Client Overview

Our client is a major Federal Government department which operates multiple platform variants in complex, isolated and challenging environments where resilience, reliability and assured communications are pivotal to delivery. The successful operation of the ICT systems and networks is critical to the operations and business elements of the department.

Client’s Challenge

The primary challenge facing our client’s ICT network was the upgrade of existing ICT systems and networks across their entire fleet along with the successful integration on new and expanded ICT systems to enable the passing of extensive volumes of information across a multi enclave information system, often in a denied environment. 

With such a complex and changing environment the multifaceted challenge encompasses:

• Leading Edge Technology:  Conducting a market assessment to develop shortlists of suitable technologies and products to develop the solution concept and approach.
• Solution Design: Conducting development of the solution design through extensive design reviews, solution development and approval processes.
• Establishment of the ‘To Be’ Pattern: Providing a first of class, cyber worthy, multi enclave information system that establishes the pattern for future platform ICT Systems.
• Environmental Complexity: Design, build, integrate, install and commission the established pattern across more than six different platform variants requiring integration of existing systems and modifications to the pattern to incorporate platform differences. Physical and logical constraints were also presented by the differing platforms in a time compressed schedule of activities and availability windows.
• Network Complexity: Our client operates multiple networks, adding to the complexity of monitoring and securing each component effectively.
• ICT Upgrades and Technical Refresh: The requirement for spiral upgrades and planning for multiple refreshes of the systems over an extended period required extensive planning and foresight.
• Stakeholder Management: Working with an extensive list of stakeholders to approve, install and commission the ICT systems under demanding Technical Assurance Frameworks, both of technology and physical platform nature.
• Resource Constraints: Despite a substantial workforce, establishing highly skilled engineering and technical installation teams presented pipeline challenges that could only be overcome through key industry and SME partnerships.
• Policy and Legislation: rapid adoption of new technologies, and the evolving threat landscape can expose legislative and regulatory documents that govern security controls to emerging threats.

Addressing the Challenge

In partnership with Downer Professional Services, our client has embarked on a highly complex spiral upgrade of its deployable ICT networks to meet the business needs and mandated Government requirements. Leveraging Downer Professional Services' extensive expertise in these environments, the solution developed and delivered a multi domain/enclave, vendor agnostic ICT pattern that was supportable to be delivered across multiple platform variants, meeting varied physical and logical constraints. 

Downer's team of experts, armed with leading edge technologies, highly sophisticated tools and extensive knowledge of the environment and stakeholders has delivered the next generation of ICT networks that meets the business requirements of our client, while ensuring compliance with legislative guidelines and mandated requirements. 

Downer Professional Services was successful in designing, building, integrating, testing and deploying the ICT solution, reducing overall cost and complexity by enabling the client to reuse the same design patterns, work structures and processes on other interrelated IT projects.

Downer also successfully supported upskilling of the client’s employees by integrating these employees within the Downer team to support knowledge transfer and ensure system and technology knowledge were maintained by the client. This included providing a Digital Twin of the pattern to be handed to the client for documenting the design and providing a Digital Twin for support to sustainment activities.

Key Results

The collaborative efforts of Downer Professional Services and our client have ushered in a highly technical and superior ICT system and network within their organisation.

The upgrades designed, built and delivered by Downer have enhanced the effectiveness of their business outcomes creating a new ICT environment that is readily upgradable under a spiral ICT upgrade program. This constant refreshing has enabled the client to respond to emerging requirements, while maintaining the technical edge and evolving at the pace users require, including technological innovation and environmental changes. The delivery of this agile, and adaptive ICT pattern has also enabled the client to securely generate and sustain the systems required to meet mandated Government requirements and priorities.

In conclusion, the strategic collaboration between Downer Professional Services and our client has provided superior ICT network capabilities which have strengthened their ability to achieve outcomes on behalf of the Government in a highly complex and uniquely challenging environment.