The NIH Software Program will involve three interrelated components: Software Asset Management, Procurement and Governance, and Distribution.
The Program will structure the functions involved in the software lifecycle (budget and finance, enterprise architecture, security, contracting, IT infrastructure, asset managers, and users) into a collaborative body that efficiently works toward the end goal of acquiring and distributing COTS software that is secure and meets business needs at the least possible cost. The initiative’s goal is to implement and staff processes to manage software assets throughout the entire lifecycle, from ordering, purchasing, and renewals to distribution and retirement of software through the following activities:
Software Asset Management: NIH will acquire external subject matter expertise from the Contractor (responding this the Request for Proposal and awarded the subsequent contract) to implement tools and processes that will collect detailed knowledge of NIH software. The data will then be used to develop recommendations for a variety of business decisions related to software. The Contractor will assist government decision makers with recommendations regarding NIH usage, license negotiation, costs, allocation/re-allocation, and technical architecture. The data collected by the Contractor will be passed onto the Procurement and Governance component (external to the Contractor but part of OCIO and CIT) so that contracting officers can negotiate better pricing, which will have the most impact on the balance sheets of those who purchase commonly-used and high cost software.
Procurement and Governance: Software acquisition officials will work with the Contractor which has the business acumen and market knowledge to assist in strategizing an NIH position with regard to license and cost negotiations with vendors…
The Contractor is an integral part of the overall Program, but the Contractor’s scope of work will be within the Software Asset Management component of the overall Software Program.
