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CANDIDATE INFORMATION PACK

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Candidate Information Pack Introduction And Welcome ................................................................................................. 3

About Us .............................................................................................................................. 4

The Home Office Digital, Data And Technology (DDaT) Function ................................... 5

DDaT Organisational Structure .......................................................................................... 6

What We Are Looking For .................................................................................................. 8

Why Apply? ......................................................................................................................... 8

Benefits Of Working At The Home Office ........................................................................ 10

Training And Development ............................................................................................... 11

What Is It Like To Work Here? .......................................................................................... 12

Application And Selection Process ................................................................................. 14

Contact Details .................................................................................................................. 15

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Introduction and Welcome

Dear Candidate, Thank you for expressing interest in applying for a role at the Home Office. Government is resetting its approach to technology. This is a rare opportunity to play a leading role in a broader portfolio of change that will radically improve how the civil service works and how government interacts with its citizens. We are seeking deep technologists who can apply their experience of leading transformational change, not those who seek to maintain the status quo. Your task will be guided by the fundamental principles of: putting the needs of the user first; focusing on delivery and outcomes over process; and making the most of openness – open standards, open source, open data and open markets. This role offers a great opportunity to lead, innovate and deliver. If you have the skills and experience to drive technical excellence, we would be keen to hear from you. In return, we promise you an agenda that combines intellectual challenge, large scale operational delivery and the chance to impact issues that directly affect millions of people’s lives. If you have the appetite for change and to manage the technology that supports critical solutions to our nation, we look forward to receiving your application.

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About Us The first duty of the government is to keep citizens safe and the country secure. The Home Office has been at the front line of this endeavour since 1782. As such, the Home Office plays a fundamental role in the security and economic prosperity of the United Kingdom. Each and every member of Home Office staff plays a part in making that happen. The Home Office leads on immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime policy, counter-extremism and counter-terrorism and works to ensure visible, responsive and accountable policing in the UK. These issues are at the heart of the Government’s agenda. Our responsibilities:

• Working on the problems caused by illegal drug use • Shaping the alcohol strategy, policy and licensing conditions • Keeping the United Kingdom safe from the threat of terrorism • Reducing and preventing crime, and ensuring people feel safe in their homes and

communities • Securing the UK border and controlling immigration • Considering applications to enter and stay in the UK • Issuing passports and visas • Supporting visible, responsible and accountable policing by empowering the public

and freeing up the police to fight crime Our priorities:

• Fire prevention and rescue • Prevent terrorism • Cut crime • Control immigration • Promote growth • Transform the Home Office

The challenges the department faces are significant and can change rapidly in the global environment in which we operate. This makes it one of the most exciting and stimulating departments to work in.

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The Home Office Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) function The Home Office is responsible for many of the critical IT systems supporting UK borders and policing. A transformation of the Home Office's technological processes is underway, to make them fit for a digital future. This will radically reinvent our technology landscape and move us towards a more sophisticated and functionally-rich set of services, at a much more effective price point. As part of this, major changes were implemented to enable our IT departments to take control of the design, build and/or operate aspects of their key technology services, wherever appropriate. We’ve also integrated a number of teams to form a new Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) department, so we can design and create a standardised, integrated approach to data across all our activities. This new team combines 250 staff from the Home Office Digital unit with about a thousand employees and contractors in Home Office Technology.

“This is a great opportunity to create a stronger, more capable team, which is better placed to respond to the needs of the businesses we service. It will bring an injection of new skills and approaches to all areas of our work, will allow a front-to-back digital design approach, and enable us to integrate data more fully into everything we do. Our objectives remain the same, to deliver transformational change for the department and build exceptional services for everyone”.

This team has responsibility for architecture, design and QA. Whilst we still use a very large cross-section of 3rd party partners for various aspects of the software development lifecycle, we are contracting in smaller parts, and increasingly assuming direct responsibility for integration. This approach has required us to design, build, deploy and operate our own infrastructure and platforms at a scale we have never done historically. Keen to use this shift wherever possible as a springboard to enable greater leverage of cloud computing, we are now radically scaling up our infrastructure and platforms function.

