The Australian Signals Directorate is set to outsource much of the resourcing of a “service delivery hub” that will prepare enterprise services and internal functions for the $10 billion REDSPICE cyber security program.
The agency wants the equivalent of 50 contract staff to bolster its business and program management offices, change communications and “innovation and process improvement” as it scales up for REDSPICE.
Over the next decade, the ASD will effectively double its staffing under REDSPICE – which stands for resilience, effects, defence, space, intelligence, cyber and enablers.
The program represents a large-scale expansion of Australia’s offensive and defensive cyber security capabilities.
REDSPICE preparations have been apparent over the past year, from executive hiring to the establishment of state-based ‘cyber hubs’. Some early delivery work was also outsourced to KPMG.
More delivery support work is now set to be contracted out by the agency, though it was noted that all functions would be led by ASD staff.
ASD intends to use contractors to bolster its project management office, information and data management functions, its business management office (which tracks finance, procurement and contracting), and for change management communications and industry engagement.
Also covered is a substantial increase in resourcing for what ASD is calling the integrated service delivery (ISD) hub, which is “responsible for innovation surge activities across ASD to uplift a number of enterprise services or functions that are fundamental to the ongoing delivery of REDSPICE.”
The hub will undertake business process mapping exercises and “short term” – defined as three-to-six month – improvement activities, and track the maturity of various ASD functions needed to deliver REDSPICE.
The ISD hub is anticipated to run with four senior ASD resources, supported by the equivalent of 12 contracted staff.