IRS releases RFP for business rules management system

The IRS has released a request for proposals to acquire software, maintenance, and technical support and training to implement a business rules management environment as part of its systems modernization.

A business rules system is designed to capture the knowledge of all the guidelines, policies and regulations that drive a business. For example, the IRS is considering using a business rules engine to apply thousands of business rules to process tax returns in the Customer Account Data Engine, which will replace the agency's 1960s-era, tape-based Master File.

The proposed indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract will be for a one-year base and five one-year options. The work will be performed at the IRS offices in New Carrollton, Md.

The IRS will need, among other services, administration, API/interface, architecture, business process modeling, metadata integration, modeling and analysis, reporting, security and usability and workflow, for an enterprisewide business rules environment.

A business rules management approach will allow the IRS to more quickly and efficiently make changes to their information systems at the business rule level to comply with policy and tax code changes. The business rules environment will provide:

• Governance policies and business processes to manage and secure business rules


• Methodologies to discover, structure, analyze and deploy business rules into the IRS' application portfolio and


• Applications that support governance and methodologies and are used to store, secure and disseminate business rules throughout the IRS.