Notice2023-25370
Acquisition Data Management
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Published
November 17, 2023
Issuing agencies
Management and Budget OfficeFederal Procurement Policy Office
Abstract
The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is proposing a new OMB Circular, Strategic Management of Acquisition Data and Information. The purpose of this Circular is to improve agency access to reliable data and information. Using relevant acquisition data throughout the acquisition lifecycle facilitates successful contracting outcomes. This Circular establishes a centralized data management strategy to create robust knowledge and data banks, develop standard data sharing processes, and improve agency access to tools and resources for acquisition-related decision-making.
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 88 Issue 221 (Friday, November 17, 2023)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 221 (Friday, November 17, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80339-80345]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2023-25370]
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OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
Office of Federal Procurement Policy
Acquisition Data Management
AGENCY: Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Office of Management and
Budget.
ACTION: Proposed new Office of Management and Budget Circular No. A-
XXX, ``Strategic Management of Acquisition Data and Information''.
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SUMMARY: The Office of Federal Procurement Policy (OFPP) in the Office
of Management and Budget (OMB) is proposing a new OMB Circular,
Strategic Management of Acquisition Data and Information. The purpose
of this Circular is to improve agency access to reliable data and
information. Using relevant acquisition data throughout the acquisition
lifecycle facilitates successful contracting outcomes. This Circular
establishes a centralized data management strategy to create robust
knowledge and data banks, develop standard data sharing processes, and
improve agency access to tools and resources for acquisition-related
decision-making.
DATES: Interested parties should submit comments in writing to the
address below on or before January 16, 2024.
ADDRESSES: Submit comments to the Federal eRulemaking Portal: <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. Follow the instructions on the portal for
submitting comments. Instructions: Please submit comments only and cite
``Proposed New OMB Circular A-XXX'' in all correspondence. All comments
received will be posted, without change or redaction, to
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>, so commenters should not include information that
they do not wish to be posted (for example because they consider it
personal or business confidential). Additionally, the OMB System of
Records Notice, OMB Public Input System of Records, OMB/INPUT/01
includes a list of routine uses associated with the collection of this
information.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kristen Wilson, +1 (202) 881-9426,
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a9c2dbc0daddccc787c187dec0c5dac6c7e9c6c4cb87ccc6d987cec6df"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dbb0a9b2a8afbeb5f5b3f5acb2b7a8b4b59bb4b6b9f5beb4abf5bcb4ad">[email protected]</span></a> or send your email to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#28656a700667656a06676e78785e1a6867656a064d4758064f475e"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="3c717e641273717e12737a6c6c4a0e7c73717e1259534c125b534a">[email protected]</span></a>, Office of Federal Procurement Policy, 725
17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, at 202-395-6805.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: There are tens of billions of acquisition
data points residing in over 170 contract writing systems (including
legacy systems) and over 15 payment processing platforms across the
Federal enterprise. Historically, much of this data has been collected
and managed by agencies. Agencies have used their resources to build
tools within their agency, harnessing internal data and databases, but
this has often led to duplicative tools and efforts and a lack of
coordination across agencies. This approach has limited Government-wide
capacity for analytics, insights, and efficiency gains other than the
System for Award Management and the Federal Procurement Data System,
which generally provide aggregate data but very little pricing and best
practices information.
To address these challenges, the proposed Circular would establish
a new acquisition data management policy of promoting Hi-Definition
(Hi-Def) acquisitions where agencies are able to acquire supplies or
services using acquisition data that is easily accessed and available
at the time of need. To that end, OMB is creating a Hi-Def acquisition
framework to promote data interoperability, sharing of acquisition data
between agencies, and enterprise-wide data analysis. This framework is
supported by a Hi-Def acquisition data environment that includes a
scalable technical architecture and solution to store, access, utilize,
share, and archive acquisition data without having to duplicate data,
tools, or effort. Hi-Def acquisitions are a critical component of the
acquisition community's work to buy as an organized enterprise, as it
will provide access to the breadth and depth of information needed to
support the activities of the largest and most sophisticated buyer in
the world.
