For ASET approval or disapproval, the individual agencies are responsible for developing the business case for each project. The Project Investment Justification (PIJ) submission provides the agency with 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 wishes to address. To propose a technology solution that addresses an issue or need, any state agency business user can initiate a project request to their IT support group.

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 included with the submission for timely processing.

Upon submission of the PIJ, collaborative meetings may be held to discuss the approach and identify or address potential risks and issues to expedite approval of the IT project.  Failure to submit a PIJ when required constitutes a violation of statutes and may result in further action.

Request PIJ Portal Access

Before submitting a PIJ, please ensure you have the appropriate access to the PIJ portal.

For new users:

• Submit a request via the ServiceNow Customer portal.
• For new users without access to the ServiceNow ticketing system, contact your Engagement Manager.

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

• The proposed project has a measurable key performance indicator (KPI)

• At least 3 vendor quotes are obtained for due diligence

• Cloud Exception Form is submitted (on-premises requests only)

• Five-year equipment refresh plan (equipment purchases only)

• Identify maintenance and support options

• Verify the agency is or will be working with a procurement officer

Submit a PIJ

PIJ Process Preparation

Minimum Viable PIJ Submission

Agency Process for Measuring Project Success

Procurement Documentation Required for PIJ Approval

For a project to qualify as a PIJ-EZ, confirm that it is a refresh or expansion of existing equipment (excluding servers), or a renewal/addition of licenses with a version change already in use. There can be no professional or outside services tied to the project. Please reference the PIJ Process Preparation slide deck below to see what projects qualify as a PIJ-EZ.

Submit a PIJ-EZ

PIJ Process Preparation

Minimum Viable PIJ Submission

IT projects costing $1 million or those within a 10% contingency of that threshold or more are required to present at the Information Technology Authorization Committee (ITAC) for 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 approval from ADOA-ASET 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 criteria and to complete an analysis that can then be provided to ITAC and the Joint Legislative Budget Committee (JLBC) for further review and approval.

Preparing for ITAC Timeline

• ITAC-level projects and change requests must be submitted in the PIJ portal 30 days before the desired ITAC meeting attendance date, but ADOA-ASET recommends 40 days before the meeting to ensure sufficient preparation. The finalized presentation for ITAC must be submitted to the Oversight Analyst and Engagement Manager project teams no later than two weeks before the desired ITAC meeting attendance date.
• Agencies are required to follow the ITAC Timeline and be recommended to ITAC by ADOA-ASET for approval.
• The ITAC Presentation Templates and Calendar page contains up-to-date templates that ensure a consistent format for presentations given at public forums. Please utilize the templates when preparing your presentation.

ITAC Timeline

ITAC Presentation Templates and Calendar

Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V)

• IV&V is required for all technology projects with total costs exceeding $5 million, as mandated by statute 18-104.A.1.(g).

• This process involves hiring an IV&V Supplier to do an independent third-party review of the project's technology approach, scope, cost, timeline, and overall feasibility. See the IV&V Management page for more information.

A change request should be submitted in the PIJ portal if there is a 10% or more increase in the budget, a change in the implementation schedule, or a change in the scope. The agency must amend the PIJ to reflect the changes and submit it to ADOA-ASET, and ITAC if required, for review and approval before further expenditure of funds. 

This means the agency cannot spend funds or sign contracts for the proposed changes until they have received written approval from ITAC. ADOA-ASET will review the CR, ITAC presentation, and supporting documents to ensure the project meets the requirements.

ITAC CRs must be submitted at least 30 days before the meeting, but ADOA-ASET recommends 40 days to ensure sufficient preparation. See the ITAC Presentation Templates and Calendar for meeting schedules and timelines.

Submit a Change Request

Introduction to Change Request Process

​​​​​​Agency Change Request Process

Minimum Viable Submission Change Request

Status reports for approved PIJs, detailing the work completed in the 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 details of the activities, accomplishments, milestones, and/or risks or issues during the reporting period. The project summary is to be written in non-technical language and provide enough information that the Oversight Analyst understands what occurred on the project. Refer to the Agency Monthly Status & Closeout Report Process for more details.

Submit a Project Status Report

Agency Monthly Status & Closeout Report Process

The Project Status Report and Escalation for Agencies document outlines the escalation steps for missing status reports (due on the 15th of each month). Failure to submit a report promptly may affect the reported project's health or result in a compliance violation.

Project Status Report and Escalation for Agencies

• Refer to A.R.S. § 18-121, A.R.S. § 18-104, and Administrative Code R2-18-101.
• Review the ASET Policies, Standards and Procedures page section 3400 Project Investment Justification for relevant policy information.
• Contact the ASET-SPR (ASET Security, Privacy, and Risk) team at [email protected] for assistance with the new Security Controls section or required attachments.
• Contact the Strategic Oversight team by email at [email protected].

ADOA-ASET stands ready to assist and looks forward to working with your agency.