Submitting a VA App Request

You must complete your Request in one session so read all of these instructions and prepare your responses before you begin.

The Request forms are JIRA Issue Collectors. Upon submission, the forms generate new Issues in the JIRA Request Intake system managed by VA's Web and Mobile Solutions (WMS) team. Your submission goes to WMS for screening.

Summarize Your Idea

When you submit a Request for your idea you enter a Summary on the Request form. If you have not done so already, draft the Summary before continuing.

1. Name the App.
2. Identify the job for which the App is a tool.
3. Identify the VA App's primary function.
4. Identify Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), if you know them.
5. Identify a Product Owner, if you know her or him. Some organizations refer to Product Owner as the Business Owner.
6. Identify Sustainment resources, if you or your organization can provide them.

Have a copy of the drafted Summary available when you enter your Request.

Gather Existing Documentation

If you have already begun developing an App outside the MAE, you may have already started creating documentation or are engaged in activities that satisfy equivalent activities in the Mobile App Project Management Accountability System (PMAS) workflow.

List the App's Functional Requirements

If you have not done so already, draft a list of the App's primary functional requirements. Answer the question, what jobs must the App perform for the target audience? Have the list available to paste into the Description text field during the Request session. If you have already authored a Business Requirements Document (BRD), paste the App's general requirements into the Description text field. Later in the form you can and attach the BRD document to the form.

Gather PMAS Artifacts and Design Documents

If you already authored PMAS Artifacts from either the ProPath software PMAS workflow or the ProPath Mobile App PMAS workflow, you can attach them to this Request form at the Attachments to Clarify Request item. For example:

• PMAS Artifacts from either the ProPath software PMAS workflow or the Mobile App PMAS workflow
• Sustainment Plan
• Wireframes, story boards or designs
• Preliminary Conformance reviews

Gather Pilot or Field Test Plans

If you have plans to conduct a field test before national release, be prepared to enter a plan summary in the If a pilot is anticipated, please describe field.

Choose a Request Form

Before you begin, choose which of the following options best describes your situation:

• If you do not have funding or resources to build an App, scroll down to the section labeled Have the VA Build an App.
• If you have already begun developing an App and want to make it an official VA App, choose Certify an App you have already built to carry the VA brand.
• If you have a contract or funds and have resources to build a VA App using the VA's mobile App processes and policies, choose Start building a VA-branded App for which you have funds and resources.

Fill Out the Request Submission Form

1. Read all of the instructions on this page before you begin. You must complete the form and submit it in one session or you will lose all of your work.
2. Go to public web site http://mobilehealth.va.gov/initiation.
3. Turn off your browser's pop-up blockers for this site.
4. Choose a request option:
   • If you do not have funding or resources to build an App, scroll down to the section labeled Have the VA Build an App.
   • If you have already begun developing an App and want to make it an official VA App, choose Certify an App you have already built to carry the VA brand.
   • If you have a contract or funds and have resources to build a mobile App using VA's App processes and policies, choose Start building a VA-branded App for which you have funds and resources.
5. Click Request. A pop-up window opens with the following fields. The following copy of the list of fields includes additional explanation, in parentheses:

Summary (Required) (Paste the Summary you prepared in the previous section.)

App Name: (Choose a name that is brief and explicit. Your Request Submission will use this name during processing, although there may be a need to change it later.)

App Description (Identify the the App's primary functional requirements. What jobs must it perform? If you have a BRD, paste the requirements items here.)

Type of App (Choose one or more of the following operating systems)

• iOS IDE
• HTML5
• Android
• Windows

Target Platform: (Choose one or more of the following devices)

• Phone
• Tablet
• Desktop
• Kiosk

Target Audience (Who will use the App? Choose one or more of the following audiences)

• Caregiver
• Nursing
• Provider
• Veteran
• Business Office
• Other

User Projection: (Estimate the number of users. This information is important in determining the network resources required to support the App.)

• None
• 1-99
• 100-999
• 1,000-9,999
• 10,000+

Interested in VA experts assisting in development of screens? (Story Boards or Wire Frames are important for introducing the App to the Compliance Review bodies, and may identify possible Compliance issues before development progresses to the Compliance Review stage. If you cannot prototype the App's screens, VA may be able to assist.)