Achieving a Hi-Def environment will require greater transparency
and collaboration in agency data systems planning and investment
decisions where these activities would impact the Government's ability
to achieve data interoperability for information that is critical or
can otherwise significantly improve acquisition decision-making at both
the Government-wide and agency-wide level. To this end, the Circular
(1) establishes interagency governance, (2) defines agency roles and
responsibilities, and (3) supports the design and development of
solutions to drive interoperability, allowing systems to connect and
share acquisition data wherever they reside within the Federal
government without duplication.
Of particular note, the proposed Circular would:
Require agencies to prepare annual strategic plans. Agencies will
report on steps to address general data management stewardship,
government-wide priority initiatives and individualized acquisition
data hurdles or responsibilities that may impact other agencies.
Build appropriate centralization. The Circular will support
centralized standards, knowledge banks, and data-sharing tools using
established and strengthened governance. Existing standards and
processes will be updated, modernized, and enforced
[[Page 80340]]
through greater transparency and interoperability. Data sharing tools
will allow agencies to maintain existing systems but create the ability
to pull data from the source where it resides for much improved
analytics and insights. Shared solutions will increase efficiency
across all agencies.
Promote data-sharing technologies. The Circular prepares agencies
for an interoperable future where all acquisition data can be shared
and accessed. Current Hi-Def efforts are being conducted through pilots
on a voluntary basis to address challenges in interoperability. The
Circular anticipates that agencies will begin exploring, planning for,
and building application programming interfaces (APIs) and other access
points while and working within the governance structure to develop
appropriate standards and processes. It provides a mechanism to enable
agencies to ask for further direction and resources in these endeavors
from OMB and through the budget process. Increased collaboration
between agencies will facilitate knowledge and best practices sharing
from agencies that have already explored the implementation of these
tools internally, as well as the related pilots.
Establish policies for agency collection and sharing of their
acquisition data. Contract cost efficiencies increase when buyers are
able to improve their negotiating posture with access to standardized
transactional data that can give them insight into prices paid and
favorable contract terms and conditions. Accordingly, with limited
exception, agencies will be expected to centrally collect acquisition
data, such as, but not limited to, market research, contract documents
such as statements of work, performance work statements, statements of
objective, terms, conditions, prices paid for commodities or services,
and other data or information that a contracting official, program
official or other member of the integrated product team would use
during the acquisition lifecycle as part of their stewardship
responsibility to obtain best value for the Federal government.
Agencies should share their data with GSA and other agencies
responsible for data collection so that the information may be analyzed
by data and market experts and made available for agency use, including
through on-demand tools that the agencies create. GSA and other data
collection agencies will use data sharing agreements, as appropriate,
with data protection and security protocols to prevent against the
unauthorized disclosure of data. OMB will work with agencies to develop
data sharing agreement templates to address how information is
accessed, used, and shared.
Establish an interagency working group. In order to determine the
best implementation of data sharing, such as APIs, across contract
writing systems, the working group would bring together contract
writing system managers, computer engineers, and acquisition data
experts. As an initial step, agencies would conduct an initial
assessment of their contract pricing and invoicing data to establish an
agency baseline and determine the variation of starting points between
agencies.
Facilitate other collaborative actions and workforce development
with data management. Agencies would be expected to actively contribute
to existing knowledge portals on innovative techniques and emerging
technology and support expansion, implementation, and promotion of
acquisition data management training and certification efforts for the
acquisition workforce.
Christine J. Harada,
Senior Advisor, Office of Federal Procurement Policy.
PROPOSED CIRCULAR NO. A-XXX
TO THE HEADS OF EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENTS AND ESTABLISHMENTS
SUBJECT: Strategic Management of Acquisition Data and Information
1. Purpose: The purpose of this Circular is to improve agency
access to reliable data and information. Using relevant acquisition
data throughout the acquisition lifecycle facilitates successful
contracting outcomes. This Circular establishes a centralized data
management strategy to create robust knowledge and data banks, develop
standard data sharing processes, and improve agency access to tools and
resources for acquisition-related decision-making.
