CAREER PURSUIT 2021

CAREER PURSUIT 27 - Fully bespoke, unrestricted solutions designed around user needs - More control over the product vision, implementation, distribution, and direction - Code assurance, reuse, and platform flexibility A more specific benefit of creating an in-house RAF Mobile Application Development Team is that the team comprises serving personnel who have genuine empathy and understanding of the problems to be solved in both operational environments and at home. This experience will undoubtedly serve the Appivate team well as it begins to explore and exploit the value that mobile technology offers. Cpl Dove goes on to discuss that, “Projects like Appivate are only possible with Astra resources and the mindset of change they bring. Inmany ways, the Appivate team perfectly embodies many of the Astra concepts. In investing in personnel and new ways of working, the Appivate team intend to prove these concepts in the near future by delivering new capabilities while remaining agile and flexible to change.” Interestingly, the opportunity to work with Astra extends beyond the RAF into civilian roles. Cassandra St. Louis talked to me about her experience of working with Astra. “I currently work within a start-up team directly under the 2* command of ACAS Strategy and my direct chain of command, Director Astra. The team is made up of six Service personnel and three civil servants, and we are set up to work remotely, spanning from Scotland to Andover. Our new Astra Intranet page, the first platform that gives two-way engagement, will allow us to share media. It will also be used to deliver the novel ‘Marketplace’ where you will be able to select any ‘Astra Flatpack’ and implement it on your unit. Additionally, the Astra MS teams’ channels allow for collaborative networking with the RAF’s largest interconnected network, which spans across theWhole Force. I also sit on the Astra funding panel. The panel is made up of a range of ranks working in a rank-neutral basis, allowing our thoughts to be listened to and reasoned equally – so far, we have granted £2.5 million to accelerate prototypes/ concepts. Astra is bringing ideas to reality. We also conduct Astra virtual roadshows with all stations. This role has given me endless opportunities to work across Defence, helping me to develop a Defence-wide strategic overview. It has enabled me to work closely with our sister Services, sharing our success stories. I have also been afforded the opportunity to develop multi-national collaborations, for example, working with the Royal Australian Air Force. Innovation lies at the heart of the RAF, so working with the Astra team has really helped me to develop my own innovative abilities – seeing things from a fresh perspective, networking and collaborating with people from across the Whole Force, and challenging traditional barriers that I possibly wouldn’t even have noticed before. Currently, all of the civilian roles within the team are filled, but who knows what the future will bring, so keep your eyes peeled on Civil Service Jobs for opportunities.” HOWTO GET INVOLVED Astra applies equally to everyone who works in or alongside the RAF, delivering air and space power to protect our nation. Everyone has a part to play, from bottom-up innovation to the strategic direction from the senior leadership team. MOD personnel can follow Astra on http://bit.ly/AstraIntranet or externally via Defence Connect http://bit.ly/AstraConnect. You can also find news about Astra online at www.raf.mod.uk/news/ articles/astra-campaign-to-build-the-next-generation-royal- air-force/ All units have an Astra ambassador who is available to offer you guidance and direction. Warrant Officer Caroline Cooper MSc from the core Astra Team offers a few final words: “We would be astounded if there wasn’t a process you wanted to challenge, or if you didn’t have exciting ideas about the Royal Air Force of 2040 that we are building today. We are here to listen to you and help shape your ideas. Together we will innovate relentlessly in everything we do.” This role has given me endless opportunities to work across Defence, helping me to develop a Defence-wide strategic overview. It has enabled me to work closely with our sister Services, sharing our success stories.