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

Deadline Date: Wednesday 21 May 2026

Requirement: Business Analysis and Reporting Services

Location: 80% Off-site / 20% On-site, Mons, Belgium

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