security is often bolted on at the end of a programme lifecycle after an accreditation process and this does not provide MOD with the best chance of delivering secure capabilities into our operational user’s hands.
Things are changing and the old MOD accreditation approach is stopping!
The Secure by Design approach is a modern approach whereby SROs, capability owners and delivery teams are accountable and responsible for delivering systems that are cyber secure. Safety isn’t treated as an add on or an optional extra that can be traded out and cyber security needs to be treated the same.
With the increasing cyber threat that exists in the world the new approach is essential. Teams must own the cyber security risk of their capabilities from concept to disposal and manage it effectively through the lifecycle of the capability.
The approach will lead to the delivery of more secure systems through clearer accountability, simplified processes aligned to the capability delivery strategy, more use of open security standards, better guidance, more flexibility, and empowered decision making.
A Secure by Design project team has been piloting the new ways of working with 40 programmes over the last year. The team have therefore produced policy, process, guidance, and tooling to support projects on their journey.
This includes a self-assessment tool which will enable projects to self-assess their maturity against security policy and technical guidance. The intent of this tool is to help projects understand what they need to consider when delivering a capability and help track progress through delivery. All new programmes and system developments must now follow this approach and details are mandated in JSP 440 Leaflet 5C.
The key to the success of this is that programmes need to resource and fund cyber security as they would any other key capability requirement. Cyber security has the support of the Service Chiefs and DDG’s across Defence and is not something that can be traded out as it is now a licence to operate item.
This may seem a big change but don’t worry there is plenty of support available to guide you:
I said that Accreditation is stopping – and it is. A new second line assurance function has been established that will perform independent assessments over MOD capabilities. These assurance reviews will be performed at key stages of the programme in order to provide SROs and Delivery Teams with the independent specialist opinions as to the state of cyber security.
Cyber Security has also been embedded as a requirement into IAC and JROC submissions and teams will need to evidence that they are cyber ready.
The full process is going live over the next few months with a formal launch in July 2023 and you will see lots more communication in relation to Secure by Design.
If you have a programme that is early in its lifecycle then get your team on to the Secure by Design portal and start defining your cyber security risk and how you are going to mitigate it.
]]>There’s some great guidance on GOV.UK but it can be difficult to apply in Defence. We’ve also identified other issues across Defence.
Teams in the Content and Transaction Service (CTS), part of the Defence Digital Foundry, are trying to solve these problems.
The first version of the Defence Service Manual is live. It sits alongside guidance on GOV.UK, rather than copying it. The manual includes work previously done by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force.
In user research sessions, participants tell us that they need to point to definitive guidance: “this is the way it is done in Defence”.
In the Defence Service Manual, you’ll find guidance on:
Service and interaction designers can find guidance on starting with simple designs, using the right styles and designing for safety.
Anyone creating content for digital services can check how we write for users, deal with acronyms and pair write with experts.
If you’re doing user research, there’s a section covering everything from finding participants to storing data correctly. You’ll also find links to useful templates, like the MOD consent form.
You can also check how to join your community of practice, when community calls are held and how to ask for advice.
As one user told us: “I’ve now found the right Defence Slack channel to post this question to, because of the Defence Service Manual. That’s very cool. Thanks.”
So far, we’ve identified 42 areas where digital teams need Defence-specific guidance. We’ve met 27 of these needs with published guidance. We’re working on the rest and discovering more.
To create new guidance we look at policy, audit existing guidance and run workshops with communities of practice. If you’re in the data, technology or architecture community in Defence, we’d like to talk to you about the guidance you need. Please get in touch.
It’s your manual and we’ve only just started. We’d like you to suggest content, tell us what’s missing and what we can improve. Use the feedback links in the Defence Service Manual.
You can also take part in user research. If you can spare just one hour, you’ll help us create better guidance for everyone.
Anyone working in Defence is also welcome to join our monthly show and tells. Get in touch and ask for an invitation.
]]>The challenge the MOD faces is how to use that knowledge and information to help meet its overarching objectives and capability needs.
With support from senior levels of the organisation, the first step was to set up The Digital Foundry to help focus on digital delivery for Defence users.
The Foundry has undertaken a number of projects analysing the issues, needs and potential ways forward. One of these was the introduction of the Content and Transaction Services (CTS).
CTS will support the MOD’s Digital Strategy for Defence vision. It will allow the MOD to become a dynamic, information-driven organisation in support of its organisational and operational needs. It will achieve this by allowing users to create, find and use content more easily.
CTS will deliver:
“The right information, to the right people - wherever and whenever they need it.”
Look out for future posts on how CTS is achieving this and how you can get involved.
]]>As the product manager on the Frontend team, I can’t wait to see designers and developers use MOD.UK Frontend and the Design Library to:
MOD.UK Frontend is a collection of 30 components and their associated code.
Components are reusable parts of the user interface – a bit like building blocks.
Frontend developers will be able to use our thoroughly tested components to build products and services.
Our components are closely based on GOV.UK Design System components – we’ve updated them with MOD branding, so they’re suitable for users in Defence. We’ve changed the component:
Reusable components will save MOD digital project teams time. Why waste money creating new radio buttons for your product when we’ve got an accessible and tested component for you to use?
We’ve built the Design Library in Figma, a widely used online design app.
The Design Library has the same components as MOD.UK Frontend. By adding the components to Figma, we’ve made it easy for designers to prototype and test designs.
We’ve also included additional experimental components – teams will need to test these with users. If you use them in your project, please share your research.
We’re planning a Figma account for Defence users that will help teams update their designs when we update our components.
One of our biggest challenges has been deciding what approach to follow. We’ve conducted extensive research with teams across MOD to find out how they work and what they and their users need.
We chose to align to the GOV.UK Design System, which uses HTML and Nunjucks code snippets, because:
I’m confident the MOD.UK Frontend and Design Library provide a firm foundation for designers and developers to build on.
However, our research shows that MOD users also need designs and components not in the GOV.UK Design System – and by extension, our first release.
We’ve started with a simple approach and created the basic building blocks. Now we can add new reusable components over the coming months that meet specific needs of MOD users. As we add components, we will ensure we meet the standards that MOD products and services will be assessed against.
We’re inviting designers, developers and other user-centred design professionals to use MOD.UK Frontend and the Design Library.
We’ll be working closely with Foundry teams to support early adoption, but we welcome the opportunity to engage with anyone who wants to use our products.
Please contact the Frontend team to share your feedback.
We’re keen to prioritise the next most important things to do beyond the products we’ve delivered to realise the benefits of reuse in design and development.
MOD.UK Frontend and the Design Library are an important step towards a more consistent and accessible experience for Defence service users. We look forward to working with users and stakeholders to build on this foundation.
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