2026-0062 Business Analysis and Reporting Services (NS) - THU 21 May UPDATED

Deadline Date: Wednesday 21 May 2026

Requirement: Business Analysis and Reporting Services

Location: 80% Off-site / 20% On-site, Mons, Belgium. Travel to other NATO nations will be required.

Period of Performance: 2026 BASE: As soon as possible, no later than 1 July 2026 (tentative) – 31 December 2026.

2027 OPTION: 1 January 2027 – 31 December 2027.

2028 OPTION: 1 January 2028 – 31 December 2028.

Required Start Date: As soon as possible, no later than 1 July 2026 (tentative)

End Contract Date: 31 December 2026 (base period)

Evaluation Methodology: Lowest Priced Technically Compliant

Required Security Clearance: NATO SECRET

1. INTRODUCTION

The NCI Agency has been established with a view to meeting the collective requirements of some or all NATO nations in the fields of capability delivery and service provision related to Consultation, Command & Control as well as Communications, Information and Cyber Defence functions, thereby also facilitating the integration of Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Target Acquisition functions and their associated information exchange.

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) is dedicated to acquiring, deploying, and defending communication systems for NATO's political decision-makers and Commands. It operates on the frontlines against cyber-attacks, collaborating closely with governments and industry to prevent future debilitating attacks. The NCI Agency plays a crucial role in maintaining NATO's technological edge and ensuring the collective defence and crisis management capabilities of the Alliance. In pursuit of our mission, we require specialized advisory services to enhance our interim workforce capacity.

2. BACKGROUND

Operations and Exercises (OPEX) Centre is accountable to support Alliance Operations, Missions (AOM) and exercises during peacetime, crisis and conflict, by providing NCIA lead liaison, planning and coordinating functions. Acting as the primary Agency's interface to the customer, OPEX Centre is coordinating the NCI Agency efforts provided by the Business Areas, the CSUs and other Agency organizational elements.

OPEX Centre has a requirement for a Subject Matter Expert (SME) to be embedded with the RPMO team, in support of development and streamlining the planning and funding process for operations, missions and exercises in 2026 and beyond. The part of the 2026 effort to be covered within this RFQ will be mainly focused on deep assessment of all NCIA OEs involvement in support to operations, missions and exercises.

The required expertise will supplement the current level of expertise within the OPEX RPMO Team. The Contractor requested in this RFQ must be ready to quickly integrate with the current OPEX RPMO Team, taking up duties and responsibilities. The work required will be based on Intended Business Outputs and Outcomes, and defined Deliverables, as described in the following sections.

3. OBJECTIVE

Deliver a robust, data-driven portfolio, budgeting, and forecasting capability that strengthens organizational decision-making and enhances operational readiness. Through the development of standardized portfolio registers, executive dashboards, governance review packs, and audit-ready financial documentation, the Business Analyst ensures that leadership has clear, timely, and actionable insights into resource utilization, risk exposure, and strategic alignment.

A critical component of this work is the ongoing review and validation of service rates, which directly influences cost accuracy, budget planning, and long-range forecasting. By maintaining precise service rate structures and integrating them into financial models and operational planning cycles, the organization can better anticipate resource demands, support mission-critical operations, and ensure that support to operations and exercises are funded and executed with maximum efficiency.

Collectively, these deliverables create a transparent, well-governed financial ecosystem that enables proactive management, reduces operational risk, and strengthens the organization's ability to execute its mission.

4. SCOPE OF WORK (DELIVERY BASED)

The Business Analyst shall deliver a comprehensive set of portfolio, budgeting, forecasting, and governance outputs that strengthen financial stewardship and enhance the organization's ability to plan, resource, and execute operational and exercise requirements. The role is outcome-focused and accountable for the accuracy, quality, and usability of all deliverables, with particular emphasis on optimizing service rate planning and ensuring efficient programming of support to operations and exercises.

5. DELIVERABLES AND ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

A. Portfolio Management – Required Deliverables

A1. Centralized Portfolio Register

Deliverable: A fully operational, centralized portfolio register containing standardized and validated project metadata, financial data, milestones, risk indicators, dependency mapping, and embedded service rate cost structures to support accurate planning for operations and exercises.

