Published date: 4 March 2016

Closed opportunity - This means that the contract is currently closed. The buying department may be considering suppliers that have already applied, or no suitable offers were made.


Closing: 21 March 2016

Contract summary

Industry

  • Education and training services - 80000000

Location of contract

South West

Value of contract

£253,000

Procurement reference

HOCS2a/00014

Published date

4 March 2016

Closing date

21 March 2016

Contract start date

1 September 2016

Contract end date

31 August 2019

Contract type

Service contract

Procedure type

Restricted procedure

A two-stage procedure, where the first stage is used to select suppliers, who are then invited to bid in the second stage.

Contract is suitable for SMEs?

No

Contract is suitable for VCSEs?

No

Description

The Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) is an eleven month post graduate course in international strategic studies, focused upon security, stability and prosperity at the grand strategic level of governmental decisions both nationally and within the international community. The Members (as students are called), predominantly but not only from military backgrounds, are selected for their potential to reach the highest ranks of senior leadership and advisory posts in their own countries. As part of the core syllabus the RCDS runs two Strategic Exercises exposing its Members to the complexity of strategic analysis and formulation in two stages, enhancing their understanding of the requirements of strategy-making and developing their skills of strategic analysis and policy formulation.
The requirement is to provide 2 separate but inter-linked exercises designed to exploit the Members' understanding of the international system, focusing upon but not limited to the themes of international security, stability and prosperity. The exercises should be challenging and stimulating, demanding an examination of major geopolitical issues, regionally and globally in the near term, and provide the opportunity for the Members to engage in realistic and thorough strategic analysis and formulation and for their outputs to be tested in a realistic and developmental fashion. In both exercises the Members have to demonstrate an understanding of and ability in: strategic analysis and formulation; decision making in a complex, dynamic near-real-time environment; communicating with and influencing other actors; developing and communicating a strategic narrative; operating imaginatively and persuasively under stressful, real-life conditions
The exercises are, in effect, mutually supporting in that they lead the Members, in sequence, through the business of strategic analysis and formulation before testing these against plausible real-world disruptive crisis management catalysts. The essential differences between the two exercises are that the first, Strategy Exercise 1 is a mentor led teaching evolution with a national strategy focus and sequential catalysts providing an initial deliberate and procedural approach to the principles and art of strategy-making. It should provide a coherent thread which can then be further developed throughout the remainder of the course and tested in the second evolution. Strategy Exercise 2 is a more complex and dynamic member led undertaking requiring a global grand strategy focus with catalysts played concurrently after being introduced. The Exercises and immediate preparation will take place at RCDS, Seaford House, London SW1X 8NS and the filming will take place there, or at the Defence Academy, Shrivenham or RAF Halton.

About the buyer

Contact name

Aileen Young

Address

Kentigern House,Rm 2102
65 Brown Street
Glasgow
G2 8EX
Scotland

Email

DefComrclCC-HOCS2a@mod.uk