Eligibility

Check NCSS membership status, under "Directory of NCSS Members".

Funding

• NCSS will fund all IT Professional Services (ITPS) projects at up to 80% capped at $50,000 per project. SSAs can apply for multiple projects as long as the scope was not previously funded within a 3-year period.
• Estimated costs of ITPS pre-scoped packages have indicative range as follows:

• A detailed quotation will be provided to the SSA after the clinic upon assessing the suitable package or services to apply.
• Upon completion of the IT professional service, the Service Provider will provide proof of deliverables and obtain your SSAs concurrence of completion.
• Disbursement: 
  • 50% upon approval (upfront upon signing of the funding agreement)
  • 50% upon completion, and submission of:
    • Evaluation report
    • All invoices

Application

Lithan Academy has been appointed by NCSS to facilitate the provision of IT Professional Services (ITPS) packages to SSAs.

Applications are open until 31 January 2025, as per the following steps:

Step 1:

Book an IT Professional Services scoping clinic with Lithan to assess your service needs and the suitable ITPS pre-scoped package for your agency.

• Applies to all pre-scoped services outlined above
• Clinic session is dedicated to discussing required scope
• For enquiries related to tech application, funding, Pre-Scoped Consultancy, IT Audit, Cybersecurity and Data Protection consultancy services, please contact tech-and-go@ncss.gov.sg

Step 2:

After the clinic, the Service Provider will draft a Scope of Works (SOW). If the SOW is acceptable by the SSA, proceed to apply for ITPS via the OurSG Grants (OSG) portal:

1. Complete the TNG Consultancy & IT Professional Services Project Proposal
2. Access the OurSG Grant (OSG) portal
3. Select: Project Category = Tech-and-GO!

• If the IT Professional Service project cost is > $90,000, SSA has to complete the OHFSS Self-Assessment before application.
• If you are applying for more than one service, please submit one form for each service.
• Application closing date: 31 January 2025
• Application outcome will be communicated within 4-6 weeks, and a funding agreement will be sent to your agency.
• Once your application is approved, the Service Provider will contact you to begin the service.

• Click to view IT Professional services pre-scoped packages
• SSAs may select any package, and have the flexibility to add additional requirements, or remove scope that is not required upon consultation and discussion with the Service Provider
• Cost and duration of project varies with scope and complexity of project
• SSAs may select multiple packages if they have sufficient resources to run multiple projects
• For required services that are not listed below, please contact tech-and-go@ncss.gov.sg for enquiries

• Recommended for SSAs that:
  a. Requires a review of current IT infrastructure in areas such as hardware management, network management, cloud management, data management, security management, application management, monitoring and performance management.
  b. Requires an updated infrastructure design to meet current and future business requirements
  

• Possible issue statements:
  a. Existing IT infrastructure is unable to meet current or future business needs.
  b. IT infrastructure is aged and requires a refresh.

• Deliverables:
  a. Infrastructure health check report (current state)
  b. Infrastructure design report (recommendations)

• Scope description:
  a. Perform health check for existing Infrastructure network
  b. Gap analysis to identify any areas of current IT infra short falls, eg, ouutdated hardware, insufficient storage capacity, or security vulberabilities.
  c. Design to address current issues, which may involve new hardware & software, upgrading existing system, or implementing additional security measures.
  

• Recommended for SSAs that:
  a. Plans to upgrade existing network devices or implement a new setup
  b. Requires a review on current network security policies to assess gaps and recommendations to ensure compliance
  c. Requires professional expertise to manage and resolve infrastructure and network related incidents and events

• Possible issue statements:
  a. Existing network devices and components are unable to meet current or future business needs.
  b. Current network security policy may not be compliant to requirements.