Acceptance Criteria 1: 100% of active initiatives recorded, including associated service rate cost elements.

Acceptance Criteria 2: Standardized data fields applied across all entries, including rate-based cost drivers.

Acceptance Criteria 3: Monthly reconciliation with financial records and updated service rate tables.

Acceptance Criteria 4: Documented data dictionary including definitions for service rate fields and cost assumptions.

Frequency: Continuous; validated monthly

Acceptance Authority: RPMO

A2. Executive Portfolio Dashboard

Deliverable: Automated dashboard(s) providing real-time or monthly visibility into portfolio performance, including service rate impacts on budget utilization, operational planning, and exercise programming.

Acceptance Criteria 1: Includes KPIs: budget utilization, schedule variance, risk exposure, prioritization scoring, and service rate cost impacts.

Acceptance Criteria 2: Updated at agreed reporting cycle (minimum monthly) with refreshed service rate data.

Acceptance Criteria 3: Executive summary and drill-down views showing rate-based cost drivers for operations and exercises.

Frequency: Monthly

Acceptance Authority: RPMO

A3. Portfolio Governance Review Pack

Deliverable: Structured governance review pack summarizing portfolio performance, financial status, service rate changes, and their implications for operational readiness and exercise funding.

Acceptance Criteria 1: Summary of key risks, dependencies, conflicts, and prioritization recommendations, including rate-driven cost pressures.

Acceptance Criteria 2: Financial status and forecast position incorporating updated service rate assumptions.

Acceptance Criteria 3: Issued minimum 3 working days prior to review meeting.

Frequency: Per governance cycle

Acceptance Authority: Governance Chair

B. Annual Budgeting – Required Deliverables

B1. Budget Planning Framework and Templates

Deliverable: Standardized budgeting templates and guidance incorporating service rate structures, cost-driver logic, and instructions for estimating operational and exercise requirements.

Acceptance Criteria 1: Templates approved by Finance.

Acceptance Criteria 2: Clear cost categories including service rate-based cost elements.

Acceptance Criteria 3: Version-controlled documentation with service rate guidance included.

Frequency: Annual

Acceptance Authority: RPMO / Finance Authority

B2. Consolidated Annual Budget Submission

Deliverable: Validated and consolidated departmental budget submission incorporating accurate service rate calculations and aligned with strategic and operational priorities.

Acceptance Criteria 1: 100% departmental submission compliance, including rate-based cost estimates.

Acceptance Criteria 2: Variance reconciliation completed, including service rate deviations.

Acceptance Criteria 3: All assumptions documented, including rate sources and validation steps.

Acceptance Criteria 4: Delivered by agreed planning deadline.

Frequency: Annual

Acceptance Authority: CFO / Finance Authority

B3. Budget Analytical Report

Deliverable: Comprehensive analysis including trend review, cost drivers, service rate impacts, risk assessment, and scenario modeling for operations and exercises.

Acceptance Criteria 1: Includes at least 3-year trend comparison, including service rate evolution.

Acceptance Criteria 2: Scenario modelling (best/base/worst case) incorporating rate fluctuations.

Acceptance Criteria 3: Executive summary and recommendations addressing operational and exercise affordability.

Frequency: Annual / As required

Acceptance Authority: Senior Leadership

C. Forecasting and Reporting – Required Deliverables

C1. Rolling Forecast Model

Deliverable: Maintained rolling forecast model updated monthly, integrating actuals, service rate updates, and operational/exercise demand signals.

Acceptance Criteria 1: Integrated actuals vs forecast tracking, including rate-driven variances.

Acceptance Criteria 2: Documented assumptions log including service rate sources and updates.

Acceptance Criteria 3: Variance tracking threshold defined and applied to rate-based cost deviations.

Frequency: Monthly

Acceptance Authority: Finance Authority

C2. Monthly Variance Analysis Report

Deliverable: Monthly variance analysis report identifying root causes, including service rate changes, and recommending corrective actions to maintain operational readiness.

Acceptance Criteria 1: Variances categorized (volume, price, scope, timing, service rate changes, etc.).

Acceptance Criteria 2: Corrective action proposals included, especially for rate-driven cost pressures.

