CITRB Evaluation Criteria

December 16, 2003

Commerce IT Review Board
Evaluation Criteria

1. Basis for Investment

Criteria:


Benefits, tangible and non-tangible, including risk-adjusted return-on-investment and benefit-cost analysis.


Consideration of all viable alternatives.


Support of the operating unit’s missions, goals, and information quality standards, including outcome-oriented performance measures to assess the value of the investment.


High rating from the operating unit’s internal evaluation process.

2. Project Management

Criteria:


A description of how the investment will be managed.


Project plans that cover the full life cycle of the project, including the transition from legacy systems.


Performance measures to assess the management of the investments, including measures of cost, schedule, and performance. A system to monitor these measures and report on deviations.


The experience of the operating unit with investments of this size, scope, and complexity.

3. Risk Management

Criteria:


Net risks and a description of how they will be mitigated, addressing the technical solution and use of a modular approach.


A description of how the acquisition strategy will manage procurement risks and address accessibility.


Support of the operating unit’s information quality standards.


Use of commercial-off-the-shelf products.

4. IT Security

Criteria:


A description of how the investment is compliant with the Department of Commerce and operating unit’s IT Security Program.


The baseline IT security management, operational, and technical controls necessary to protect the investment, and the supporting risk and benefit-cost criteria for selection of the controls.


The status of continuity of operations planning, documentation, and testing.


A description of Critical Infrastructure Protection applicability to the project and the relative priority of the investment to the Department’s mission.

5. Architectural Compliance

Criteria:


Demonstration of how the project is compliant with the operating unit’s and Commerce’s IT architecture and technical reference model and the Office of Management and Budget’s Federal Enterprise Architecture.


Integration of this investment with others at Commerce and Government-wide to promote efficiency, connectivity, and economies of scale.


Use of commercial-off-the-shelf products.


Support for the operating unit’s information quality standards, including reproducibility.


Steps taken to address accessibility.


Actions taken to implement the Government Paperwork Elimination Act, if applicable.

6. Administration/Departmental Goals and Initiatives

Criteria:


Support for Administration, Office of Management and Budget, Secretarial, and/or Departmental initiatives, including e-government.