The Office of the Chief Information Technology Architect (OCITA) met with a cross functional team of over 30 subject matter experts (SMEs) from the Acquisition, Extramural, Intramural, and Budget communities to create business process models that depict the current state of the Research & Development (R&D) contracts process.
There are two types of business process models listed for each process area. The WHAT model is a hierarchical representation of the business activities necessary to complete a business purpose. The HOW models capture the sequence of business activities, the flow of information from one activity to another, and the organizations, roles, and technologies involved in acquiring R&D services. The R&D contracts process is divided into the following high-level business activities:
- Determine Scientific Research To Acquire
- Plan Acquisition
- Solicit Offers
- Select Winning Offers
- Execute Contract
- Administer Active Contract
- Closeout Contract Administratively
Determine Scientific Research To Acquire
The Determine Scientific Research To Acquire models describe the business process for developing a research idea into a research initiative that can be pursued through an R&D contract. The process models include key activities such as developing the concept, seeking internal and external approval for the concept, developing a statement of work (SOW), and developing a detailed cost estimate.
Plan Acquisition
The Plan Acquisition models describe the business process for taking a scientific initiative from a SOW to an acquisition plan (AP). The process models include key activities such as identifying the necessary people needed to develop the AP, determining who is allowed to compete for the contract, developing the AP, and approving the AP.
Solicit Offers
The Solicit Offers models describe the business process for requesting proposals from qualified candidates to fulfill the requirements of the R&D contract. The process models include key activities such as developing a request for proposal (RFP), issuing the RFP, and addressing candidate questions through clarifications of the RFP.
Select Winning Offers
The Select Winning Offers models describe the business process for choosing the offeror presenting the proposal with the best value to NIH. The process models include key activities such as evaluating the scientific and technical merit of the proposal, determining which proposals are the most competitive, reviewing costs and negotiating contract terms, and selecting the winner.
Execute Contract
The Execute Contract models describe the business process for awarding an R&D contract. The process models include key activities such as securing required clearance, securing funds, awarding the contract to the successful offeror, notifying the public and resolving issues with the unsuccessful offerors.
Administer Active Contract
The Administer Active Contract models describe the business processes for monitoring and maintaining an R&D contract that has been awarded. The process models include key activities such as monitoring the technical and financial performance of the contract, resolving any issues with the contract, and reporting contractor performance.
Closeout Contract Administratively
The Closeout Contract Administratively models describe the business processes for closing an R&D contract. The process models include key activities such as ensuring proper property disposition, reconciling contract records, and archiving contract files.