Acceptance Criteria 3: Issued within agreed reporting cycle (5 working days post month-end).

Frequency: Monthly

Acceptance Authority: Finance / Leadership

C3. Audit-Ready Documentation Repository

Deliverable: Structured repository containing methodologies, business rules, service rate assumptions, change logs, and financial documentation.

Acceptance Criteria 1: Version-controlled.

Acceptance Criteria 2: Traceable change history including service rate updates.

Acceptance Criteria 3: Compliant with audit requirements.

Frequency: Continuous

Acceptance Authority: Audit / Compliance Authority

D. Stakeholder Engagement and Data Governance – Required Deliverables

D1. Requirements Documentation and Traceability Matrix

Deliverable: Documented business requirements, workshop summaries, and action logs, including requirements related to service rate planning, validation, and operational cost estimation.

Acceptance Criteria 1: Stakeholder sign-off obtained.

Acceptance Criteria 2: Requirements traceability matrix maintained, including service rate-related requirements.

Frequency: As required

Acceptance Authority: Business Owner

D2. Data Governance Framework

Deliverable: Defined and implemented data governance framework covering portfolio, financial, and service rate data, including ownership, quality standards, and validation controls.

Acceptance Criteria 1: Defined data owners and custodians for service rate data.

Acceptance Criteria 2: Data quality rules documented, including rate validation procedures.

Acceptance Criteria 3: Data quality compliance 95% or above.

Frequency: Initial + ongoing

Acceptance Authority: Portfolio Sponsor

6. DELIVERY SCHEDULE

Deliverables are scheduled across the base 2026 period and the 2027 and 2028 option periods as follows.

A1 – Centralized Portfolio Register: Q3 2026, Q4 2026; Q1–Q4 2027; Q1–Q4 2028 (continuous, validated monthly)

A2 – Executive Portfolio Dashboard: Q3 2026, Q4 2026; Q1–Q4 2027; Q1–Q4 2028 (monthly)

A3 – Portfolio Governance Review Pack: Q4 2026; Q2 2027, Q4 2027; Q2 2028, Q4 2028 (per governance cycle)

B1 – Budget Planning Framework and Templates: Q3 2026; Q1 2027, Q2 2027; Q1 2028, Q2 2028 (annual)

B2 – Consolidated Budget Submission Package: Q3 2026; Q2 2027; Q2 2028 (annual)

B3 – Budget Analytical Report: Q4 2026; Q1 2027, Q3 2027; Q1 2028, Q3 2028 (annual / as required)

C1 – Rolling Forecast Model: Q3 2026, Q4 2026; Q1–Q4 2027; Q1–Q4 2028 (monthly)

C2 – Monthly Variance Analysis Report: Q4 2026; Q2 2027, Q4 2027; Q2 2028, Q4 2028

C3 – Audit Documentation Repository: Q3 2026, Q4 2026; Q1–Q4 2027; Q1–Q4 2028 (continuous)

D1 – Requirements Documentation and Traceability Matrix: Q3 2026; Q1 2027, Q3 2027; Q1 2028, Q3 2028 (as required)

D2 – Data Governance Framework: Q3 2026, Q4 2026; Q1–Q4 2027; Q1–Q4 2028 (initial + ongoing)

7. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIS)

A. Delivery and Timeliness

KPI A1: 95% or more of deliverables submitted on or before the agreed deadline.

KPI A2: Forecast reports issued within the reporting window (5 working days post month-end).

KPI A3: Service rate updates incorporated into models within 3 working days of receipt/approval.

KPI A4: Governance review packs delivered 3 or more working days prior to governance meetings.

B. Data Quality and Accuracy

KPI B1: Portfolio data completeness 98% or above, including service rate fields.

KPI B2: Forecast accuracy variance within +/- 5% (or approved tolerance).

KPI B3: Budget reconciliation discrepancies below 2%, including rate-driven variances.

KPI B4: Service rate validation accuracy 98% or above (correct application of approved rates in models and estimates).

KPI B5: Zero unaddressed data quality exceptions older than 30 days.

C. Governance, Compliance and Audit Readiness

KPI C1: 100% audit traceability of assumptions, service rate updates, and financial model changes.