The Federal government has taken significant steps to improve the
collection and use of data related to contracting transactions,
including amounts obligated, information about how contracts are
awarded, and the identity of the awardees. For example, the Integrated
Award Environment (IAE), through the System for Award Management (SAM),
provides important information to the acquisition community and the
public and is integral to agencies' management of contracting
processes.
However, other important acquisition-related data and information
are not being shared Government-wide--or are underutilized. This is
often because such information resides in disparate agency systems,
include non-standardized data elements and definitions, across public
and commercial domains, and therefore are not generally interoperable
across agencies. For example, line item pricing information may be kept
in agency-specific contract writing systems, in one or more payment
platforms, or in internal or external databases that are not easily
accessible. As a result, acquisition professionals across the Federal
government may not have access to key information for contract
negotiations or for critical contract management functions.
The Office of Management and Budget seeks to promote Hi-Definition
(Hi-Def) acquisitions where agencies are able to acquire supplies or
services using relevant acquisition data that is easily accessed and
available when it is needed. To that end, OMB is creating a Hi-Def
acquisition framework to promote data interoperability, sharing of
acquisition data between agencies and enterprise-wide data analysis.
This framework is supported by a Hi-Def acquisition data environment
that includes a scalable technical architecture and solution to store,
access, utilize, share, and archive acquisition data without having to
duplicate data, tools, or effort. Together, the Hi-Def framework and
data environment will provide a coordinated, Government-wide approach
to accessing, using, and managing acquisition data and developing and
deploying innovative tools that use this information to better support
the acquisition lifecycle, such as GSA's Transactional Data Reporting
(TDR) program which allows for improved pricing and related data
analytics that support enhanced decision-making. The Hi-Def framework
and data environment will be built around the following three
management and organizing principles:
(1) continuously identify areas of need through interagency
governance structures including existing committees, such as the
Procurement Committee for E-government (PCE) and other working groups;
(2) assess agency compliance with existing standards, current data
collection and interoperability efforts; and identify proper
acquisition data subject matter experts for roles defined in section 3
and Appendix C; and
(3) design and develop agency solutions using human-centered design
principles to drive interoperability and scalability of acquisition
data through existing technology inventories, data
[[Page 80341]]
standards, data sharing agreements, as appropriate, and yearly
acquisition data strategic planning to support the initiative.
2. Policy: Agencies should utilize acquisition data management
practices that promote interoperability, scalability, and usability
across the Government.\1\ These practices should make acquisition data
easily accessible when it is needed to inform decision-making
throughout the acquisition lifecycle.
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\1\ Such requirements and assessment criteria will be available
at <a href="https://www.acquisition.gov">https://www.acquisition.gov</a>.
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3. Responsibilities: This policy will be implemented in accordance
with the following responsibilities.
a. OMB--With the support of the Government-wide governance
structures identified in Appendix C, OMB is responsible for the
following:
i. Provide direction to agencies for the annual creation of a
strategic plan to prioritize acquisition data management activities.
OMB, in collaboration with the working group established pursuant to
section 6a, will provide direction to agencies for the creation of
strategic plans that adequately address the agency's acquisition data
resources and infrastructure and the status of the agency's activities
to implement Government-wide priorities and agency-specific priorities.
ii. Develop standards, as necessary, to support transactional
pricing data or any other transactional activity requiring
standardization. OMB will identify minimum transactional pricing data
elements (e.g., CLIN standards) for collection and transmission that
would minimize agency burden while providing insight at a government-
wide level. OMB will consider the commonalities identified from the
initial data assessment performed by agencies as a basis for
standardization.
iii. Require appropriate information sharing and collaboration.
Agencies must share information using proper data security to support
greater transparency, and inform buying decisions for the Federal
enterprise. OMB will collaborate with governance groups and agencies to
prioritize information sharing needs and capabilities and to develop
appropriate data sharing agreement templates.
b. Agencies--Agencies are responsible for taking the following
actions in furtherance of the acquisition data management policies
established by this Circular:
i. Create a strategic plan to prioritize and resource their
acquisition data management activities, consistent with direction from
OMB. Agencies shall annually evaluate and document results of
assessments along with any new agency policies and processes in an
Annual Acquisition Data Strategic Plan as outlined in Appendix E, using
the template provided \2\ to support agency budget planning and
investment discussions.
