IT Acquisition Process

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IT Category Management Process
New Process Clarifications (diagram) [PDF - 78 KB]
New Process Clarifications (text) [PDF - 88 KB]

As part of the HHS and IHS implementation of the Federal Information Technology Acquisitions Reform Act (FITARA), several changes have been implemented with regards to IT procurements via the Unified Financial Management System (UFMS) in IHS.

On September 28, 2017, the CIO Memo Titled: FY2018 FITARA Requirements was issued to establish the Special Category Approver for IT Acquisitions in the UFMS to meet the HHS CIO Delegation of IT Acquisition approval to support the IHS CIO obligations required under FITARA. As referenced in the memo, IHS instituted new workflows and processes to justify IT procurements and establishes its ability to be good custodians of taxpayer funds. As changes occur, IHS will continue to improve its IT Governance processes, and this includes:

Implementation of the IT Agency Procurement Request (ITAPR) New Version form and process, which links the required IT Governance process to the contract requisition request process in the UFMS. The ITAPR form assists in gathering and reporting additional IT Governance and acquisition details, as required by the FITARA. The IHS UFMS IT Approver role in the UFMS is required to review all IT requisitions and requisition amendments to ensure that IT Governance approval by the IHS CIO has been completed and that the IT Governance ID is current within the Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) five-year lifecycle. To meet these requirements, the signed ITAPR form is required for all IT procurements and requisition amendments submitted through UFMS.
The Approved Equipment List (AEL) & Approved Software List (ASL) limits the specifications of IT equipment to the lowest cost, technically acceptable model. Anything beyond what is approved in the AEL and ASL requires substantial justification and approval by the IHS CIO through the CPIC process.
The Device Enrollment Program (DEP) provides a fast, streamlined way to deploy iOS and macOS devices that your business has purchased directly from Apple or from a participating Apple Authorized Reseller or carrier. You can automatically enroll devices in MDM without having to physically touch or prep the devices before users get them. And with MDM, you can further simplify the setup process for users by removing specific steps in the Setup Assistant, so users are up and running quickly.

If Apple products are purchased from a vendor other than Apple, please verify before purchasing that the vendor has a DEP Reseller ID# and that number is provided prior to the purchase. Please contact Phillip.Wise@ihs.gov or Michelle.Riedel@ihs.gov to have the vendor added to the IHS account so the devices will be automatically added to the IHS MDM server.
Compliance with Accessibility Requirements of all IT Procurement as subject to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Part 339 of the HHS Acquisition Regulations (HHSAR).
Adherence to the Capital Planning & Investment Control Process (CPIC) threshold and requirements as defined in the Indian Health Manual (IHM) Part 8, Chapter 4 in which any IHS IT investment, acquisition, or project with five-year costs that total $25,000 or greater requires adherence to a review and approval process from both within and, possibly, outside the IHS, depending on the costs.An approved Business Need Statement (BNS) and/or Business Case under the Capital Planning and Investment Control Process.

Additional information and artifacts regarding the aforementioned requirements are located in the resources section of the CPIC Homepage.

We thank you in advance for your cooperation.

Questions may be addressed to the following.