National Information Exchange Model (NIEM)
NIEM – the National Information Exchange Model – is a community-driven, government-wide, standards-based approach to exchanging information. Today's challenges and opportunities cut across various sectors and organizations, often requiring collaboration between governments and industry. NIEM ensures that information is well-understood and carries the same consistent meaning across various communities, allowing interoperability to occur. NIEM brings together diverse communities that collectively leverage tools, processes, and technologies to increase efficiencies and improve decision-making.
NIEM Human Services Domain
The NIEM Human Services (HS) domain was officially established by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and recognized by the NIEM Executive Steering Council in March 2012. Effective information sharing is critical to the success of a coordinated HS system. The NIEM HS domain supports information sharing and promotes interoperability between and across social service providers at the federal, state, local, and tribal levels. Standardized data and information exchanges help fulfill these human services goals: improved service delivery for clients; reduced errors and improved program integrity; and improved administrative efficiency. The NIEM HS domain leverages the NIEM tools and processes which serve as reusable resources for new exchange development efforts so that content can be modeled in an agile and interoperable manner. Presently, the Administration of Children and Families (ACF) of DHHS serves as the NIEM HS Domain Steward.
NIEM Human Services Domain Charter
The NIEM Human Services Domain Charter is a brief document that summaries the essential information for a project team, including: NIEM overview; ACF role as the NIEM HS Domain Steward; NIEM HS domain purpose, functions, goals, and expected outcomes; NIEM HS domain governance; NIEM HS domain performance measure. The objective of the charter is to assist ACF and the human services field in the operations of the domain.
NIEM Human Services Domain Operations and Maintenance Plan
The NIEM Human Services Domain Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Plan describes the processes and procedures for managing and executing domain activities. Additionally, the plan addresses the infrastructure and tools that are used to support these activities. The intended audience for this document is the NIEM HS domain’s stakeholders and governance groups as defined in the NIEM Human Services Domain Charter. The potential audience includes program managers and government sponsors from human services agencies, as well as any participants wanting to leverage the NIEM HS Domain. The O&M plan should be referenced alongside the charter.
NIEM Human Services Domain Process Document
The NIEM Human Services Domain Process Document provides a compendium of requirements, processes, and best practices in the development and maintenance of NIEM-compliant content for Human Services data exchanges. The objectives of the document are to provide the Human Services community with a single, standardized methodology for NIEM-related activities. This document leverages processes and requirements already in place in the NIEM community, as created by the NIEM Project Management Office, including the NIEM Business Architecture Committee (NBAC) and the NIEM Technical Architecture Committee (NTAC). It also establishes additional practices specifically for the Human Services Domain.
Human Services Domain Data Harmonization Procedures
The Human Services Data Harmonization Procedures is a document that details the process to standardize the attributes of data elements selected for use in HS Domain for inclusion in the Data Standards Registry (DSR). Standardizing data elements reduces ambiguity and provides consistency. Data harmonization is the first step in the process of developing data standards. The data harmonization process begins by taking an inventory of all current data assets within the Human Services community and prepares the data elements to be administered.
Human Services Domain Data Element Naming Conventions and Controlled Vocabulary
The Human Services Domain Data Element Naming Conventions and Controlled Vocabulary detail the process of creating standardized data element names and definitions for use in HS Domain and for inclusion in the Data Standards Registry (DSR). Standardizing data element names and definitions reduces ambiguity and provides context for reuse of data elements. The Data Element Naming Conventions and Controlled Vocabulary is a guide for subject matter experts (SMEs) during the naming process of new data elements for data exchanges.
Human Services Domain Data Definition Guidelines
The Human Services Domain Data Definition Guidelines establishes a set of guidelines for creating data definitions for data elements within the HS Domain. Establishing these guidelines supports the HS Domain strategic plan for timely and accurate data exchanges. Data definitions define data elements in a non-technical way that is clear to both technical and business users. A good data definition indicates the purpose of the data element and when or where it is used. Well-defined data has a positive impact on organizations productivity, development costs and data quality.
NIEM Information Exchange Package Documentation for Human Services
Sharing data within the HS community is crucial to the success of their programs. There are numerous opportunities to share data: from eligibility, to payments, to program performance. To begin exchanging information, information exchange partners must first develop a data exchange. An Information Exchange Package Documentation (IEPD) is the final product of the NIEM data exchange development process, also known as the IEPD lifecycle. Both business and technical artifacts that define the information exchange taking place between the partners are to be included in an IEPD. Go to the HS domain IEPD repository to learn more.
Completed IEPDs
In-Process IEPDs
For more information, contact the ACF interoperability team at interoperability@acf.hhs.gov.