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\2\ Template will be provided on a yearly basis and found on
<a href="https://www.acquisition.gov/datainitiatives">https://www.acquisition.gov/datainitiatives</a>.
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ii. Integrate best business practices into agency data strategy for
the generation, collection, use, sharing, and improvement of data.
Agencies should utilize the Federal Integrated Business Framework
(FIBF) \3\ in developing their Annual Acquisition Data Strategic Plans
and share best business practices with GSA who will make the
information publicly available and easily accessible.
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\3\ Federal Integrated Business Framework [bond] Federal Shared
Services, <a href="https://ussm.gsa.gov/fibf/">https://ussm.gsa.gov/fibf/</a>.
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iii. Collect data centrally and be prepared, upon request by OMB
and the Category Manager, to share their acquisition data, as
appropriate, and on an agreed upon cadence.\4\ Centralized data
collection within the agency is critical to the agency's ability to
readily share their acquisition data governmentwide. Agencies that are
responsible for collecting agency data must use appropriate protocols
to prevent the unauthorized disclosure of data. Data sharing agreements
may be used to establish how information is accessed, used, and shared.
Agencies should not agree to terms and conditions with their
contractors that broadly prohibit the sharing of their acquisition data
with other Government agencies, except where sharing is prohibited by
law or where the contract identifies the data or information is
proprietary. OMB may request an explanation from the agency's Senior
Procurement Executive when the agency withholds requested acquisition
data that is not otherwise legally prohibited from disclosure. Equally
important, agencies must assume responsibility for making data-driven
decisions and for providing their acquisition workforce with critical
information needed to negotiate contracts in the best interest of
taxpayers. Agencies should work with GSA on the development and
adoption of Government-wide data analytics tools and taking steps to
ensure members of the workforce with responsibilities for managing
common spending are trained in using these tools.
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\4\ Office of Mgmt. & Budget, Exec. Office of the President, OMB
M-19-13, Category Management: Making Smarter Use of Common Contract
Solutions and Practices (2019), available at <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/M-19-13.pdf">https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/M-19-13.pdf</a>.
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iv. Actively contribute to existing knowledge portals on innovative
techniques and emerging technology. Agencies should actively collect
and share information and data about their innovative activities
through organized means, including but not limited to the Inventory of
Emerging Technologies, the Periodic Table of Acquisition Innovations,
and future knowledge management tools in the Hi-Def environment, that
contribute to the collective advancement of a more effective
acquisition system.
v. Support expansion, implementation, and promotion of acquisition
data management training and certification efforts for the acquisition
workforce. Agencies should work with sources such as, but not limited
to, the Federal Acquisition Institute (FAI) \5\ and the Defense
Acquisition University (DAU) \6\ to build data analysis and related
skills as a core acquisition workforce capability.
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\5\ FAI Home <a href="https://fai.gov/">https://fai.gov/</a>.
\6\ DAU Home https://<a href="http://www.dau.edu/">www.dau.edu/</a>.
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c. Electronic Invoicing Providers--Electronic Invoicing Providers
are responsible for providing electronic interfaces. Agencies shall
ensure compliance with OMB Memorandum M-15-19 \7\ and successor
policies, directing all Federal Shared Service Providers (FSSPs) and
other electronic invoice solution providers to integrate with IAE and
develop electronic interfaces.
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\7\ Office of Mgmt. & Budget, Exec. Office of the President, OMB
M-15-19, Improving Government Efficiency and Saving Taxpayer Dollars
Through Electronic Invoicing (2015), available at <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/M-19-15.pdf">https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/M-19-15.pdf</a>.
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4. Authorities--OMB issues this Circular pursuant to the Office of
Federal Procurement Policy Act (41 U.S.C. Chapter 7); the Clinger Cohen
Act (also known as ``Information Technology Management Reform Act of
1996''); and 31 U.S.C. Ch. 5.
