The NIH standards development process is an activity of the NIH enterprise architecture program that is organized and managed on behalf of the NIH community by the
Office of the Chief Information Technology Architect (OCITA). The governing document for the standards process is
NIHRFC0001 “Architecture Standards Process”, which is summarized in the following sections:
Background and Definition of a Standard
Process Goals and Intent
Standards Documentation
Domain Team Findings
Initiation of Action for Standards Sub-series NIHRFCs
Typical Standards Review and Approval Schedule
Publication
Process Models
Background and Definition of a Standard
The standards process guides the development of the enterprise architecture in the consensus driven environment that is NIH. In general, an NIH standard is a specification that is:
- Stable and well-understood,
- Technically competent,
- Recognizably useful in some or all parts of NIH, or is either
- Required for integration within NIH or between NIH and its partners or grounded in documented, generally accepted industry or government wide best practices or standards.
A specification is a written description that describes a system, system component, approach, or protocol. NIH architecture standards are necessary for the inter-working, portability, and reusability of NIH information systems and systems components across the enterprise. These types of specifications are written and communicated to the NIH community and adopted via the formal review process described in this document.
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Process Goals and Intent
The goals of the NIH standards process are:
- Technical excellence
- Adoption of proven technology in the NIH environment
- Clear, concise, and easily understood documentation
- Openness and fairness
- Timeliness
- NIH-wide distribution and use
These procedures are intended to provide a fair, open, and objective basis for developing, evaluating, and adopting NIH enterprise architecture standards. At each stage of the standardization process, a specification is repeatedly discussed and its merits debated in open meetings and via discussion groups on the NIH Portal in the NIH Enterprise Architecture Community.
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Standards Documentation
There are two, primary documentation sources for architecture standards at NIH. First, domain teams, which are assembled by OCITA and comprised of IC representatives, collaborate to develop and publish architecture artifacts. These artifacts include principles, patterns, bricks, and Information Architecture standards for Applications, Data, and Integration. These artifacts are the core of the NIH Enterprise Architecture.
Although the domain teams deliver their findings in a report format, the authoritative source for approved architecture artifacts is http://enterprisearchitecture.nih.gov/. Draft documents are posted to the NIH Enterprise Architecture Community.
The second source is the NIH Requests for Comments (NIHRFC) series. OCITA has initiated the NIHRFC series to serve as a collaborative process to which any NIH stakeholder may contribute. Stakeholders may include individuals, groups, and organizations. Contributions may be unsolicited.
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Domain Team Findings
Enterprise architecture domain teams are convened by the Chief IT Architect to develop standards and guidelines for IT at NIH. The work of the teams is consensus-based. They produce reports that include recommended IT principles and standards.
Because all ICs are invited to participate in the domain team process, it is assumed the ICs have delegated decision-making authority to their respective representatives. Therefore, it is assumed that the teams’ recommendations have been vetted by the ICs.
However, OCITA will announce via the NIH Enterprise Architecture Listserv and the NIH Portal when the domain teams’ recommendations are published. Thereafter, all stakeholders, including the ICs, will have an opportunity to review and comment on the domain teams’ recommendations prior to the Architecture Review Board's (ARB) consideration of the teams’ recommendations and adoption as standards.
The IT Management Committee's Enterprise Architecture Subcommittee (ITMC-EA) reviews the domain team reports, develops comments, and recommendations on the disposition of the teams’ findings, and forwards the reports with their recommendations and findings to the ARB. The ARB is the approval authority for the architecture recommendations contained in the reports. The IT Working Group (ITWG) is the final authority on disputed recommendations from the domain teams’ findings and recommendations.
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Initiation of Action for Standards Sub-series NIHRFCs
A specification that is intended to be documented in standards sub-series NIHRFC must be posted in the NIH Enterprise Architecture community on the NIH Portal. An NFRC author must submit it in the format described by the NIHRFC Template (NIHRFC0009) .
The NIHRFC shall be subject to review by the community for no less than ten business days. After this time period has elapsed, the Chief Architect will initiate one of the following actions:
1. Return the NIHRFC to the author for additional information, clarification, or significant formatting, grammar, or style revisions.
2. Refer the NIHRFC to a domain team or ad hoc working group.
3. Extend the review period.
4. Forward the NIHRFC to the ARB for consideration.
If the NIHRFC requires review by a domain team or ad hoc working group, the respective team must make a recommendation to the ARB on the disposition of the NIHRFC.
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Typical Standards Review and Approval Schedule
Regardless of the duration of the review period for the NIHRFC, OCITA shall provide a five business day advance notice of the expiration of the review period. As an example, a document is posted to the NIH portal, and OCITA announces the beginning of the review period. Five business days later, OCITA announces that there are five days remaining in the review period. At the conclusion of the minimum ten business days, OCITA may close the review period, and the NIHRFC author may incorporate recommendations into the final NIHRFC. Thereafter, the NIHRFC author or OCITA may request the ITMC-EA and the ARB consider the NIHRFC for adoption as a standard.
The ITMC-EA may make a recommendation to the ARB. However, the ARB is the decision authority for a standard or specification.
The ITMC-EA and the ARB may consider all pending standards sub-series NIHRFCs during the regular course of business as outlined in these bodies’ governing charters.
The NIHRFC author or a delegated representative shall be prepared to brief the ARB or other architecture governing bodies that are considering a proposed standard. Briefing topics might include but are not limited to the justification of a proposed standard, supporting decision analysis, and any unresolved conflicts.
Regardless of whether or not the governing body requires the author to brief, a document supplement must be included describing any applicable decision analysis and the status of unresolved conflicts.
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Publication
If a standards action is approved, notification is sent to the OCITA and copied to the ARB and ITMC with instructions to publish the specification as an NIHRFC. OCITA will maintain a minimum biweekly status report on the NIH Portal, describing the disposition of pending and approved NIHRFCs. The enterprise architecture website http://enterprisearchitecture.nih.gov/ is the authoritative source for approved NIHRFCs.
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Process Models
Select the process model you'd like to review. If you are using the GIF image format, use your browser's zoom feature or Automatic Image Resizing with Internet Explorer 6® to view the model in its original size.
- Create a Standard: GIF | PDF
- Retire a Standard: GIF | PDF
- Obsolete a Standard: GIF | PDF
- Conflict Resolution and Appeals: GIF | PDF
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