Concept of Operations Framework

Overview Austroads Ltd is seeking responses from appropriately experienced service providers to develop a Concept of Operations (ConOps) framework, supported by tools, templates and research or case studies. The framework will help transport agencies define, communicate and maintain operational intent throughout the project lifecycle, with appropriate governance, validation and traceability requirements from initial concept through design, operation, maintenance, renewal and decommissioning. Purpose Austroads seeks responses from appropriately experienced service providers to develop a Concept of Operations (ConOps) framework, supported by tools, templates and research/case studies. The framework will help transport agencies define, communicate and maintain operational intent throughout the project lifecycle, with appropriate governance, validation and traceability requirements from initial concept through design, operation, maintenance, renewal and decommissioning. Objectives The objective of this project is to deliver an Austroads research report incorporating a practicable and scalable Concept of Operations framework, together with supporting tools and materials. The outputs will enable agencies to clearly define, communicate and maintain operational intent, support traceability between investment intent, requirements, design, operations and maintenance, through to renewal and decommissioning, and provide a consistent and aligned approach to Concept of Operations development and application, aligned with systems engineering principles and ISO 15288 lifecycle standards. The aim is to support improved operational decision-making and traceability while minimising unnecessary documentation and administrative effort, ultimately improving project outcomes, safety, operability and lifecycle efficiency. Scope The scope includes: Defining the Concept of Operations framework, including operational vision, lifecycle stages and decision-gate maturity requirements that scale with project complexity, risk and organisational size Explaining when a ConOps is required, the level of detail appropriate to different project types, complexity and risk, who owns and approves it, how operational intent is established and validated, how it is maintained as projects change, and how it interfaces with requirements management, design, assurance, commissioning, operations, operator workloads and human-machine interfaces, maintenance, renewal and decommissioning Developing supporting tools, including a ConOps template, Operational Assurance Framework, Operational Readiness Assessment, an end-to-end traceability mechanism, process guidance and a maturity checklist Reviewing existing Austroads, member and international research and guidance to identify gaps and ensure alignment Considering typical application contexts including major road infrastructure projects, ITS projects, and public transport infrastructure projects Performing secretariat duties for all meetings related to the project Out of Scope Detailed design standards Software tools/platforms Project-specific ConOps development Deliverables The project will produce the following core deliverables: Austroads Research Report incorporating the ConOps Framework, Implementation Roadmap, roles and responsibilities, and supporting practical guidance ConOps template and process guide Operational Assurance Framework Operational Readiness Assessment Maturity model/checklist Other supporting tools developed throughout the project Supporting deliverables include: Interim report (current practice and gaps) Webinar presentation and Q&A Data Management Plan Metadata spreadsheet for project data (if applicable) Contractor Requirements Appropriately experienced service provider capable of developing a Concept of Operations framework for transport agencies