5. Effective Date, Applicability and Scope: The Circular is
effective upon publication in the Federal Register. The policies in
this Circular apply to all Federal agencies \8\ and shall only be used
for unclassified data.
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\8\ For purposes of this Circular, ``agency'' is defined in 41
U.S.C. 133.
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6. Transition: The following phase-in actions shall be taken to
help agencies prepare for the responsibilities enumerated in section 3.
a. Within 90 days of the effective date of the Circular, OMB will
establish a working group, that falls under the jurisdiction of the
Procurement Committee for E-Government. OMB will require agencies,
within 45 days of the
[[Page 80342]]
effective date of the Circular, to identify, in consultation with their
PCE representative, one or more government acquisition system technical
experts who are knowledgeable on making data machine-readable, in an
open format, and available to computer applications to promote
interoperability and system integration (i.e. exposing data through
application programming interfaces (APIs)); the agency contract writing
system(s) and associated interfaces; agency electronic invoicing
solution; and information technology infrastructure. OMB will further
require that working group members:
i. have the requisite technical developmental expertise to focus on
the technical solutions to support the identified areas of need and
develop formal communications of technical requirements for software
vendors;
ii. collaborate with the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council and
other acquisition policy organizations identified by OFPP and with
governance groups identified in Appendix C; and
iii. review previous efforts, if any, to accomplish similar
initiatives in these areas. Agencies shall identify a working group
member as the lead for the initial assessment to take place in the
first year after the release of this policy.
The working group's initial priority will be to support agencies in
their individual assessments of the acquisition data environment,
including through the hosting of workshops, and identify areas of need
arising out of this assessment.
b. Within one year of the effective date of this Circular, agencies
shall perform an initial one-time baseline assessment of their
acquisition data management capabilities. The assessment shall focus,
at a minimum, on acquisition data principles, reduction of duplicative
efforts, data sharing capabilities, and actions to exchange innovative
practices and solutions. Agencies shall complete and submit an
assessment of and a roadmap for acquisition data systems, structures,
and elements involving invoicing, contract writing systems, and
transactional pricing data. OMB will develop a template to support the
assessment covering the following information:
i. Analysis of the current collection of transactional pricing data
(i.e., contract line-item data) including existing systems, analytical
capabilities, reporting requirements, and, if not currently being
collected by a vendor, their level of effort and required resources if
changes are needed to collect that data;
ii. Roadmap for making existing and new acquisition data machine-
readable, in an open format, and available to computer applications to
promote interoperability and system integration, following direction
from the working group, governance, and policy while coordinating
across agencies using the same or similar systems;
iii. Adherence to the existing Federal Electronic Invoicing Data
Elements Standards mandatory data elements;
iv. The extent of unstructured acquisition data in contract writing
systems that are not in a machine-readable format and would be unable
to be transmitted via API (e.g. ``flat'' file PDFs, contract clauses,
or additional scanned items that are not machine readable). The focus
here is data that cannot easily be transformed to be machine readable.
For example, line item pricing information may be kept in agency-
specific contract writing systems, in one or more payment platforms, or
in internal or external databases that are not easily accessible; and,
v. Existing and planned capabilities to share data centrally within
the agency and to share data with other agencies
7. Attachments.
a. Appendix A--Definitions
b. Appendix B--Examples of Hi-Def Applications
c. Appendix C--Governance
d. Appendix D--Assuring Uniform Implementation and Data Integrity
e. Appendix E--Documenting Agency Planning
Appendix A. Definitions
Acquisition--the acquiring by contract with appropriated funds
of supplies or services (including construction) by and for the use
of the Federal Government through purchase or lease, whether the
supplies or services are already in existence or must be created,
developed, demonstrated, and evaluated. Acquisition begins at the
point when agency needs are established and includes the description
of requirements to satisfy agency needs, solicitation and selection
of sources, award of contracts, contract financing, contract
performance, contract administration, and those technical and
management functions directly related to the process of fulfilling
agency needs by contract. (Source: FAR 2.101 5/26/2022). For the
purposes of this Circular, acquisition and procurement are used
interchangeably.
