OS IT Review Board Charter
CHARTER
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
IT REVIEW BOARD
I. Introduction
This Charter defines the purpose, authority, membership, and processes of the Department of Commerce (DOC) Office of the Secretary (O/S) Information Technology (IT) Review Board. The responsibilities of the Board members and the O/S Chief Information Officer (CIO) as Chair of the IT Review Board are also defined.
Version 2 of the Charter is being issued to designate the Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for Administration as Co-Chair of the Board; and to specify an agreed up regular monthly meeting schedule.
II. Purpose
The O/S IT Review Board is established as a review and decision-making body for IT management in the O/S. The Board will review and approve IT initiatives and IT expenditures. The O/S IT Review Board ensures that proposed investments contribute to the Secretary’s strategic vision and mission requirements, employ sound IT investment methodologies, comply with Departmental systems architectures, and provide the highest return on the investment or acceptable project risk. Of overall importance is the need to ensure that administrative systems are developed with the interfaces necessary to be implemented across the Department.
III. Authority
The Department of Commerce Chief Information Officer (CIO) led the restructuring of the Department's CIO/IT organization. The CIO's definition of the CIO/IT organization provided guidelines for each Operating Unit to establish an IT Review Board which would review and approve the Operating Unit's major IT requirements and related expenditures. The Deputy Chief Information Officer is the CIO for the Office of the Secretary and is required to follow the guidelines and perform the same duties as the CIO of an operating unit as regards the O/S.
The O/S CIO established the O/S IT Review Board in accordance with the DOC CIO's guidelines and is the Board’s Chair with the DAS for Administration named as Co-Chair.1 The O/S IT Review Board will operate within the guidelines of the DOC CIO, CIO Council, and the Commerce IT Review Board (CITRB).
The O/S IT Review Board shall be the review, analysis and decision-making body for O/S IT initiatives and projects. O/S IT Review Board members shall ensure that the O/S CIO is informed of IT requirements originating in their respective Offices. The O/S CIO shall ensure that the Board is informed on overall O/S IT requirements and initiatives.
If the O/S IT Review Board approves an IT initiative with life cycle cost of $500,000 or more and/or a potential for a Department-wide Program, the initiative must be submitted to the Commerce IT Review Board (CITRB) for consideration and/or approval. The O/S CIO will notify the DOC CIO of the initiative and the request for CITRB review.
Approved Department-wide Programs with budgeted funding for administrative systems such as CBS (Commerce Business Systems)2 and CSTARS (Commerce Standard Acquisition and Reporting System) fall under the purview of the Department CIO and the CITRB. The O/S IT Review Board will ensure that interfaces are addressed prior to CITRB review.
IT services/resources provided for Program Office employees will be coordinated with the O/S CIO's Office.
IV. Membership
Administrative Office Directors that have major initiatives will be permanent members of the O/S IT Review Board. O/S Office Directors that do not have major initiatives will come to the Board as initiatives/projects requiring executive review are identified. The O/S IT Review Board is chaired by the O/S CIO and co-chaired by the DAS for Administration and is composed of the following permanent members:
Director, Office of Acquisition Management
Director, Office of Human Resources Management
Director, Office of Administrative Services
Director, Office of Budget
Director, Office of Financial Management
Director, Office of Security
Other members include the following:
Director, Office of Civil Rights
Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization
Director, Office of Management and Organization
Office of the Secretary, Executive Secretariat
Office of General Counsel
An O/S Office's member shall be the Office Director, Deputy Director, or a designated representative empowered to make policy and expenditure decisions for the Office. If the primary representative is unable to attend a meeting, an appropriate substitute who is empowered to make decisions should attend.
VI. Processes
|
The O/S IT Review Board will meet on a schedule that complements the planning and budget formulation processes and that aligns with specific project time lines. Meetings will be held well in advance of the CITRB, to the extent possible, which will consider the O/S project. | |
|
The O/S IT Review Board shall meet on a scheduled basis on the third Thursday of each month from 10:00-12:00.3 However, there may be a need to call an O/S IT Review Board on an ad hoc basis, at the request of a Board member | |
|
Decisions will be based on consensus. A consensus is a decision that every group member can accept and support. If a consensus is not possible, the Board will vote. The majority view will be the official position of the O/S IT Review Board. A minority view can be noted for the record. | |
|
Each permanent member will have one vote. | |
|
Outside of meetings, e-mail will be the primary mode of communications among members. | |
|
The O/S CIO will designate a staff member to prepare for distribution meeting Action Items and major agreements. |
VII. Responsibilities
The Chair shall:
|
Convene the Board on a regular basis or receive requests from members to convene the Board on an ad hoc basis. Develop meeting agendas with assistance from members and O/S OCIO staff. A preliminary agenda will be sent out two days in advance of meetings. | |
|
Provide O/S IT Review Board members with necessary background information in advance of meetings. | |
|
Record action items from each meeting and report on action item status at subsequent meetings. Summarize meeting outcomes and include information on decisions, comments, etc. | |
|
Provide O/S IT Review Board members with meeting notes within one week of the meeting date. | |
Either support funding for or provide O/S IT Review Board members with information on initiatives that have a budget impact, in time for them to request needed funds. | |
The Members shall:
|
Provide additions/changes to meeting agendas that the O/S CIO proposes. | |
|
Prepare themselves for decisions to be made during meetings including reading distributed material and discussing meeting topics with their respective IT Steering Committee members or staff. | |
Vote to approve/disapprove new O/S IT requirements. | |
|
Vote to approve/disapprove IT expenditures within the Offices' budget authority. | |
|
Vote to approve/disapprove implementation plans for new IT requirements. | |
|
Identify funding sources for O/S IT Review Board-approved O/S IT requirements. (IT requirements to be funded as a new initiative in the Working Capital Fund must then undergo the normal budget approval process.) | |
|
Inform the O/S CIO when their Offices identify a new IT requirement. | |
|
Observe the O/S IT Change Management Procedures and approve proposed changes. | |
|
Enforce IT standards approved by the Commerce and O/S IT Review Boards. | |
VIII. Charter Disposition
This Charter takes effect on the date approved by the O/S IT Review Board. Changes/updates can be introduced by any Board member for approval by the O/S IT Review Board.
Record of Changes:
Draft presented to the OS ITRB on 5-07-03 for review and comment.
Final approved by OS ITRB on 6-13-03.
Version 2 presented to OS ITRB on 12-16-04.
1 Version 2 change
2 Version 2 change – CAMS changed to CBS
3 Version 2 change – Specifies monthly scheduled meetings.
- Last Updated:
- June 25, 2007
- Questions regarding this section may be directed to the OS IT Review Board (OSITRB) Administrator