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MEMORANDUM FOR AGENCY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICERS
Strategic_Plan
Start: 2013-06-12, Publication: 2013-06-20 Source: http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/omb/financial/memos/improving-data-quality-for-usaspending-gov.pdf
To meet immediate needs of data reliability and quality based on the current reporting model, consistent with the objectives
of the President's Government Accountability and Transparency Board, this Memorandum requires that each Federal agency: (1)
assign financial assistance award identification numbers unique within the Federal agency and (2) identify and implement a
process to compare and validate USAspending.gov funding information with data in the agency's financial system. Based on this
validation process, each agency shall report to OMB the accuracy rate of its USAspending.gov data on a quarterly basis. These
requirements build on guidance outlined in M-10-06 of December 2009, Open Government Directive, and accompanying February
and April 2010 OMB guidance, and the data quality plans submitted by each agency in response to that guidance.
The requirements under Section II ofthis Memorandum will inform ongoing policy discussions to develop a future vision for
Federal spending transparency. OMB, in collaboration with the Department of the Treasury, will continue to work with Federal
and non-Federal stakeholders to ensure that complete, accurate, and timely Federal spending information is shared with the
public. Further guidance to implement a more comprehensive vision will eventually supersede this section of this Memorandum.
OMB will provide technical assistance to agencies as needed in implementing this requirement, and will work with Financial,
Grants and Financial Assistance, and Procurement Communities to provide further implementation guidance in OMB Circular No.
A-136. Please contact Karen F. Lee klee@omb.eop.gov or Mike Wetklow (mwetklow@omb.eop.gov) in OMB's Office of Federal Financial
Management with any questions regarding this Memorandum
Submitter:
Name:Owen Ambur
Email:Owen.Ambur@verizon.net
Organization:
Name:Office of Management and Budget
Acronym:OMB
Stakeholder(s):
- Norman Dong: Deputy Controller
- USAspending.gov: USAspending.gov was launched in December 2007 to implement the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA)
of 2006 by providing the public with free centralized access to information on Federal spending. In March 2013 alone, over
50,000 people had visited the USAspending.gov website, exceeding projected targets. Through USAspending.gov, the public has
unprecedented access to data on Federal spending resulting from Federal awards, such as contracts, grants, and other financial
assistance.
- Federal Agencies: To ensure USAspending.gov is providing current and accurate information, OMB and Federal agencies must take steps to ensure
data reliability and quality. Reliable data allows the public to trust in the information the government provides and for
Federal and elected officials to use that information to make informed decisions about government programs and projects. It
allows Federal managers to analyze and better structure government programs to prevent waste, fraud, and abuse. Further, reliable
data provides those with an oversight function with the assurance that agencies and programs are accountable for the Federal
funds spent.
- Federal Officials
- Elected Officials
- Agency Financial Assistance Management Systems: The information on USAspending.gov is populated with data sourced from agency financial assistance management systems and
from the central Federal Procurement Data System. These systems include both financial data and narrative information about
specific assistance and procurement awards made by Federal agencies throughout the fiscal year. Because existing reporting
models are not directly tied to agency financial systems at the award level, it is imperative that each agency have an internal
control and accountability structure in place to ensure that the data reported is accurate and complete. As USAspending.gov
continues to evolve, OMB and Federal agencies will explore opportunities to establish more comprehensive and more automated
data reporting methods that better integrate publicly reported award-level data with data in financial systems.
- Federal Procurement Data System
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