APAS system software support and development

UK APAS is an online Air Pollution calculation tool that provides evidence to be used in planning decisions, environmental permitting, and local plans.

It aims to provide an air quality modelling service that will offer a consistent approach by providing detailed modelling for ecosystem assessment and facilitates "in-combination" assessments across all key emission source types by storing development records in an archive.

Ultimately, the tool provides better protection for nature by making information on habitats, their vulnerability and local emission levels clearer and more accessible.

Over the last two years, the UK has been adapting the AERIUS tool for use here in the UK. The UK implementation, known as UK Air Pollution Assessment Service (UK APAS) is now in the final stage of initial development and needs to begin to establish a service phase.

JNCC lead the UK creation of the Air Pollution Assessment Service, The multi-delivery team works with the software development team, technical experts, and user groups to ensure the new tool fits UK needs, and the service is fit for purpose.

This tender process is to secure a technical support function for the live phase (due to start in September 2024) of the UK APAS service.

The technical support function will provide ownership and ongoing development of the software code and working together with the Defra Cloud Centre of Excellence (CCOE) team, manage the updating and security within the production environments.

The technical support function will also provide monthly reports to the JNCC product ownership team on the financial performance of the AWS environment, the status of all current tasks and the budget used so far to service the requests.

Maintaining up-to-date data within the system will also be a key role, working together with the JNCC data management team as the providers of the data.

Finally, and most importantly, is the consultancy role the technical support function will play a key part in the JNCC product ownership team, advising on the changes proposed to the product and the technical implications for deployment.