SA Group Ltd

Secure Technical Services for Digital Projects and Programmes

SA Group provides Suitably Qualified and Experienced Personnel to enable digital transformation from legacy on-premises, physical systems and services to secure, modular and automated cloud services in both public and private cloud environments. Our demonstrable record of innovative quality solutions with Defence, Public Sector and Enterprise clients uses proven approaches.

Features

• Strategic technical advice in secure cross domain and international interoperability.
• Architecture design principles developed in line with your organisational strategy.
• Proven leadership, vision and influence.
• Design assurance provided for High Assurance NCSC-approved architectures.
• Operational experience in highly restricted secure delivery environments.
• Cloud platform agnostic (AWS, Azure and hybrid private cloud).
• Technical strategies, design principles and engineering standards developed for you.
• Expertise in Cross Domain Interoperability Services and Gateways
• Delivery of High Assurance Gateways (HAG) including HYDRA.
• Live service operation of High Assurance Gateways (HAG) including HYDRA.

Benefits

• SQEP with over 15 years' experience in Cross Domain delivery.
• Proven experts in technical change management.
• Extensive experience in Fixed, Deployed and Overseas Cross Domain technologies.
• Proven experience in design and delivery of secure systems.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering innovative technical solutions.
• Independent and vendor neutral.
• Cyber Essentials Plus accredited.
• SC and DV Cleared resources.
• Deployment and live service of Cross Domain Interoperability Services
• Connectivity to Domestic and International Partners of Choice (PoC)

£400 to £1,300 a person a day

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at commercial@sa-group.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 13

Service ID

102714003216711

Contact

Jack Osborne
+44(0)1249 280111
commercial@sa-group.com

Planning

• Planning service: Yes
• How the planning service works: Moving to a Cloud hosted environment can be a significant technical and business change that requires effective project and programme management controls. Effective project and programme management can ensure the smooth transition to or between Cloud-based service offerings, whilst minimising the business risk and protecting the benefits realisation.; ; SA Group will work with your organisation to ensure that your technical capability and performance requirements are clearly understood from the outset. We deploy best practice in programme and project management (PRINCE2, MSP, APMP, MoP, MoB, MoR, Agile PM & PgM, DSDM, SAFe), benefits management, risk management, scheduling, quality and assurance, stakeholder and communications management, programme definition and project initiation. These approaches will be combined with your own internal process to deliver the results you need.; ; We have extensive expertise in digital transformation in the public sector, and combine this with practical experience of assisting projects and programmes in the planning phase to meet the requirements of the Digital Services Standard and Technology Code of Practice. We will develop, define and implement suitable governance, controls and management and reporting regimes in order to initiate and plan your digital project or programme.
• Planning service works with specific services: Yes
• Hosting or software services the planning service works with:
  • IAAS
  • ITAAS
  • Training AAS
  • SAAS
  • PAAS

Training

• Training service provided: Yes
• How the training service works: SA Group have a broad spectrum of experience across all cloud related technologies. We can create and deliver bespoke training packages for different user communities to suit the requirements of your organisation.
• Training is tied to specific services: Yes
• Services the training service works with:
  • IAAS
  • ITAAS
  • Training AAS
  • SAAS
  • PAAS

Setup and migration

• Setup or migration service available: Yes
• How the setup or migration service works: SA Group’s SQEP team will provide end to end setup and migration incorporating discovery, assessment, migration planning, migration and testing, and deployment. A clear presentation of the roadmap for transition will be provided, with a comprehensive explanation of the current system, solution and how to implement, including effective procurement options. ; ; During transition/migration either to or between cloud services, strong project and programme management controls must be in place in order to keep deliver on track and maintain alignment with the objectives of the business and keep strategic focus.; ; SA Group can provide advice on best practice across the full spectrum of project and programme management using PRINCE2, MSP, APMP, MoP, MoB, MoR, Agile PM & PgM, DSDM to help ensure that change initiatives keep to schedule. This can include support across some or all of the following areas: benefits management, risk management, scheduling, quality and assurance, stakeholder and communications management, governance, monitoring and control and reporting.; ; Our highly qualified and experienced consultants and can offer further support and advice in the area of Service Management and Test & Assurance to help deliver the required cloud services.
• Setup or migration service is for specific cloud services: Yes
• List of supported services:
  • IAAS
  • ITAAS
  • Training AAS
  • SAAS
  • PAAS

Quality assurance and performance testing

• Quality assurance and performance testing service: Yes
• How the quality assurance and performance testing works: SA Group deliver quality assurance and performing testing throughout the entire project lifecycle. We will ensure sustainable delivery by assessing the intended scope of the service and investigating planned; schedule estimates provided by service suppliers to validate the accuracy of existing forward estimates for the delivery of the service. Our structured approach utilises proven methodologies and innovative ways of working underpinned by experience of managing emerging challenges in the fast changing cloud hosting; and software environment.