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DDaT Organisational Structure Key facts and figures:

• 1,200 technology staff • £460 million operating budget • 3 million visa applications supported annually by our systems • 100 million border crossings enabled by our technology • 5 million passport applications processed using our data • 140 million police checks on people, vehicles and property using our technology

Major programmes within DDaT DDaT designs, manages, tests and delivers an extensive range of programmes which are critical to the wider Home Office organisation fulfilling its mandate from Government. These include:

Biometrics

Many of the Home Office core business processes rely on the effective verification and identification of people. The Home Office Biometrics Programme aims to capitalise on technological improvements to improve our ability to detect threats from terrorism and organised crime, prevent illegal immigration, enforce revenue collection and safeguard vulnerable people.

Immigration IT Portfolio

Our Immigration IT Portfolio is responsible for maintaining and improving current and future immigration IT services. Through this programme, we’re creating digitised, modern services for customers; supporting the business by servicing change in existing systems; improving access to quality data; and building an award-winning in-house delivery infrastructure.

Digital Services at the Border

Modern technology and digitisation have created new ways to integrate, interrogate and exploit data, and improve our activities at the border. Through this programme, we’re a data-rich environment to both improve service delivery, better understand movements across the border, and to protect the border more efficiently.

Home Office Data Analytics Capability

Increasing use of analytics is at the heart of the Home Office 2020 transformation programme, and this data analytics programme is establishing a large-scale analytics capability across all business areas. This includes development of a data platform to deliver business services through analytics (python), graph (Neo4j) and search (ElasticSearch) technologies.

Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism

The security and counter terrorism IT programme is an important and growing function within Home Office Technology and the wider department. It delivers business critical IT and other technology capabilities that drive transformative change within the department’s security and counter terrorism focused functions.

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Services within DDaT Live Services and Test, Design and Consultancy Services (TDCS) are the key services that are delivered within DDaT. Live Services Our Live Services team are responsible for the management and operation of the Home Office’s live technology platforms and services. Their core functions are:

Service Architecture

Working closely with application development and third-party- implementation teams to ensure live operation is properly considered during system design, and that transition of new systems and system changes into production is properly planned.

Live Service Governance

Managing the Live Service organisation as a business, including all aspects of business planning, operating model design, financial management, contract management, performance management and reporting, quality management, project management etc.

Service Management

Liaising with the business on needs, the design and planning of services in order to meet those continuously-evolving needs (including performance, capacity and availability), management and oversight of suppliers, knowledge management and problem management.

Service Desk Operations

Delivering a first-class service-desk capability for L1 and L2 response, core ITIL-based incidents, event and change functions, and request fulfilment.

Security Operations

Delivering information security management, security risk management, and crypto management.

Test Design and Consultancy Service (TDCS) The Test, Design and Consultancy Services (TDCS) team trial projects and programmes across the department. Their core focus includes:

• Non-functional testing for requirements, including load and performance, as well as operational acceptance

• Assurance around understanding and mitigating risks from third party testing, especially with waterfall delivery

• Consultancy focused on technical reviews at project, programme or department level.

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What We Are Looking For Broadly speaking, whichever part of our technology organisation you are interested in, we are all looking for the same core skills, attitudes and behaviours. These include:

• A willingness to disrupt and ask questions and be challenged in turn

• Openness and desire to promote new ideas and ways of doing things to challenge the status quo

• Honesty in sharing lessons learned so same old mistakes can be avoided in future

• An authentic passion for technology and the benefits it can bring to citizens and

society

• A genuine interest and concern for others, their wellbeing and development

• Acting as an ambassador for the positive uses of technology and the IT profession

• Being able to translate the complex into the everyday

• The ability to put the customer at the heart of everything we and you do

• Being relentless in looking for ways to make things better, simpler, easier to use.

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Why Apply? We recognise the huge contribution our skilled technologists play in delivering our transformation programme, so we want to attract and retain the best talent in the marketplace. Here are 10 reasons why we think you should choose to pursue a career with us:

1 Keeping us safe

The technology, products and services we use, design, deliver and manage, play a critical role in keeping our country and our citizens safe from harm, at home and abroad.

2 Why we come to work

Your hard work and ideas will touch, change and enhance the everyday lives of every person in the UK, from booking foreign travel, to passport control, migration and immigration.

