Codification requirements
All equipment, procured through contracts issued by the NZDF or Ministry of Defence, is required to be codified before being accepted from the vendor. This specifically applies to Items of Supply being purchased for inventory rather than as a Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) product for local or immediate consumption.
Accordingly, all contracts for such equipment will contain a standardised codification clause. This mandatory clause identifies the requirement for the provision of information and technical specifications necessary to be delivered to the appropriate codification bureau before the actual items of equipment are receipted by the NZDF and payment made.
CODIFICATION CONTRACT CLAUSE - CODIFICATION REQUIREMENTS OVERVIEW
1 Purpose
1.1 The purpose of this document is to explain the NATO Codification System (NCS), the New Zealand Defence Force’s (NZDF’s) requirement for codification and detail the responsibilities of vendors who supply goods to NZDF.
2 Definitions
2.1 In this document:
a. Codification Purposes: means the application of unique identification and classification of Items of Supply, using a common supply language. This information is recorded in sufficient detail to distinguish uniquely Items of Supply from other Items using NATO Stock Numbers (NSN). These are used to enable maximum effectiveness in national and international logistic support and data management in the area of materiel supply and inventory management throughout the life of the item by the NZDF.
b. Codification Authority: Means the National Codification Bureau (NCB) or Authorised Agency for Codification located in the country of manufacture of the Item(s). If the supplier is located in a NATO country or in an sponsored Tier 2 country the “Codification Authority” will be the National Codification Bureau or Authorised Agency of the country where the manufacturer is located. If the supplier is not located in a NATO country or in an sponsored Tier 2 country the “Codification Authority” will be the National Codification Bureau or Authorised Agency of the country where the “Contracting Authority” is located.The Codification Authority for New Zealand means the New Zealand National Codification Bureau (NZNCB), unless otherwise stated.
c. Contracting Authority: means the procurement department of either a participating country (i.e. in New Zealand it would be the Defence Force Contracts or Procurement groups or the New Zealand MOD) or NATO.
d. Design Control Authority (DCA): Means the individual, company, firm, corporation, designing authority or government department, which controls the design, characteristics and production of an Item by means of its engineering drawings.
e. Item: means the part or the whole of any item as defined in the NZDF contract or any other item to the same design or any modification of it.
f. Item Identification: means the minimum information required to uniquely identify the Item of Supply derived from information supplied in response to this document.
g. Item of Supply: Means an Item, or where two or more Items are attached or assembled together, the minimum assembly of Items listed in the DCA's Master Parts List or required to be delivered to the NZDF under the contract.
h. Technical Data: Means the engineering drawings, standards, specification and/or technical documentation required to fully identify the items designated by the Contracting Authority to support the Item covered by the NZDF contract.
3 NATO Codification System
3.1 The NCS, in conjunction with the NZDF supply and finance system, is designed to provide a common materials management language nationally within and between NZDF and associated Government Departments, and internationally between New Zealand and all other participants within the NCS.
3.2 The purpose of Codification is to catalogue Items Of Supply, in order to distinguish them from similar items available. However, the cataloguing information is not normally a full technical specification and definition that could be used for manufacture of alternative items.
3.3 The principle aims of the NCS are:
a. The establishment of a common logistics system to ensure that each unique item is correctly characterised and assigned a unique NATO Stock Number (NSN) for each Item of Supply available to all users, military and civilian, of the NCS.
b. The avoidance of duplication, by maintenance of a database of descriptive information with respect to each Item of Supply. Before new NSNs are assigned, details of all proposed new Items of Supply are screened against the Codification database in order to identify which items are already in service, have already been given NSNs and thus exist in the NZDF inventory.
3.4 The NCS names, classifies, identifies, describes and assigns numbers to Items of Supply for use by participating nations and agencies.
3.5 The NZDF’s supply and finance system requires each Item to be assigned an NSN before that Item can be accepted into service and paid for. For this reason, codification is essential prior to delivery of the offered solution.
3.6 Responsibility for codification of an Item lies with the National Codification Bureau (NCB) of the country where the Item is manufactured. Provision of information needed to carry out the codification is the responsibility of the vendor who supplies the Item to NZDF.
3.7 Codification of New Zealand manufactured Items is carried out by the NZNCB and all discussions with regards to the provision of codification services are to be directed to the NZNCB.
3.8 More information on the NCS is available in the publication "NATO Codification System Guide for Industry".
4 NATO Stock Number (NSN)
4.1 Each Item of Supply is identified in the NCS by a unique 13 digit NSN. The NSN consists of three identifying parts:
a. a four digit NATO Supply Classification Code (NSC), also known as "Group Class", this places the Item into a group classification, for example generators, aircraft engines etc;
b. a two digit Nation Code (NC), this identifies the country of manufacture; and
c. a seven digit Item Identification Number (IIN) which, together with the NC, is unique to that Item.
d. An example of a NSN is 5820 00 9303725, where:
(1) 5820 is the NSC/Group Class for "Radio and Television Communication Equipment; Non Airborne";
(2) 00 is the NC for the USA (New Zealand NC is 98); and
(3) 9303725 is the IIN.