Acquisition data--data or information that a contracting
official, program official, or other member of the integrated
product team would use during the acquisition lifecycle as part of
their stewardship responsibility to obtain best value for the
Federal Government, such as, but not limited to, market research,
contract documents such as statements of work, performance work
statements, and statements of objective, terms, conditions, and
prices paid for commodities or services.
Acquisition data sharing agreement--a document that creates an
understanding between two or more agencies on how acquisition data
will be accessed, used, and shared, including an understanding of
the overall requirements, permissions, procedures, and limitations
on sharing to ensure compliance with applicable law.
Acquisition lifecycle--end-to-end management and execution of
programs/contract and projects. The lifecycle begins with the
identification of a business need and ends with program/contract
closeout.
Data integrity--data integrity refers to the accuracy,
entireness, and reliability of data both in its physical location
and during transmission and throughout the stages of generation,
collection, use, sharing, and improvement, which summarize the
Federal Data Lifecycle.
Hi-Definition (Hi-Def) acquisition--the acquiring of supplies or
services using relevant acquisition data that is easily accessed and
consumed at the time of need, supported by a governance framework of
standards and policies that promote data interoperability, secure
sharing of acquisition data between agencies, and enterprise-wide
data analysis to inform government-wide and individual agency
procurements, and a data environment that includes a scalable
technical architecture and solution to store, access, utilize,
share, and archive acquisition data without having to duplicate
data, tools, or effort.
Integrated Award Environment (IAE)--a government-wide initiative
administered by the General Services Administration that consists of
a suite of systems and processes supporting parts of the Federal
awarding lifecycle. The IAE facilitates the awards processes in
multiple online systems, including the System for Award Management
(SAM), that each play a role in the awards lifecycle. Those systems
are used for registering to do business with the Federal government,
listing contract opportunities, reporting performance, analyzing
contract data, and more.
Transactional data reporting (TDR) program--a data collection
and reporting system that simplifies the reporting process for
contractors and improves the accuracy of pricing information. By
collecting transactional data, the GSA can better analyze pricing
trends and ensure that government customers are receiving fair and
reasonable prices.
Appendix B. Examples of Hi-Def Applications
This appendix provides illustrative examples of how a future Hi-
Def environment will benefit the acquisition lifecycle, agency
planning and budgeting. The adoption and implementation of these and
other applications shall be subject to execution of the
responsibilities outlined in section 3 of this Circular including.
input from the working group established pursuant to section 6 and
existing governance bodies.
[[Page 80343]]
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Acquisition lifecycle phase Examples of benefits from a hi-def environment
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Business Analysis and Acquisition Planning......... <bullet> Find and compare information from different
agencies on--
[cir] Requirements Documents (Statements of Work,
Performance Work Statements, Statement of Objectives).
[cir] Subcontracting plans.
[cir] Labor prices.
[cir] Suppliers.
[cir] Contract Type(s).
[cir] Contract prices paid.
[cir] Transactional data.
[cir] Other relevant contract deliverables.
<bullet> Use a script/code to read, index, and search
unstructured data.
<bullet> Customization using existing contract language.
Package Preparation................................ <bullet> Utilize reusable and customizable tools and
artifacts, such as templates and macros for items such as
task orders, delivery orders and BPA calls.
<bullet> Look at previous calls within an existing BPA or
across other BPAs within separate packages.
<bullet> Review terms and conditions.
Source Selection................................... <bullet> View past performance data (e.g., Acq360).
<bullet> See credit ratings, evaluate contractor
responsibility, and view financial statements from a
commercial subscription service.
Performance........................................ <bullet> Linking <a href="http://SAM.gov">SAM.gov</a> registrations with invoice
processing platforms.
<bullet> Ability to perform contract modifications within
the environment.
<bullet> Enhanced performance evaluations that offer more
targeted questions and can be tailored for product or
service contracts.
