Consulting and Project Office

The Consulting and Project Office provides support and assistance in the acquisition of technology systems to members of the Northwestern community.

Acquisitions may include server-based software, and technology-related consulting and development efforts where the new systems are designed to comply with data exchange, data security, supportable technology, and other NU systems, policies and/or initiatives.

Specifically, the Office provides assistance in:

• Formal project planning and RFP generation (NUIT Project Planning Protocol) (PDF)
• Contract review, together with the Office of General Counsel
• Preparation for data exchange and sharing protocol review (Contract Language for the Secure Handling of Sensitive Data)

Project Planning Protocol

NUIT's Project Planning Protocol (PDF) was created to help manage these processes and guide departments from acquisition through to successful implementation. The protocol includes:

Needs Analysis

Usually the most important step in project planning, effective needs analysis focuses first on functional needs and then turns to the technical tools used to fulfill requirements. The Consulting and Project Office assists in uncovering and documenting institutional, departmental, and individual user needs.

Request for Proposal Creation

Proposed acquisitions should go though a Request for Proposal (RFP) process. The Consulting and Project Office assists in the creation of all necessary documents, including identifying essential measures, whether it is a "buy" or "build," and the layout of the process.

Vendor Selection

Prospective vendors must meet appropriate criteria to qualify for consideration. The Consulting and Project Office assists this process through selection committees and stakeholder acceptance.

Project Planning

The success of the process lies in the day-to-day management of the project. The Consulting and Project Office assists in organizing all resources, milestones, reviews, and the acceptance process.

Contract Management

Vendors typically have standard contracts for their projects. The Consulting and Project Office reviews these agreements with the General Counsel at the University and negotiates an optimal agreement with the vendor. If multiple departments seek the same product or service, this can be leveraged accordingly.

Execution

As the contract is reviewed and executed, the Consulting and Project Office can assist in documenting the decision process and review your implementation plan for key steps and important milestones. With this done, the project is formally "handed-off" as complete.

Per University policy, please contact the Consulting and Project Office to participate in the acquisition of software at Northwestern University.