About Us
The Strategic Oversight team works with an assigned Automated Project Fund (APF) Financial Analyst and the ADOA-ASET Engagement Managers (EMs) to help agencies, boards, and commissions to successfully submit a Project Investment Justification (PIJ) for approval. The team also works with all agencies, boards, and commissions in order to advance IT planning and help ensure the success of information technology (IT) projects across the State.
We recommend that the agency contact its assigned EM prior to PIJ submissions. The EM can answer questions and will include an Oversight Analyst to help move the PIJ forward in the right direction. To see the assigned Engagement Manager list click on the Resources Tab.
The Oversight team can provide support in the following areas:
- Project Oversight - To provide advice and guidance as needed during the course of an IT project, ensuring a successful outcome of IT projects costing $25K or more.
Contact the Strategic Oversight team for more information and support.
Project Investment Justification (PIJ)
Before submitting a PIJ, please ensure that you have the appropriate access to the PIJ Portal. For New Users, request access via the ServiceNow Customer portal. Click on ASET Service Desk and select General Request. Please include the following information:
- Subject - PIJ Portal Access Request
- Agency
- First and last name
- Title
- Phone number
If you do not have access to the ServiceNow ticketing system, please contact your Engagement Manager.
Prior to submitting a PIJ, the agency should set clear expectations for the project, complete any necessary discovery phases, and determine the requirements needed to achieve the project goal(s).
Agency Pre-PIJ Checklist
- Project Information (SOW, Business Requirements, Project Plan, etc.)
- Determine if the proposed solution addresses the stated problem or situation
- Confirm the budget unit is sufficient to carry out the project successfully
- Confirm all internal approvals
- The proposed project is included in the IT Strategic Plan and aligns with the budget
- At least 3 vendor quotes are obtained for due diligence
- Cloud Exception Form is submitted (on-premise requests only)
- Five-Year equipment refresh plan (equipment purchases only)
- Identify Maintenance and Support options
- Verify agency is working with a procurement officer or is getting assigned
ADOA-ASET provides an SLA of 12 business days for the standard PIJ Review Process completion. For in-depth information on requirements, please reference The Arizona Administrative Code.
Submitting a PIJ
For ASET approval or disapproval, the individual agencies are responsible for developing the business case for each of their projects. The Project Investment Justification (PIJ) submission provides the agency a standardized method to report new or enhanced IT projects and investments. The submission is structured to report meaningful business and technical requirements, value to the public, costs, scope, risks, and information on the agency’s management and technical skills.
IT projects for the State of Arizona begin with a business need or operational issue that an agency would like to address. To propose a technology solution to address that issue or need, any state agency business user can initiate a Project Request to their IT support group online at any time.
We recommend that you reach out to your assigned Engagement Manager (EM) prior to a PIJ submission.
The Oversight team and the assigned EM will work together to ensure that your PIJ contains the relevant information and that any required documentation is attached prior to the submission in order to be processed in a timely manner.
Once the PIJ is submitted, collaborative meetings may be held to discuss the approach and identify or address potential risks and issues to expedite approval of the IT project.
Submitting a PIJ-EZ
For a project to qualify as a PIJ-EZ, confirm that it is a refresh of existing equipment (excluding servers), or a renewal/addition of licenses already in use. There can be no professional or outside services tied to the project. To see what projects qualify as a PIJ-EZ, please reference the slide deck “Understanding Your PIJ”.
Change Request
A change request should be filed in the PIJ portal if there is a 10% or more increase. Should there be significant changes to the proposed technology scope of work, budget, or implementation schedule, the agency must amend the PIJ to reflect the changes and submit it to ADOA-ASET, and ITAC if required, for review and approval prior to further expenditure of funds.
Submitting a Status Report
Status Reports for approved PIJs, detailing the work completed in a month, are due by the 15th of each following month and can be submitted by logging into the PIJ portal. Each monthly report should contain a thorough description of the activities, accomplishments, milestones, and/or risks or issues that occurred during the reporting period. The project summary is written in non-technical language and provides enough information that the reader knows what occurred on the project. Refer to the Agency Monthly Status & Closeout Report Process for more details.
Non-Submittal Project Status Report Escalation
The Project Status Report Escalation document outlines the escalation steps for missing status reports (due on the 15th of each month). Failure to submit a report in a timely manner could affect the reported project's health.
Preparing for Information Technology Authorization Committee (ITAC)
IT projects costing $1 million or more, or requiring the use of Automation Projects Fund (APF) monies, will need to go in front of the Information Technology Authorization Committee (ITAC) for approval. If an IT project requires Department or ITAC approval, under Administrative Code R2-18-101, a budget unit shall not commit or spend funds on the project and shall not enter into a project-specific contract or vendor agreement until the budget unit receives written Department or ITAC approval or unless the contract or vendor agreement is contingent upon receipt of such approval.
ADOA-ASET will review the PIJ, the presentation to ITAC, and all necessary supporting documentation to ensure the project meets all necessary criteria and to complete an analysis of the project that can then be provided to ITAC and JLBC for further review.
ITAC Preparation Timeline
ITAC-level projects, and change requests, must be submitted in the PIJ Portal 30 days before the desired ITAC meeting attendance date. The finalized presentation for ITAC must be submitted to the Oversight Analyst and Engagement Manager project team no later than two weeks before the desired ITAC meeting attendance date.
Agencies are required to follow the ITAC Timeline in order for a project to be approved for presentation during an ITAC meeting.
More Information
- PIJ Process Preparation
- Completing a PIJ Submission (COMING SOON)
- Agency Process for Measuring Project Success (KPI)
Please refer to the documentation to address any of the topics listed below:
- Do You Need a PIJ?
- Setting Clear Expectations
- PIJ-EZ vs Full PIJ
- Planning Your PIJ Submission
- Reviewing Your PIJ Information
- Final Check to Minimize Delays
- What Happens After a PIJ is Approved
- Contact Us
Additional Information Regarding Statutes Related to the PIJ and PIJ Process
Administrative Code R2-18-101 et al. and at A.R.S. § 18-121 and A.R.S. § 18-104. Assistance and training can be arranged through the Contact Us page, or you can reach the team by email at [email protected]. In addition to the available resources and policy information, assistance with the new Security Controls section or required attachments can be arranged by contacting the ADOA-ASET Security, Privacy, and Risk team (ASET-SPR) team at [email protected]. ADOA-ASET stands ready to assist and looks forward to working with you.