KPI C2: Data quality compliance 95% or above across all governed datasets.

KPI C3: No critical audit findings attributable to reporting, documentation, or service rate application gaps.

KPI C4: All required documentation (methodologies, assumptions logs, change logs) maintained in version-controlled repository.

D. Stakeholder Engagement and Satisfaction

KPI D1: 85% or above stakeholder satisfaction score (survey-based).

KPI D2: 2 or fewer major escalations per reporting cycle.

KPI D3: 90% or above positive feedback on clarity and usability of dashboards, reports, and review packs.

KPI D4: 95% or above attendance and participation satisfaction for workshops, training, and requirement sessions.

E. Operational and Exercise Programming Support

KPI E1: 100% of operational/exercise cost estimates incorporate validated service rates.

KPI E2: 90% or more of exercise funding requests submitted with complete, rate-accurate cost models.

KPI E3: Identification of at least 3 annual cost-optimization opportunities related to service rates or resource planning.

KPI E4: Zero delays to operational/exercise programming attributable to financial analysis or service rate gaps.

8. COORDINATION AND PAYMENT

The Contractor shall provide a Delivered Completion Report at the conclusion of each deliverable. The report shall be submitted via email and must include a summary of activities performed during the deliverable. The report shall be submitted within five (5) working days following the end of the deliverable.

Payment shall be made at the end of each quarter in accordance with the Delivery Schedule. Payment is dependent upon successful acceptance of the Deliverable Completion Report and the Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS).

Invoices shall be accompanied with a Delivery Acceptance Sheet signed by the Contractor and the NCIA POC (Direct Line Manager).

Partial Delivery / Partial Payment

In the event that a deliverable is only partially completed, the Project Authority may, at its discretion, accept the completed portion, provided that it meets the agreed acceptance criteria. Such partial acceptance must be clearly documented in the Delivery Acceptance Sheet (DAS), including a description of the accepted scope and any outstanding items. Where partial acceptance is granted, payment shall be made on a pro-rata basis, corresponding to the value of the accepted portion of the deliverable, as agreed between the Contractor and the NCIA. Any non-accepted portion shall not be invoiced and shall remain subject to completion and full acceptance before payment can be made.

9. SCHEDULE

This contract will be active immediately after signing by both parties. The period of performance is from 01 July 2026 until 31 December 2026.

The Purchaser reserves the right to exercise the following additional options under the same conditions:

2027 OPTION: period: 1 January 2027 – 31 December 2027, if option exercised

2028 OPTION: period: 1 January 2028 – 31 December 2028, if option exercised

10. PRACTICAL ARRANGEMENTS

The deliverables will be produced off-site but presented at the Purchaser's premises in Mons, SHAPE Belgium.

11. TRAVEL

Depending on the Purchaser’s priorities, travel to NATO nations may be required. Expected travel is for total of 12 events - 9 events of 5 days' duration and 3 events - 3 days' duration. These are not standing meetings; they are organised annually by our main customer, Allied Command Operations (ACO). All events will be hosted in Europe mainland NATO countries.

Travel Event 1: ACO-ACT Customer Coordination Board – 3 times per year, 5 days each (travel days included).

Travel Event 2: eMTEP Planning Board – 3 times per year, 5 days each (travel days included).

Travel Event 3: Exercise Budget User Group – 3 times per year, 5 days each (travel days included).

Travel Event 4: ACCB Exercise Support Working Group – 3 times per year, 3 days each (travel days included).

In accordance with the current ACO course of action, event locations are announced no later than three months prior to each event.

Travel Costs and Reimbursements: No additional reimbursement for travel or related expenses shall be invoiced or requested from the Client beyond the agreed NTE monthly amount, unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing by both parties.

12. REQUIREMENTS

[See Requirements]

Tools and Systems

The Business Analyst is expected to work with or within the following tools:

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) tools: e.g., ServiceNow, EBA

Financial Planning tools: e.g., Oracle, SAP

Visualization tools: e.g., Power BI, Tableau

Collaboration tools: e.g., Skype, SharePoint, Polycom, JIRA

Data validation and tracking: Excel, Smartsheet, or internal systems