• Deliverables:
  a. Network implementation report
  b. Network security review and recommendation report
  c. Incident management report

• Scope description:
  a. Current network assessment
  b. Configuration and implementation of network devices and components, such as Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), internet, wireless and remote access services.
  c. Review and enhance network security policies to ensure compliance
  d. Resolve infrastructure-related incidents and manage upgrades
  e. Monitor network related events and and troubleshoot issues:
  • Conducts wireless heatermap survey
  • Review network service uptime, utilisation and throughput
  • Develop network analysis reports on performance and reliability and improvement plans

• Recommended for SSAs that: 
  a. Plan to move from an on-premise to a cloud environment
  b. Require professional expertise to help design, implement and maintain efficient, reliable and secure cloud and server computing environments

• Possible issue statements:
  a. Migration to a cloud platform is complex and time-consuming and disrupts operation activities
  b. Current server environment requires an upgrade or refresh for better cost effectiveness, performance and security

• Deliverable:
  a. Documentation: The new cloud infrastructure is documented to provide a record of the design, configuration, and testing processes. 

• Scope Description:
  a. Assessment: The first step is to assess the current IT infrastructure and evaluate its suitability for cloud migration. This includes reviewing the current hardware, software, networks, data, and security systems and evaluating the current costs, performance, and scalability.
  
  b. Cloud readiness assessment: Based on the assessment, a cloud readiness assessment is performed to determine the organisation's readiness for cloud migration. This includes evaluating factors such as the organisation's IT strategy, governance, and security policies.
  
  c. Cloud platform selection
  
  d. Migration planning: Once the cloud platform has been selected, a migration plan is developed. This plan includes identifying the applications, data, and infrastructure components that will be migrated to the cloud and determining the best approach for migration.
  
  e. Migration execution: Includes migrating data, applications, and infrastructure components to the cloud platform. This may involve using tools such as AWS Migration Hub or Azure Site Recovery.
  
  f. Testing and validation: Once the migration is complete, the new cloud infrastructure is thoroughly tested to ensure that it meets the organisation's requirements. This includes testing for performance, security, and data integrity.

• Recommended for SSAs that:
  a. Requires professional expertise to help migrate data from one system or server to another in a secured and effective manner. Data could include email, files, drive, databases or data related application or software.

• Possible issue statements:
  a. Existing legacy system have data that are outdated and difficult to migrate
  b. Migration to a new platform is complex and time-consuming and disrupts operation activities 

• Deliverables:
  a. Documentation: The data migration process is documented to provide a record of the design, configuration, and testing processes. 

• Scope description:
  a. Data assessment: assess existing data to identify any issues or areas of improvement, reviewing of data quality, consistency and accuracy, and evaluating how well it meets the organisation's needs.
  
  b. Data mapping to identify the source and target systems, fields, data types, and data relationships.
  
  c. Data cleansing: to ensure that the data is consistent and accurate, which may involve removing of duplicate records, correcting data errors, or standardising data formats.
  
  d. Develope data migration plan, methods and schedule timeline.
  
  e. Data migration: data migration execution, migrating of data from source to target system.
  
  f. Data validation: once migration is completed, the new data is tested to ensure accuracy, consistency and completness, and that it meets the organisation's requirments.

• Recommended for SSAs that:
  a. Requires a data dashboard for ops reporting and insights
  b. Requires professional expertise to help analyse and interpret available data for improving business performance

• Possible issue statements: 
  a. Has captured a lot of data but has not used them optimally to improve business operations and service delivery, resulting in missed opportunities and inefficient decision making.
  b. Data quality issues: data entry errors, missing data, outdated information.
  c. Data silos: data is stored in multiple systems that do not commnunicate with each other, which make it difficult to gain holistic view of the organisation's data which leads to inconsistent reporting.
  d. Lack of scalability: as organisation grows, data volumes increases, making it difficult to manage and analyse the data effectively.

• Deliverables:
  a. Documentation: The data analytics process is documented to provide a record of the data sources, analysis techniques, and insights generated. 

• Scope description:
  a. Data collection: collect data from various sources, such as databases, files of APIs, involve extracting data from structured and unstructured sources, or combining data from different sources to a specified repository.
  
  b. Data preparation: cleansing and transforming the data to ensure consistency and accuracy.
  
  c. Data visualisation: development of dashboard to analyse the data, and to provide insights and trends using data analytics tools such as Power BI, Tableu, Python.