DELIVERABLES
5 Data Requirements
5.1 Vendors who supply Items to NZDF shall provide initial and supplementary data required for cataloguing and Codification Purposes as defined in section 6 below. These requirements are detailed by the ACodP-1 – NATO Manual on Codification which forms the final arbiter in matters of codification process and detail.
5.2 Technical Data (comprising drawings, specifications, catalogues or any other information describing the physical characteristics of an Item) is required to enable codification to be undertaken for the identification and management of materiel as required by the NCS. Specific data requirements for an individual Item can be obtained, upon request (unless already specified) from the NZNCB.
5.3 The vendor shall make available to the Codification Authority, within the timescales specified in paragraph 5.7, the necessary Technical Data for all Items supplied. This information can be provided either as ‘hard copy’ drawings, specifications etc or, where appropriate and available, via access by the Codification Authority to electronic data held at a specific web site address.
5.4 In addition to the initial provision of Technical Data, the vendor shall also provide any updated information on all items specified in the NZDF contract, resulting from agreed modifications, design or drawing changes as and when these changes are made during the life of the contract.
5.5 When Items are ordered from a manufacturer in a non-NATO country, the vendor is responsible for obtaining the necessary Technical Data and furnishing it to the Codification Authority with responsibility for codification for items from that country.
5.6 If the vendor, sub-contractor or manufacturer has previously supplied Technical Data for codification purpose on any of the Items covered in the NZDF contract to the requesting Codification Authority, they are to state this fact and to indicate to which Codification Agency they were supplied. The vendor, sub-contractor or manufacturer shall contact the Codification Authority in their country for any information concerning the NATO Codification System.
5.7 If no specific codification delivery dates are specified, all information requested above is to be supplied to the producing country’s NCB as soon as possible and in any case no later than the 90 days prior to the time of delivery.
5.8 Unless otherwise provided by the NZDF contract, the cost of supplying the information above, and any other information specifically called for under the Contract, shall be deemed to have been included in the contract price.
5.9 Where the vendor engages a sub-contractor then these requirements also apply to the sub-contractor, and the vendor will ensure that the sub-contractor complies with them.
6 Data Provision
6.1 The Technical Data for Codification Purposes shall include the name and address of the DCA(s), the DCA’s drawing or item part number(s), standards/ specifications reference number(s) and item name(s).
6.2 The following additional information is to be supplied where it is necessary for the information to be used to fully distinguish Items of Supply:
a. Basic material (the base material from which the item is fabricated) surface treatment (the finish by which the item is plated, dipped and/or coated, including any special cleanliness conditions).
b. Dimensions - nominal length, width, height, and diameter, with tolerances if applicable, weight and volume.
c. All key dimensions should be supplied for common mechanical parts, such as nuts, bolts, screws, washers etc.
d. Where Items are threaded, include the size, type, length, class and direction of the thread.
e. Electrical characteristics, such as: - nominal voltage, current or rated power, or both, of the item, rated resistance, capacitance or inductance, and operating frequencies.
f. For any pressure system components and equipment details of the pressure ratings.
g. Temperature ratings.
h. Information on distinguishing features, e.g. colour, shape, style, holes, cut-outs, keyways or slots, etc.
i. Radioactive components; radioactive materials.
j. Software - the software identification number.
k. Markings - markings that indicate the primary purpose, function or application of the Item of Supply.
l. Drawings (where applicable, particularly for modified items).
m. Accepted trade name or AIN.
6.3 For Items already supplied or codified which have become subject to codification change, there will be requirements for the vendor to manage the provision of data to the producing country’s NCB.
6.4 In the case of an Item of Supply for which the vendor is not the DCA, the vendor shall provide the Codification Authority, or the Authority’s Agent with:
a. The DCA’s name, address, contact numbers.
b. The identifying reference allocated by the DCA to each Item of Supply and, if known, the relevant National or International specification or standard.
CODIFICATION INFORMATION FORM GUIDE
1 The full address, telephone, and facsimile number for each Manufacturer and Supplier are to be provided; however this need only be given once on the first occurrence in each listing. Where known the Manufacturer's Code for each manufacturer and supplier is to be provided.
2 Each listing is to clearly identify the End Item to which it belongs in the top left hand corner of each page.
3 The information required in each of the columns is as follows:
a. Serial: This is a sequential number commencing at 001 and entered for each Item. These are to run sequentially throughout the list and not start anew with each end item.
b. RPIL Cross Reference: A cross reference to the RPIL page and Item number which identifies the part.
c. NATO Stock Number (NSN): The NSN allocated by the NATO Codification System (if known).
d. Approved Item Name: This is the approved item name or Item Name given in the NATO Codification System (if known). Where this is not available the Item name used in the RPIL is to be given.
e. Unit of Qty: The unit in which the Item is supplied e.g. each, box of 10, Kilogram, Metre, etc.
f. Unit Cost: The price of each Item individually.
g. Supplier: The name and address of the supplier of the Item.
h. Supplier's Part No: If not codified, the part number used by the supplier to Identify the Item.
i. True Manufacturer: If not codified, the name and address of the true manufacturer of the Item where this differs from the Supplier.
j. True Manufacturer's Part Number: The part number used by the manufacturer to identify the Item.