• None
• Yes
• No

App will collect Veteran entered data:

• None
• Yes
• No

Type of data stored (Choose all of the data types the App will collect. VA reviews all Apps to verify its data collection functionality.)

• Config Information
• Scores
• Test
• PII (Private information)
• PHI (Private Health information)
• Other
• N/A (The App does not collect any data)

Describe where each type of data is stored (State the data entities of any collected data.)

If applicable, how is PII/PHI protected (Explain the safeguards the App employs to secure private and health data in the text field.)

Mobile App Classification (Your self-assessment of the App's potential risk. VA makes its own assessment at every stage in the App's development life cycle.)

• None
• 1 Very Low (Does not utilize VA resources)
• 2 Low (Read-only access to VA resources)
• 3 Medium (Write-only to VA resources)
• 4 High (Reads, writes, displays, or collects PII, PHI, or HIPAA Identifiers)

HIPAA Identifiers that may be entered, stored, displayed or collected by the App (Check All): (This is any user data, not just Veteran data. Check all that apply.)

• Name
• Email Address
• SSN or Medical Record Number
• Health Plan Beneficiary Number
• Telephone Number
• Fax Number
• IP Address (Internet Protocol)
• Certification or License Number
• Device Identifiers and Serial Numbers
• URL
• Account Numbers
• N/A

Does Mobile App pull data from a VA database? (Does the App connect to and retrieve any data from a VA database?)

• None
• Yes
• No
• N/A

App communication with external resources (Select any resource available to the device that the App may utilize. Choose N/A if it uses none of the options.)

• User Location
• User Contacts
• General Web non PHI
• PHI
• PII
• N/A

Describe data transfer process and how it is protected (If the App transmits data, describe the transmission system.)

System/Package in the VA the App is related to: (Select the categories related to the App.)

• None
• Health Data Systems
• Registration, Enrollment and Eligibility Systems
• Health Provider Services
• Management and Financial Services
• Common Services

Describe any similar mobile app development you are aware of taking place in the VA: (Enter related VA projects you know about or you found during Discovery.)

Documentation that exists for project (check all) (The following items are VA development documents or actions. If you have already begun developing a VA App, you may already have some or all of them. If so, by selecting them here, the Request form automatically indicates their availability in the Request record.)

• Business Requirements Document (BRD)/or equivalent: Requested
• Business Requirements Document (BRD)/or equivalent: Completed
• No BRD Required
• Business Sponsor Agreement Sent
• Business Sponsor Agreement Completed
• Concept Paper
• Software Design Document
• Database Design Document
• Test Scripts
• Sustainment Plan
• SQA Requested
• SQA Completed
• Customer Acceptance
• Not received

If you have checked either BRD completed or SQA completed, please remember to upload the document in the Attachment field below.

Is a pilot test anticipated? (A pilot here refers to the OI&T definition of a Field Test. Do you plan to test the App with a target audience, in a production environment before National Release? Select None if you don't know.)

• None
• yes
• no

If a pilot is anticipated, please describe. (Text Field)

Business Sponsor: (If your App will be associated with an organization, select it here. If it does not, VA assigns an approved Request to a program.)

• National Program Office
• Visn Medical Center
• Local Office
• Other

Business Sponsor Prog./VISN/Office (text field) Please enter the name of the Business Sponsor Office. (If you do not have a sponsor, VA assigns an approved Request to a VA App development program.)

Primary Contact Name (text field) Can be used when a Business Owner designates someone else as the primary contact. (If you leave this field blank, the name you enter in the Your Name field, below, becomes the primary contact.)

Primary Contact Phone

Primary Contact Email

Project Manager Name (If you do not have a Project Manager, leave this field blank. VA assigns a Project Manager to approved Requests.)

Project Manager Email (If you do not have a Project Manager, leave this field blank.)

IT Project Manager Name (If you do not have a IT Project Manager, leave this field blank.)

IT Project Manager Email (If you do not have a IT Project Manager, leave this field blank.)

Attachments to Clarify Request: (Attach any project Documentation you have already produced.)

Organization you work for:

• None
• VHA
• VBA
• NCA
• Other (If you work for VA but are not associated with the other choices.)

Your Name (Required)

Your Job Title

Your Phone Number

Your Email (Required)

Alternate Phone

Alternate Email

Click the Submit Button before the session ends or your work is permanently lost.

You can choose to cancel your Request submission by clicking the Close link.