• Recommended for SSAs that:
  a. Want to implement a suit of collaboration tools that are designed to help the team communicate, collaborate and work together more efficiently in a secured environment.
  b. Require configuration of MS suite or similar applications, e.g.
  • Microsoft Teams
  • SharePoint
  • OneDrive
  • Yammer
  • Zoom
  • Google Workspace
  c. Require service to enhance and optimise existing system based on solution design (wireframes, prototypes, architectural diagrams).

• Possible issue statements:
  a. Difficulty in managing tasks and projects due to lack of a common platform
  b. Difficulty in sharing files and documents effectively, resulting in team members not having access to the information they need to do their jobs effectively.
  c. Lack of a secured platform for file sharing and communication, organisations may be at risk of data breaches and other security threats. This can lead to loss of sensitive data and damage to the organisation's reputation.
  d. Lack of ease of navigation and accessibility of internal systems, resulting in staff under-productivity and ineffectiveness.

• Deliverables:
  a. Project documentation including performance report.
  b. User manual/guide

• Scope description:
  a. Needs assessment: assess the organsation's needs, gathering input from key stakeholders, identifying pain points and areas for improvement, and defining the goals and objectives for the new tool.
  
  b. Tool selection: select the software that meet the needs. This may involve evaluating different software based on their features, cost, ease of use, and other factors.
  
  c. Implementation planning: Develop a detailed implementation plan that include timeline, milestones, and responsibilities for each phase of the implementation process.
  
  d. Configuration & customisation: configure and customise the software to meet the organisation's specific needs  Tasks involve setting up user accounts, configuring security settings, and customising workflows and templates.Tasks may also include coding and testing of existing system to ensure usability and seamless compatibility with adjacent systems.
  
  e. Data migration: If the organisation is migrating from an existing collaboration tool or system, data migration will be required. This may involve exporting data from the old system, cleaning and formatting the data, and importing it into the new system.
  
  f. User Experience Improvement: Enhance the user interface and user experience of the software system. Improve navigation, accessibility, and responsiveness to ensure a user-friendly and intuitive interface.
  
  g. Testing and validation: Before the software is rolled out to the entire organisation, it should be tested and validated to ensure that it is working as expected. Tasks involve conducting user acceptance testing (UAT) and making any necessary adjustments based on feedback.
  
  h.Implementation and roll out: Upon testing and validation, the software will be rolled out to the entire organization.
  
  i. End User Training and support and adoption: users will need to be trained on how to use it effectively. This may involve communicating the benefits of the new software, providing ongoing support, and encouraging adoption among team members.
  

• Recommended for SSAs that:
  a. Have multiple systems that are working in silo
  b. Plan to integrate existing systems to enable seamless flow of data to minimise manual effort in consolidating information

• Possible issue statement:
  a. Organisation has legacy or multiple systems that "do not talk" with one another
  b. Manual retrieval of information and data from multiple sources.

• Deliverables:
  a. Documentation: The software integration process is documented to provide a record of the design, configuration, and testing processes. 

• Scope description:
  a. Requirements gathering: gather the requirements for the software to be assessed and integrated, such as identifying the functionalities needed, user requirements, performance and expectation, and integration points with other software.
  
  b. Software assessment: assess the existing software to identify any issues or areas of improvement. This includes reviewing the software code, architecture, documentation, and testing practices. The assessment may also include evaluating the software's security, scalability, and maintainability.
  
  c. Software selection: a software selection is performed to identify the best software solution to meet the organisation's needs. This may involve evaluating different software options and weighing the pros and cons of each.
  
  d. Software integration planning: Once the software is selected, a integration plan is developed. This plan includes identifying the integration points between the new software and existing systems, as well as defining the data flow and communication protocols.
  
  e. Software integration execution: includes integrating the new software with the existing systems. This may involve using APIs, middleware, or custom integration solutions. The integration is thoroughly tested to ensure that the data is accurately exchanged between the systems.
  
  f. Software testing: Once the integration is complete, the software is tested to ensure that it meets the organisation's requirements. This includes testing for functionality, performance, security, and usability.
  
  g. Software deployment: Once the software is tested and approved, it is deployed to the production environment. This may involve configuring the software for the specific environment, and training end-users on how to use the new software.
  