3 Big Data for a small world

You will work on a range of fundamental, thought provoking business challenges, exploring new ways of sharing big data and analytics to bring our security services even closer together for everyone’s benefit.

4 Keeping the lights on

Our systems are amongst the biggest in the UK and play a crucial role in keeping the nation’s security infrastructure resilient, agile and ready to respond to the challenges of an increasingly complex world.

5 Bringing it Home

We are transforming the way we do business, bringing back in-house work previously outsourced to IT suppliers, creating more exciting and rewarding career opportunities for our own technology teams.

6 We value your worth

We offer a competitive, market aligned reward and benefits package which compares well to the wider public and private sector and values work life balance.

7 Customers first

We are developing our technology systems, processes and thinking, in agile ways, putting you - the customer - at the centre of everything we do, ensuring your work will always have meaning and relevance.

8 Leading from the front

You’ll be joining a multi-disciplinary technology organisation combining the best of private and public sector practices and ethos.

9 Feeling at Home

You’ll join a professional community Home Office technologists who meet regularly to share ideas for best practice, innovation, customer service excellence and continuous improvement.

10 Location, location

We are in the process of moving to a new, purpose built location in Croydon, exploring the opportunity for an element of homeworking and flexibility.

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Benefits Details of our extensive range of benefits are as follows:

Annual Leave You’ll receive an annual leave entitlement of 25 days, plus public holidays and one privilege day

Pension Contribute to the Civil Service Pension Scheme and, in addition to your personal contribution, we’ll pay in a substantial contribution each month.

Skills retention allowance On satisfactory completion of your probation, you may apply for a Retention Allowance, which ranges from £2,500 up to a maximum of £12,000.

Performance Pay The top 25% of performers in each grade are eligible for an annual performance bonus of up to 2% of annual salary.

Paternity/Maternity Support Leave Paternity/Maternity Support leave allows a father or partner to take paid time off around the birth or adoption of a child.

Life Cover In the event of death in service, the department will pay an amount equal to three years’ final pensionable earnings, as part of our life cover policy.

Season ticket/bicycle loan We’ll offer you an advance of your salary as an interest- free loan, to assist you purchase a season ticket for three months or longer, or to purchase a bicycle.

Employee Assistance Confidential Care provides 24/7 support for a wide range of emotional issues - such as legal, financial tax advice, family care and work- related matters.

Free Eyesight Tests All DDaT employees who regularly use display screen equipment are eligible to claim up to £25 for eyesight tests and up to £100 towards spectacles.

Adoption Leave All employees, regardless of their length of service, are entitled to 52 weeks adoption leave.

Civil Service Healthcare This is a specialist provider of low-cost health insurance to all parts of the Civil Service and Public Sector.

Maternity leave and pay All women who become pregnant are entitled to 52 weeks maternity leave, regardless of service length.

Parental Leave After completing one year’s service, if you have children under 5 years old (or up to 18 years if they have a disability) you have a right to 13 weeks’ unpaid leave.

Benenden Healthcare Benenden Healthcare will support you in arranging local consultants, medical treatment, surgery and financial support when required.

Reward & Recognition From thank you vouchers, to special bonus payments and additional annual leave – we recognise and reward our teams’ outstanding achievements.

Career Break After completing your probation, you can apply for a period of special leave (without pay) for up 12 months at a time.

Childcare Vouchers Our Childcare Voucher Salary Sacrifice Scheme can be used to help meet the costs of any form of registered childcare.

Flexible working We offer a number of flexible working arrangements, so you can balance work and home commitments.

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Training and Development In coming on board with DDaT, you will be joining a 1,200 strong, community of technologists. We invest heavily in nurturing talent within our technology teams. We provide at least five days of learning and development a year, from face-to-face training to on-the-job development, such as coaching, mentoring and volunteering. We use the international industry skills and competency framework SFIA, and provide training to close any gaps. We also provide opportunities to gain professional-standard qualifications and network with peers from across the IT industry. We’ll also support you to gain British Computer Society membership, including your fees. We have more than 500 professional members already.

