At the direction of the Chief of Naval Operations, and in coordination with the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASN RD&A), the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Dominance released a naval message in November, NAVADMIN 346/11, "Information Technology Procurement Approval and Oversight," to inject increased rigor into the Navy's objective to reduce IT costs and enhance operational efficiencies.
To achieve clarity, visibility and discipline in IT spending and procurement across the Navy, the existing approval process requires modification. The current process will be consolidated in a single Navy command under the centralized management of the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR).
The process modification will ensure effective and efficient expenditure of funding to acquire information technology capabilities (materiel classified as hardware, software or services); prevent duplicative investments; provide visibility on all Navy IT-related expenditures; and ultimately achieve strategic sourcing on IT procurement.
As defined in the Clinger-Cohen Act of 1996, IT encompasses any equipment, interconnected system, subsystem, service (including support service) or related resource used to access, retrieve, transport, process, analyze, and/or display non-tactical, business-related, or business process-related data or information. This includes all afloat and ashore IT, including hull, mechanical, and electrical systems (HM&E). This definition excludes weapon systems, but includes IT which supports weapon system program management and oversight.
Other items excluded from this definition are IT resources that are physically part of, and essential in real time to the mission performance of a weapons or command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (C4ISR) system. IT assets are shown in Figure 1.
Requirements
The revised policy applies to the IT procurement activities of all Navy commands and organizations, ashore and afloat, unless otherwise excepted by the provisions of the NAVADMIN: all IT procurement requests for non-weapon or non-C4ISR system related IT materiel and IT support services, regardless of whether the funding is reported in the IT budget, resourced with Navy appropriated and/or non-appropriated funds, must be processed, reviewed and approved using an information technology procurement request (ITPR) smart form. ITPRs less than $500,000 will be approved by the Echelon II command information officer (CIO). ITPRs for more than $500,000 will be forwarded by the requesting Echelon II to SPAWAR for approval.
All requests for IT, regardless of dollar amount, will be entered into an ITPR smart form and documented prior to purchase. Procurement actions for IT may not be initiated prior to ITPR approval in accordance with the NAVADMIN. ITPR smart forms with instructions will be made available by the DON Deputy Chief Information Officer – Navy (DDCIO-N) to all Echelon II CIOs for distribution to their respective Echelon III and IV users.
The ITPR smart form will be completed by requesting commands and then forwarded via email to their respective Echelon II CIO for processing.
All requests below $500,000 may be approved by the Echelon II CIO and documented. Echelon II CIOs must forward approved requests to SPAWAR for tracking within five (5) working days of granting approval. All requests greater than $500,000 will flow to SPAWAR for approval.
Requests for software must be submitted to the Echelon II CIO for approval by the appropriate functional area lead prior to procurement approval.
Requests for IT support services must include (attached to the ITPR smart form) a copy of the contract statement of work and any other supporting documentation for the services to be provided. The documentation must clearly define all IT-related tasks to in