HERD IT CONSULTING LTD
Herd GDS Service Standard Training
Training on Digital Spend Control, Technology Code of Practice, Service Standard (GDS), delivery phases (discovery, alpha, beta, live, retirement). We operate as long-term Departmental Assurance Lead in all Service Standard Phases and areas. Allowing our customers to work with confidence, also achieving greater agile maturity; meeting user and business needs.
Features
- Experienced team, leading major GDS Government Department Service Standard Training
- Achieve top-rating (no recommendations) against Service Standard audit
- Lead training in using the Service Standard for delivery teams
- Lead training in assessing against Service Standard for assessment teams
- Apply spend controls and prioritisation; running community of internal assessors
- Responsible for internal departmental assessments: bulk of digital portfolio
- Embedded in Central Portfolio. Implemented Digital Spend Control (TCoP GDS)
- Develops Service Standard handbook; localise GDS Standard Manual, addresses gaps
- Works closely with Heads of Profession; co-design, implements internal guidance
- Operating as part of cross-government community of assessors and CDDO
Benefits
- Clients tell us that simplicity is our differentiator
- We use plain language, a pragmatic approach, “getting stuff done”
- Helping you understand GDS Service Standard assessment: truly helpful
- We’ll let you know common blind-spots based on our expertise
- We understand the intent behind the GDS Standard phases;
- which allows us to take a pragmatic and agile approach.
- We’re not just lifting and shifting the pages from GOV.UK;
- Understand how Digital Spend Controls meet TCoP and Service Standard
- Understand the point of GDS phases: what good looks like
- Successfully align the Government Service Standard in a Program setting.
Pricing
£375 to £1,630 a unit a day
- Education pricing available
Service documents
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 Simon.churan@herd.consulting.
Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.
Framework
G-Cloud 14
Service ID
3 4 1 8 3 9 4 5 2 7 3 9 8 6 8
Contact
HERD IT CONSULTING LTD
Simon Churan
Telephone: 07974402579
Email: Simon.churan@herd.consulting
Planning
- Planning service
- Yes
- How the planning service works
-
Our team will evaluate a client’s needs by organising stakeholder workshops to ensure an alignment of the desired outcome to any existing solution, platform, technology, standard or constraint. We use an Agile delivery approach, aligned to the GDS service standard and Technology Code of Practice.
We evaluate Client’s needs by carrying out a full operational analysis, including requirements capture and readiness assessment of operational and technical products, solutions and systems within the organization to create a set of designs to meet cloud services which includes planning for:
● Non-Functional Requirements and Service Level Agreement requirements
● Patterns
● Definition-of- Done
● Coding standards
● Technical documentation requirements
● Backlog management
● Cross-team dependency mapping
● Acceptance criteria
● Team capabilities and capacities
We engage with stakeholders to consider;
Business functions that need to be supported
If bespoke/customised software will be needed
How devices can integrate with corporate data services Service and device security
Road Mapping of additional software and integration services required for deployment
Device, service, support cost factors
These factors define planning and requirements while speeding adoption and deployments. We provide sprint planning session to form an agreement on user needs (drives everything) features, benefits and associated acceptance criteria. - Planning service works with specific services
- No
Training
- Training service provided
- Yes
- How the training service works
-
Through our Talent Herd and GDS Service Standard Training services, and utilizing our Communities of Practice, we will work with out customers to provide digital by default training in terms of technology and business considerations, encompassing the DDaT framework and the Technology Code of Practice (TCoP). We deliver a Train the Trainer service, delivering full knowledge transfer and upskilling services to client-side staff, including (in line with ITIL 4 principles).
We provide mentoring and shadowing by our subject matter experts, development of Communities of Practice and knowledge repositories. Training covers;
Understanding elasticity, resiliency, on-demand and measured usage benefits
Challenges and risks of contemporary cloud computing Cloud Service Owner roles
Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for Cloud-based IT and formulas for calculating and rating SLA Quality of Service Characteristics.
We will provide a full playbook and artifacts for the engagement; ensuring a legacy after exit. - Training is tied to specific services
- No
Setup and migration
- Setup or migration service available
- No
Quality assurance and performance testing
- Quality assurance and performance testing service
- Yes
- How the quality assurance and performance testing works
- Our quality assurance and performance testing are built into our services from the start, delivering end-to-end functional, non-functional QA and performance testing using manual and automated techniques. Our agile testing approach throughout the software development lifecycle, compliments our DevOps Continuous Integration/Continuous Delivery/Deployment (CI/CD) service to provide a seamless, efficient software delivery pipeline. Our QA and Performance testers are involved in the planning, design, and implementation phases, to GDS standards, enabling early identification and mitigation of potential quality issues; reducing defects to zero in sprint cycles.