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What Is It Like To Work Here? But don’t take our word for it. Here is what some of our people are saying about the benefits of working for DDaT. Cat Drew Cat is our Head of Police Digitisation Delivery in the Police Science and Technology Unit My role in the Home Office means I am responsible for supporting the police to make better use of digital technology. This is not an end in itself but a means to an end. Policing needs to provide a more efficient, effective and easily accessible service to the public. And technology can help the police achieve these outcomes. This means getting a really good understanding of the needs of users. Understanding how officers and staff need to access and input information on the go or easily capture evidence and build a case file which goes to court, or put a call out for witnesses. Understanding how the public need to report crime quickly and confidently, help the police investigate their case, receive updates on the progression of their case to court and work with their neighbours to prevent crime. User needs do not stay static; they change over time. Technological advances have an impact people’s expectations, but they also mean that we do not need to address them in the same way. It is not enough to digitise analogue processes or simply replace old IT systems. We need to understand current user need and use new technology to re-imagine how things are done. Tariq Rashid Leading the work to adopt Open Document Format (ODF) in the Home Office You might wonder why the Home Office doesn’t simply switch over and start using ODF on a chosen date. The reason is that adopting ODF is not as simple as it might appear. Some of our existing technology might not be compatible with ODF and our users may take some time to become familiar with the format. Also our partners with whom we collaborate might not be ready to receive our ODF documents. To give ourselves the best opportunity for lasting change, we want to learn from other people’s work to adopt ODF. Distilling that wisdom into principles will govern and guide our own adoption.

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Are You Eligible To Apply? To be eligible for any of the roles advertised by Home Office/DDaT you must:

• Be eligible to work in the UK - these posts are open to UK Nationals, British Nationals Overseas, British Protected Persons, Commonwealth Citizens, EEA Nationals of other member states and certain non-EEA family members and Swiss Nationals, under the Swiss EU Agreement. There must be no employment restriction or time limit on your permitted stay in the UK.

• Hold the minimum stated qualifications or significant relevant experience – you will be asked to present evidence of this at your interview.

• Be able to provide all required documentation - we’ll ask you to present a number

of documents at your interview, including a full and valid passport, so we can complete your pre-employment screening and security clearance checks.

Home Office embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. We offer a Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS) for disabled applicants who meet our minimum selection criteria. Applications from the UK Reserve Forces are welcome; as we aspire to be a model employer of those who serve their country.

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Application and Selection Process We hope that we have persuaded you to apply to join us. We have created a streamlined application process, designed with our candidates in mind. This process also ensures you receive equal and fair treatment. Your application process will consist of three simple steps: Step 1: Application

• Once submitted, an initial sift of your CV will be conducted against the essential criteria for the role.

• If your CV demonstrates experience of these essential criteria, you will be contacted to arrange a telephone-based screening. This will further assess your experience against the essential criteria and will be carried out by Experis (our recruitment partner) at a time to be agreed with you.

• If you successfully complete this stage of the process, your application will progress

to the shortlist stage. The applicants with the best skills and experience at shortlist stage will be invited to interview.

• In line with our commitment to providing a fair and open recruitment process, all

applications will be anonymised at the point of submission to the Home Office. Step 2: Interview

• At the face-to-face interview, you will be expected to prove that you meet the competencies and technical requirements of the role. You may be given an additional assessment or presentation exercise.

• You will be required to bring evidence of any qualifications or certifications that you

hold that are relevant to the role.

• Interview locations are to be confirmed, but these could take place in any of the Home Office’s main locations. Please note: you will not be reimbursed for any expenses incurred for travel to attend interviews.

Step 3: Recommendation to appoint

• If you are recommended for appointment, you will need to undergo pre-employment checks, including references and a basic security check.

• For some roles you may be required to undergo additional security checks (to SC level) following appointment. Click here for further information on SC requirements.

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Contact Details Thank you for your interest in this exciting opportunity. Please ensure you read the Candidate Information Pack in full, as we have provided further information, important notes about this role and guidance on how to best manage your application. Please ensure you have read and understood these before you apply. This recruitment campaign is being managed by our external recruitment provider SSCL. Should you have any queries in relation to your application please contact the Recruitment Contact Centre who will be able to assist you. They can be contacted on 0845 241 5369 Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm. Alternatively you can email ho-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@sscl.gse.gov.uk We wish you the best of luck with your application.