The following list identifies the core make up of the NIH IT governance framework. It identifies the decision makers and key contributors to the NIH Enterprise Architecture:
NIH Steering Committee. The NIH Steering Committee is the senior most governing board at the NIH. It is the ultimate funding/budget approval authority and the highest point of conflict resolution.
IT Working Group (ITWG). The ITWG is a working group of the NIH Steering Committee that focuses on IT matters. Its primary responsibility is to monitor and ensure the overall performance of NIH's enterprise-level IT programs and investments. As necessary, it will establish course correction directives for enterprise-level IT programs, which may range from increasing the scope of a program to terminating a program. There are three sub-working groups to the ITWG, each focused on the IT requirements of a specific NIH business domain. These three sub-working groups are the CRIS Steering Committee (Intramural), the Extramural IT Steering Committee (also referred to as the Extramural ITWG), and the Administrative Management Systems Steering Committee.
Architecture Review Board (ARB). The ARB is the primary oversight body for NIH Enterprise Architecture.
Office of the Chief IT Architect (OCITA). OCITA is the program management office for the NIH Enterprise Architecture. In this capacity OCITA is responsible for the daily execution and management of the NIH enterprise architecture program and associated activities and initiatives.
IT Management Committee (ITMC) Enterprise Architecture Committee. The ITMC Enterprise Architecture Committee is a subcommittee of the ITMC whose primary responsibility is to review proposed enterprise architecture updates from a technical perspective and advise the ARB accordingly. They also bring technical issues and recommendations to the ITMC for discussion. The ITMC Enterprise Architecture Committee is not a decision making body. It synthesizes and interprets information for the ARB’s consideration; and provides recommendations as needed.
NIH Chief Information Officer (CIO). The NIH CIO is the sponsor of the NIH enterprise architecture program and the primary advocate. The NIH CIO provides guidance to OCITA and promotes understanding and buy-in of enterprise architecture benefits throughout NIH. The NIH CIO is responsible for chairing the ARB and ruling on minor exception requests from project teams, considering recommendations from the Chief IT Architect, and adjudicating on low level enterprise architecture decisions that do not require the attention of executive-level governing bodies such as the ITWG or ARB.
IC CIOs and Staff. IC CIOs, and their staff, are actively involved in the NIH enterprise architecture program as members of the various governance boards and committees and IT Architecture Domain Teams. They are responsible for reviewing and commenting on domain team recommendations, and contributing “showcase implementations” and architecture-related best practices. IC CIOs are responsible for ensuring their IC’s compliance with NIH Enterprise Architecture Policy and requirements.
IT Architecture Domain Teams and Collaborative Groups. Domain teams and collaborative groups are temporary working groups established to perform a specific objective. Though they share the same responsibilities, collaborative groups are more ad hoc in their formulation, are established more rapidly, and typically have a shorter lifespan than domain teams. Domain teams represent multiple NIH ICs and are selected as subject matter experts with hands on expertise working within specific technology domains. Collaborative groups are self assemble based on the interest of the members. Each domain team, or collaborative group, has a defined architectural focus (e.g., application integration, network infrastructure). Their primary roles and responsibilities are as follows:
- Update the NIH Enterprise Architecture on a revolving basis
- Represent the interest and requirements of the NIH ICs
- Conduct reviews of NIH’s baseline environment – internal and external
- Seek input from project teams and their steering committees
- Develop and evaluate technology options
- Make recommendations regarding products, methodologies, industry standards, based on the NIH mission and strategy