Security testing
- Security services
- Yes
- Security services type
- Security strategy
Ongoing support
- Ongoing support service
- No
Service scope
- Service constraints
- There are no constraints
User support
- Email or online ticketing support
- Email or online ticketing
- Support response times
- Within 1-hour and response times are not different at weekends.
- User can manage status and priority of support tickets
- Yes
- Online ticketing support accessibility
- WCAG 2.1 AAA
- Phone support
- Yes
- Phone support availability
- 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
- Web chat support
- No
- Support levels
-
We’re a remote first organisation, as a result we use industry leading Cloud based SaaS providers meaning we don’t have a complex network infrastructure.
We have a team of dedicated specialists who provide support to colleagues via telephone, email, and on-site when needed. They cover end user support as well as manage and undertake Problem & Incident Management and Escalation.
The support offered is in line with our own internal policies and procedures that meet the Cyber Essential Standard.
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
- No
- ISO 28000:2007 certification
- No
- CSA STAR certification
- No
- PCI certification
- No
- Cyber essentials
- Yes
- Cyber essentials plus
- No
- Other security certifications
- No
Social Value
- Social Value
-
Social Value
- Fighting climate change
- Equal opportunity
Fighting climate change
We encourage ethical and fair-trade purchasing and sustainable and carbon-reduction elements in purchasing strategy. Our stated policy objective is to meet our Net Zero carbon targets while achieving our wider Social Value priorities. We have;
● Developed a circular economy model approach to our procurement strategy, environmental policy and prevention strategies
● Ensured sustainability is considered in all purchases
● We operate a water consumption and management system which closely monitors water usage and compares performance with published targets.
● Regularly reviewed opportunities for reduction of mains water consumption.
● Installed water efficient fittings and technology
● Reduced water consumption by 25% in 2023 and 3 m3/person/year for offices.
To ensure new development, upgrades and refurbishments are carried out to policies, specifications. We apply independent environmental assessment methods to new developments. Our Waste Prevention Programme focuses on the top of the waste hierarchy, which means increasing reuse, repair and re-manufacture, as well as use of industrial by-products. We monitor greenhouse gas emissions. We are committed to achieving Net Zero by 2050.
REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS
Remote Working: By facilitating remote and hybrid working, we actively reduce our carbon footprint by minimizing commuting and business travel. This has the dual benefit of enhancing work-life balance and reducing emissions associated with transport.
We operate an Electric Vehicle Salary Sacrifice scheme - making it easier and more cost effective for colleagues to switch to EVs.
Green Transport Initiatives: We operate a cycle to work scheme and use public transport wherever possible, further decreasing carbon emissions linked with car usage. We are also replacing our existing hybrid company vehicles with fully electric models to lower our emissions.
Carbon Offsetting: We work with partners, where we plant trees locally. For each tree planted, a tonne of carbon is saved through supporting internationally verified carbon reduction projects.Equal opportunity
Our service Account teams, supply chain, employees, associates, resource pools reflect the diversity of the UK population, and of the people who use our services. We actively involve diverse employees from different ethnic backgrounds/minorities, genders, disabled people and LGBTQQIAAP community in selection and retention panels/processes, therefore removing potential for unconscious bias during the interview, search, selection, performance review and job promotion processes and increasing retention.
We work with our Partners to deliver forums and focus groups for equality, gender, LGBTQ+ and inclusivity to share experiences, educate, highlighting ways to overcome challenges. These inclusive forums will provide a safe space for workers/colleagues to share stories and support.
We advertise our jobs on sites focused on diversity and inclusion. We use gender neutral language in all advertising copy and promotional materials.
To increase the number of women in our workforce and to reduce the gender pay gap, we:
● use anonymous/blind CV resumes, and objective criteria for evaluating candidates.
● provide training and education to our hiring managers and employees to raise awareness about unconscious bias and its impact on decision-making.
● include multiple women in shortlists for recruitment and promotions.
● conduct regular equal pay audits.
● use skill-based assessment tasks to encourage fairness.
● use structured interviews for recruitment and promotions to avoid unfair bias.
We are;
● Disability Confident Committed
● Living Wage Employer
● Armed Forces Covenant Member
● Our team gave us 91% confidence-level in most recent staff satisfaction survey “My company cares about D&I and does everything it can to promote it”
● Send our team to the leading Reframe Women in Tech event, providing free childcare options; removing barriers that often prevent those with children attending such events
● Proud supporters of Getaway Girls, encouraging young women from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue careers in Tech
Pricing
- Price
- £375 to £1,630 a unit a day
- Discount for educational organisations
- Yes
Service documents
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 Simon.churan@herd.consulting.
Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.