Enterprise Architecture and Technology Investments

The Enterprise Architecture (EA) team within the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) oversees the Technology Investment Evaluation (TIE) process which is comprised of Technology Investment Notifications (TIN) and Cloud Investment Notifications (CIN). TIEs are an important part of the OCIO’s mission to develop a comprehensive statewide technology strategy and architecture. The goal of this webpage is to outline TIE submission requirements and to clarify the respective authorities involved. OCIO has the mandate to maintain a technology portfolio and is responsible for reviewing all Executive Branch Agency information system investments with an estimated value of $50,000 or more. The OCIO is also concerned with cloud investments valued at less than $50,000 that are not captured in the State’s portfolio through the TIN process. These cloud investments must be reported to OCIO through the CIN online form. Occasionally, there is confusion about when to submit a TIN or a CIN.

TIN vs CIN Submission

Note: a CIN is not needed if the investment is over $50k and a TIN was submitted.

References and Related Policies

• Nevada Revised Statutes 242.171(2): Responsibilities of Division, review of proposed applications of information systems
• State Administrative Manual 1618: Technology Investments

Technology Investment Notification (TIN)

Any executive branch agency planning to invest in a project that involves an IT component valued at $50,000 or more must submit the investment for OCIO review, regardless of the funding source. The online TIN 2.0 application is the primary tool used by these agencies to notify the OCIO of such technology investments. IT cloud investments with an estimated value of less than $50,000 should be reported to OCIO via the CIN process.

Additionally, TINs may be submitted to OCIO at any time during the biennium as part of the biennial budget process. Information technology investments include, but are not limited to, any new systems or applications, vendor-supported information technology services, and any maintenance of or enhancements to existing systems or applications.

TIN Updates - A TIN update is mandatory when there is a change in investment cost or scope by more than +/- 5%, a change in the contracted vendor or service name, or a change in the contract or service duration.

TIN Reviews - The purpose of the review is to create a statewide technology portfolio, identify potential economies of scale, and to avoid unnecessary proliferation of equipment and personnel. The review process is managed by the TIN Administrator within the Enterprise Architecture group. Upon review completion, the TIN Administrator will issue a TIN Completion Memo. Reviews are normally completed within two to four weeks, although times may vary depending on workload. Any changes to the expected review period will be communicated on the TIN Submitters Teams channel.

TIN Completion Memos - A TIN Completion Memo serves as evidence that OCIO has evaluated the investment and includes supporting comments and/or precautions regarding the investment. Memos should be attached to Purchasing or Governor’s Finance Office (GFO) submissions as required.

• • TIN Completion memos must be attached in the Contract Entry and Tracking system (CETS) when preparing submissions for BOE with an aggregated value of $50,000 or more.
• When submitting an RFP for a technology solution, a TIN Completion Memo may be required and should be submitted concurrently with the proposal.

Exceptions and Other Issues

• Certain services offered through the OCIO Service Catalog, such as the Business Productivity Suite and server hosting, do not require a TIN. However, agency equipment purchases, application development contracts, etc., require a TIN, even if hosted on OCIO servers, to assist OCIO in accurately maintaining the statewide portfolio.
• OCIO’s Computing Services and Network Services units are exempted from TIN submission requirements for ongoing contract services, as OCIO is already aware of its own technology investments.
• • Investment notifications previously submitted using deprecated systems must be resubmitted as new TINs using the TIN 2.0 application when an update is needed or to support a current purchase.
• Exemptions issued under the TIRs system are no longer valid, as OCIO does not allow or issue exemptions from TIN/CIN requirements.

• CETS contract approval:
• Contracts valued at less than $50,000 will be approved automatically by OCIO.
• Contracts valued at over $50,000 will be reviewed for an appropriate TIN Completion Memo attachment under the “Addl. Info.” tab.
  • The TIN Completion Memo must represent the investment described in CETS.
  • The TIN Completion Memo must reflect a cost amount that is within 5% of the CETS contract value.

Cloud Investment Notification (CIN)

The CIN is a short online questionnaire to capture key information about cloud-based technology initiatives that do not meet the TIN requirements. Executive branch agencies purchasing or renewing any cloud-based solution valued at less than $50,000 must submit a CIN to OCIO before the purchase.

OCIO needs visibility into cloud-based services for effective resource planning and to ensure that state security standards are being upheld.

A CIN questionnaire should take less than five minutes to complete and submit, and it does not require an OCIO review.