<bullet> Ability for CO to generate and communicate data
needs for the COR to complete and use for invoice payment
or building past performance. This feedback is then
reincorporated into earlier phases of the acquisition
lifecycle.
<bullet> Review subcontract performance and small business
utilization for subcontractors.
<bullet> Purchase card data over the micro-purchasing
threshold.
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Appendix C. Governance
Creating and maintaining a Hi-Def data environment in a vast and
complex acquisition ecosystem requires a strong governance structure
that addresses all facets of the acquisition data lifecycle--i.e.,
generation, collection, use, sharing, and improvement.
Acquisition governance, including that which falls outside of
the scope of Hi-Def, shall be carried out using the structures
described below. These groups below have previously been established
between agencies through charters, but have not been officially
acknowledged and defined in OMB policy. Agencies shall ensure that
their current representatives selected for each governance structure
listed below or established in support of the goals of the Circular
possess the necessary skills and abilities to make recommendations
and decisions that impact the generation, collection, use, sharing,
and improvement of agency data. As Hi-Def areas grow, additional
working groups may be established.
I. The Award Committee for E-Government (ACE)--The ACE serves as
the executive steering committee that collaborates with OMB in
developing the vision, strategy, and scope for data management tools
and capabilities supporting the Federal award process (both
acquisition and financial assistance).
A. Composition--the ACE consists of seven Departments identified
by OMB. Three Departments represent the acquisition community, three
represent the financial assistance community, and one has
significant equity in both communities and is the liaison with the
Chief Financial Officers Council (CFOC). Advisory members may be
added based on the focus of the activities and/or strategies. OMB,
OFPP, and the Office of Federal Financial Management (OFFM) are
permanent advisory members (non-voting).
B. Leadership--The ACE leadership consists of two Co-chairs, one
of whom is from the Chief Acquisition Officers Council (CAOC) to
represent the Federal acquisition community (primary focus on
procurement), and one representing the financial assistance
community. Co-chairs are responsible for organizing quarterly
meetings, including location, logistics, and development of agenda
with support from OMB or another agency. The Co-chairs are appointed
by OMB.
II. The Procurement Committee for E-Government (PCE)--The PCE
serves as the primary interagency body advising OMB on acquisition
data with a particular focus on the procurement process. The PCE
provides recommendations, priorities, and reaches implementation
decisions that consider the policy, operational, technological, and
change management aspects necessary to effect positive change in the
efficiency and effectiveness of the use of technology and data in
the Federal acquisition and procurement processes.
A. Composition--The PCE consists of one member from each of the
24 Executive Branch Agencies as defined by the CFO Act as well as a
member representing the Small Agency Council (SAC). OMB is a
permanent advisory (non-voting) member. The membership will provide
strategic advice and recommendations that may result in Federal-wide
policy, regulatory, statutory, business process, or information
technology changes per 41 U.S.C. 1122. As such, PCE members must be
of sufficient seniority and experience levels to address matters in
the context of the full Federal environment as well as speak with
authority and commitment on behalf of their agency. There are
various working groups under the PCE.
B. Leadership--The PCE will be co-chaired by leaders from two
executive branch organizations determined by OMB in collaboration
with the PCE membership. A senior analyst from OFPP will serve as a
senior advisor and ad-hoc co-chair, as needed. The PCE will nominate
three members to represent the acquisition and procurement
communities on the ACE, one as co-chair and two as voting members.
III. Change Control Board (CCB)--The CCB serves as the tactical
layer of governance to support the operations, maintenance, and
modernization of the centralized fee-for-service systems. The CCB is
responsible for serving as liaison between the agency and the IAE,
articulating the agency's position on requirements and changes to
the IAE, understanding the relationship between agency systems and
those in the IAE, understanding the functional aspects of all the
applications in the IAE, and voting on behalf of their agency on
proposed system changes. As the tactical layer of governance with
the most familiarity with operations, the CCB is critical to
ensuring the technology matches policy and operational needs.