• Recommended for SSAs that:
  a. Wants to improve the user experience and user interface of web services.
  b. Wants to enhance effectiveness of digital product by making it intuitive, engaging and easy-to-use for users

• Possible issue statements:
  a. Usage or adoption rate of existing digital product is low and ineffective. Digital products may be websites assessed by external users, or internal systems used by staff.
  b. Existing digital product is aged and requires a refresh

• Deliverables:
  a. Wireframes & prototype
  b. Documentation: The UI/UX design process is documented to provide a record of the research, design, and testing processes.

• Scope description:
  a. Research: conduct user research to understand needs, preference and behavior of users through user surveys, interviews, user groups to gather feedbacks.
  
  b. User persona development: user personas are developed to represent target audience, identifying goals, preference and pain points
  
  c: Information architecture: organising of content and functionality.
  
  d. Wireframing: create wireframes and prototypes to illustrate the layout and functionality of the design, which may involve sketches, mockups or clickable prototypes.
  
  e. Usability test:The design is tested with real users to identify any usability issues or areas for improvement. This may involve conducting user tests, surveys, or other forms of feedback.
  
  f. Refinement: design is redefined and iterated to ensure it meets the organisational requirements and preference.
  

• Recommeded for SSAs that: 
  a. Wants to improve staff productivity, business efficiency, and reduce errors through better usability of internal systems.

• Possible issue statements:
  a. Internal system is functioning but does not cater to ease of use.
  b. Staff's user experience of the system is not optimal, leading to decreased efficiency. 

• Deliverables:
  a. Documentation: updated process flow is documented, including all steps, inputs, outputs, and stakeholder roles.

• Scope description:
  a. Identification of process area: identify the workflow process within the organisation which is experiencing challenges or pain points e.g. HR, finance, front-end operations.
  
  b. Process mapping: conduct process mapping, including inputs, outputs to determine pain points.
  
  c. Process evaluation: the process is evaluated to identify areas of improvement, which may include bottlenecks, inefficiencies, or areas where automation can replace manual intervention.
  
  d. Optimisation: recommendations are made for process redesign or optimisation, which may include changes to process flow, automation of manual tasks, improvement to the tools and technologies, development of IT service request SOP.

• Recommended for SSAs that:
  a. Plans to embark on smaller scale IT projects
  b. Requires in-house professional expertise to manage the implementation of IT solutions to ensure successful project outcomes

• Possible issue statements: 
  a. Inadequate capacity to support IT projects
  b. Lack of in-house professional expertise to manage IT projects, vendors and consultants

• Deliverables: 
  a. Project implementation plan
  b. Project completion report
  c. Project documentation

• Scope description:
  a. Project planning: the PM works with stakeholders to define project goals, scope and requirements. A detailed project plan that outlines the timeline, budget and resources required to complete the project.
  
  b. Project execution: the PM oversees the execution of the project plan, ensuring tasks are completed on time and within budget. They communicate with stakeholders, manage project risks and make adjustment to the plan as needed.
  
  c. Resource management: the PM is responsible for managing project resources, including people, tools and equipment and ensure that these resources are allocated effectively and efficiently to meet project goals.
  
  d. Quality assurance: the PM is responsible for ensuring that projects deliverable meet the required quality standards, they develope quality control processes, monitor project progress, perform quality inspections to ensure deliverables meet the stakeholders expectations.
  
  e. Communication: the PM serves as the main point of contact for all project stakeholders, including project team, senior management and external vendors. They communicate project progress, risk and issues to stakeholders in a clear and concise manner.
  
  f. UAT - the PM is responsible for conducting UAT, to ensure that the deliverables meets the requirements of end-users. and ready for production deployment.
  
  g. Documentation: documenting all aspects of the project, including the project plan, budget, and resource allocation. Maintain project documentation throughout the project lifecycle to ensure that it is up-to-date and accurate.
  
  h. Project closure: the PM is responsible for closing out the project, including performing final quality inspections, and obtaining stakeholder sign-off.