Security testing

• Security services: Yes
• Security services type:
  • Security strategy
  • Security risk management
  • Security design
  • Cyber security consultancy
  • Security testing
  • Security incident management
  • Security audit services
• Certified security testers: No

Ongoing support

• Ongoing support service: Yes
• Types of service supported:
  • Buyer hosting or software
  • Hosting or software provided by your organisation
  • Hosting or software provided by a third-party organisation
• How the support service works: SA Group will tailor service management work packages based on your organisation’s requirements. We work alongside your internal teams to develop a self-service support portal and can provide 2nd and 3rd line support as required.

Service scope

• Service constraints: Standard SAG mobilisation constraints apply.; ; Support response times: within 1 x business day.; ; Business day being Mon - Fri. Excluding Bank Holidays.

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: SA Group can provide online support via our ticket system during standard working business hours, Monday through to Friday.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Support levels: SA Group will provide tailored support packages beginning with self-service portals to empower users and reduce support costs. We would work with your organisation to determine what support is required and to minimise ongoing costs. We can assist in writing Service Level Agreements with external suppliers and can provide SLA's for our own teams.

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Conforms to BS7858:2019
• Government security clearance: Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: BSI
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 24/09/2019
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: There are no excluded clauses in our 27001 certification
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: No

Social Value

• Fighting climate change:

  Fighting climate change

  Delivering environmental benefits in our work; We are committed to being environmentally friendly and our Carbon Reduction Plan commits us to being Net Zero by 2030. Our approach to environmental stewardship is covered within our Environmental and Sustainability Policy. We predominantly provide Digital Specialist staff, where a principal opportunity for the removal of environmental impact of our operations is the careful consideration of personal transportation. Staff travel together and use public transport wherever possible, reducing the use of unnecessary travel and private cars. We are in the process of working with a car leasing company to enable employees to benefit from favourable terms to switch to electric powered vehicles. ; Our new modern office complex affords better public transportation usage, limited desk availability and parking to support a hybrid working model between office and home based, which is more environmentally sustainable and reduces our carbon footprint. ; We have migrated our IT services to the Cloud to reduce the need for in-house server farms with mirrored backup facilities, thus reducing our energy requirements. ; Supporting environmental protection and improvement; Our Remote Working policy ensures our employees have suitable IT equipment to provide the service expected by our customers remotely, whether that's via email, messaging, audio and video conferencing or customer provided IT equipment. Our policy on remote working is to follow the guidelines and requirements of the customer. We are aware that some roles require a permanent on-site presence to support Live Service activities and a need to attend various sites to access classified systems. We review our suppliers’ environmental policies and procedures before engaging their services and we look to work within the environmental initiatives of the local community, actively encourage our employees to do this within the communities that they individually reside.
• Covid-19 recovery:

  Covid-19 recovery

  Creating employment, re-training and return to work opportunities; Since the Covid-19 pandemic commenced, SA Group has evaluated market trends, our working practices, employees existing skills and training gaps. We continuously recruit new personnel, particularly those impacted by Covid-19 and apply a rigorous analysis of their skills to provide the appropriate level of training so existing and new staff can deliver our product. ; Recovering from the impacts of Covid-19; We have communicated effectively and regularly with our more vulnerable staff who were either shielding or needed support with their mental health during the pandemic. ; We actively work alongside our clients to provide the best service possible, immersing our teams into their way of operating by adapting ways of working to support their needs. Some of our staff are fully remote, supporting the client via conferencing facilities. Some employees are fully on-site due to the classification of the tasks and others are adopting a hybrid of these two methods. ; Supporting physical and mental health; We are a member of The Mental Health at Work Commitment, sponsored by the mental health charity MIND, and Mental Health First Aid England. These memberships give us access to the latest resources to support our employees and their wellbeing. Our Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) look out for the wellbeing of our staff. An external Occupational Health Practitioner assesses individuals who are suffering from mental health issues and provide full support.; To encourage good physical health, we share tips about the benefits of getting outside, exercising and eating healthily.; Effective social distancing, remote working, and sustainable travel solutions; Our offices maintain social distancing practices as recommended by Government guidelines. We have also facilitated remote working and encouraged individuals to travel sustainably by considering the route and only travelling when necessary whilst maintaining a Covid-19 compliant approach.
• Tackling economic inequality:

