The NIH Design Policy and Guidelines provides minimum quality standards that are performance oriented to the greatest extent possible to obtain a desired result. Prescriptive limitations, when given, such as exact dimensions or quantities, describe a condition that is commonly recognized as a practical standard or NIH requirement for effective operation. The provisions of this manual are not intended to prohibit the use of alternative systems, methods, or devices that are not specifically outlined in the document, providing that the
proposed alternative design is at least equivalent or superior to the requirements in this manual with regard to such items as quality, strength, durability, effectiveness, fire resistance, health and safety, and so on, and is approved by the DPPA.

During the course of programming and design development, it may become necessary for Project Officers and A/E to request variances from the established minimum standards. These variances may be necessary to accommodate existing building constraints or site conditions, required technology, or the Program of Requirements. Requests for variances shall be submitted by the A/E through the Project Officer following these specific procedures:

• All requested variances within a single discipline shall be submitted as a single package at the same time (e.g., all mechanical in one package; all electrical in one package; etc.). This ensures that all variations to the guidelines can be reviewed at one time to preclude conflicts in guidance.
  
• Packages requesting variances that meet the prescribed criteria will be considered for review by the DPPA. If the submittal is incomplete, or requires resubmission, additional time may be required for the review. The Project Officer will provide the A/E with the requirements necessary for submittal.
  
• Following submittal of a complete package by the Project Officer to the DPPA, the review will take a minimum of 10 working days. Additional time may be necessary depending on the complexity of the request, coordination with other requests, or resubmittal due to incomplete documentation. This timeframe must be considered by the A/E team when developing the overall project development schedule.
  
• All variances shall be submitted before the completion of the design development stage
  (35 percent) for a project.

Variance Request Forms are available in the Appendix.