A WIC state agency may obtain funding for information systems development and operations from a variety of sources - governmental (federal, state and local) and nongovernmental. The majority of funding comes from the federal government. FNS grant monies for WIC state agency automation efforts are awarded on an annual basis. These may also be combined with state and local monies to fund information system related acquisitions that will support the overall goal of reaching more participants and providing quality service for the WIC program. Functions recognized to improve quality of service through automation are discussed in detail in the WIC Functional Requirements Document (FReD). State agencies are encouraged to use this as a guidance when planning information systems.
WIC is giving priority to the State Agency Model (SAM) systems development and adoption by other states. For additional information on the SAM projects, please visit the SAM document library or the Document Library.
Prior Approval Requirements
Regardless of the source of funding, WIC state agencies shall obtain prior written approval from FNS for information systems acquisitions with a total project cost of $100,000 or greater. The information required varies depending upon the total project cost.
- For acquisitions less than $5,000, no prior approval is required.
- Information systems purchases above $5,000 and less than $99,999 require the state agency to provide written notification to their cognizant FNS regional office within 60 days of the expenditure or contract execution.
- Prior approval from FNS must be obtained for hardware, software, and/or services with a cost between $100,000 and $999,999 by submitting documentation citing the description of needs, budget, procurement method, and cost allocation proposal (if applicable).
- Any acquisition with an anticipated cost for hardware, software, and/or services equal to or greater than $1,000,000 requires the submission of Planning APD or Implementation APD.
- As-Needed APDs are required to be submitted for prior approval when MIS project costs increase by more than $250,000 or 10% (whichever is less) or the project schedules changes by more than 120 days or more.
Specific prior approval thresholds apply for APD documents including Planning and Implementation APDs, Request for Proposals, Contracts.
Additional Resources
- FNS Handbook 901
- WIC MIS and EBT Process Memo
- WIC MIS Integrity Review Guide - used by regional office staff to conduct the review by obtaining information prior to and during the on-site review.
- WIC MIS Support Vendors and EBT Processor Vendors