  Tackling economic inequality

  Creating opportunities for entrepreneurship and employment ; Through our Equal Opportunities Policy, we strive to employ the right people from any demographic or location. We provide the required training to bring newly employed individuals, irrespective of their starting point, up to the required standard to support our clients. ; Creating employment and training opportunities ; We enhance our business portfolio by breaking into new markets that are fully established or emerging technologies. We employ new individuals with unique skills from high growth areas or train existing staff in new technologies. ; Supporting education attainment ; We train our people annually to ensure that they are up-to-date with the latest training developments and provide our clients with the best skills. All training that our employees undertake is professionally recognised and attracts the appropriate level of certification. ; Influencing staff, suppliers, customers and communities to support employment and skills opportunities; We demonstrate the benefits of training people in skills and technologies to our staff, suppliers, customers and communities, ensuring that people are current in their knowledge, thought process and capability to deliver in a professional and timely manner. ; Creating a diverse supply chain; We have collaborated with all types of supply chain partners from multinational, multi £Billion turnover Tier 1 companies to small SME’s. We have primed contracts with companies as well as supporting other primes. We work closely with supply chain partners to provide clients with the best team possible to deliver the contract. ; Identifying and managing cyber security risks; Our team not only manage the security aspects of our client’s team but also assure the security deliverables of any supply chain partners. ; Our staff are fully compliant in producing security documentation on behalf of our clients, influencing and maintaining the documents to ensure it is up-to-date and accredited to the relevant security standards.
• Equal opportunity:

  Equal opportunity

  We do not discriminate against any potential employees. Our Equality and Diversity policy is fully compliant with the Equality Act 2010. We have a number of HM Forces veterans within the company who have varying degrees of physical and mental disabilities and have employed wheelchair bound subcontractors. ; Supporting disabled people with new skills; Irrespective of our employees’ individual capabilities or disabilities, we offer professional certifications and training to develop their skills. ; Influencing staff, suppliers, customers and communities ; If any of our people have a known disability, we liaise with our customers to ensure that they are aware of the situation and that any specialist equipment or access can be provided. We champion the support of disabled staff alongside our able-bodied staff to ensure equality throughout the workplace be it in our own offices or those of our clients. ; Identifying and tackling inequality in employment, skills and pay; Our staff are treated fairly and equally within their peer groups and the wider workforce. All employees are allocated training to improve their skills to benefit them as individuals and the company. We review salaries on an annual basis and reward without prejudice based on performance against objectives. If inequality occurs, we have policies in place to allow for formal complaints to be raised or whistleblowing actions to be carried out. ; Supporting in-work progression; We treat all our staff equally and encourage career progression and promotion through developing new and enhanced skills irrespective of the individual’s background. ; Identifying and managing modern slavery risks; We have adopted a zero tolerance approach to modern slavery. To mitigate against any non-compliance relating to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 by our suppliers, we undertake due diligence checks and may request their own slavery and human trafficking statements, in accordance with our Supplier Policy.
• Wellbeing:

  Wellbeing

  Supporting health and wellbeing; SA Group has publicly declared that mental health at work is a priority by signing up to The Mental Health at Work Commitment, sponsored by the mental health charity MIND, and Mental Health First Aid England. These memberships give us access to the latest resources to help support our employees’ wellbeing.; Our in-house certified Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) are qualified to offer the practical skills to spot triggers and early signs of mental health issues, reassure and support employees and signpost them towards help. Our MHFA’s can spot the early signs of poor mental wellbeing and act quickly to support that member of staff. We follow a 5-point Mental Health First Aid action plan to detect and help poor mental health.; We share physical and mental wellness tips and ideas via our company magazine, newsletters and emails from our HR Director. Tips include preventing poor mental health by encouraging staff to get outside and connect with areas like nature and sport. ; Influencing staff, suppliers, customers and communities ; At the start of a contract, we discuss with all parties their approach to health and wellbeing. We use our knowledge to integrate with their approach and ensure that our employees fit into their process. We have regular meetings with all parties throughout the contract ensuring that the subject of health and wellbeing is monitored. ; Collaboration with users and communities; At the commencement of a contract, we work closely with stakeholders to codesign the outline of the delivery and through Stakeholder and Communications plans ensure that all parties collaborate and integrate with each other. ; Influencing staff, suppliers, customers and communities; We believe in a strong working ethos of one team working between all parties to successfully deliver the contract and our staff fully participate in this approach.

Pricing

• Price: £400 to £1,300 a person a day
• Discount for educational organisations: No

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at commercial@sa-group.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.