A. Composition--The CCB consists of voting members from the 24
CFO Act agencies and non-voting members from the SAC. Each CFO Act
agency is asked to appoint up to three members (one primary voting
member and two alternates if desired). The appointments must be made
jointly by the agency SPE and the senior agency official responsible
for financial assistance in order to facilitate robust
representation. Each CCB member is responsible for voting on behalf
of their agency and must:
1. Understand how federal award regulations, policy, and
proposed system changes will impact agency operations, systems, and
workforce;
2. Possess a high-level familiarity with the operational and
functional aspects of all systems in the IAE;
3. Understand the relationship between IAE and agency systems
and how any
[[Page 80344]]
changes will impact the agency and awarding processes;
4. Ensure sufficient time and availability to appropriately
prepare for and attend all CCB meetings and working groups;
5. Appropriately and consistently communicate information and
changes produced by the IAE throughout their agency.
Appendix D. Ensuring Uniform Implementation and Data Integrity
Data integrity refers to the accuracy, completeness, and
reliability of data in its physical location, during transmission,
and throughout the stages of generation, collection, use, sharing,
and improvement, which support the Federal Data Lifecycle (see
Figure 1). Data integrity is maintained through compliance with
laws, policies, and standards established by governance. The
integrity of the Federal acquisition process, including budgeting
for, planning, managing, and closing out contracts that support
programs, depends on the quality and availability of data.
Innovation leads to ongoing business process improvements, requiring
regular assessments of processes and data against established
standards. The standardized processes and data will drive strong
foundations across the Federal acquisition enterprise, while
encouraging and enabling agency innovation and agility in
acquisition planning, management, and operations.
[GRAPHIC] [TIFF OMITTED] TN17NO23.013
Data Roles
This policy builds on the Federal Data Lifecycle by organizing
its data roles into the five phases of the acquisition data
lifecycle: Generate, Collect, Share, Use and Improve. In addition,
privacy and security are roles that affect every aspect of
acquisition data, and agencies should ensure that the most current
data protection methodologies are being used and that all applicable
laws and regulations are being followed.
<bullet> Generate--
[cir] Define: Identify agency and stakeholder needs for
acquisition data of sufficient quality for intended uses
[cir] Coordinate: Assess the ability of acquisition data
resources and infrastructure to meet agency and stakeholder needs
<bullet> Collect--
[cir] Collect: Organize, plan, and execute acquisition data
collections and acquisitions to meet agency and stakeholder needs
[cir] Curate: Organize, refine, and maintain agency acquisition
data resources with sufficient quality to meet agency and
stakeholder needs
<bullet> Share--Access: Identify and develop multiple acquisition
data access methods for agency staff and stakeholders
<bullet> Use--
[cir] Analyze: Optimize the ability of staff and stakeholders to
use agency acquisition data to generate insights
[cir] Visualize: Present acquisition data insights for
consumption by all users, stakeholders, and leaders for their
intended needs
[cir] Disseminate: Provide multiple avenues for release of
acquisition data and insights
<bullet> Improve--Implement & Assess: Maximize the use of
acquisition data for decision-making, accountability, and the public
good by continuously improving the acquisition data process
Vision for Data Integrity
The governance model identified in Appendix C supports efforts
to identify, develop, and implement common business processes, data,
and standards that support the federated model. This includes
assessing existing standards instituted at an agency level for their
potential application to the broader federal acquisition community.
The governance groups also regularly assess and provides
recommendations for how shared tools or capabilities in the Hi-Def
or regulatory-based environment (e.g., the IAE) are meeting agency
operational needs. The future Hi-Def environment will make possible
a seamless flow of data from authoritative sources to the point of
need. Data will only need to be entered once and will be available
for use at any point in the acquisition lifecycle consistent with
applicable regulations and policies through implemented machine-
readable data, in an open format, and available to computer
applications to promote interoperability and system integration such
as APIs.
As new regulations or policies are developed, new data may be
required; ongoing processes to review how best to collect this data
from new or existing sources should be put into place, including a
review of the quality, security, and integrity of those data.
Business process re-engineering may be required to avoid manual or
redundant processes, improve quality, and make data available at the
time of need. Reporting requirements may need to be adjusted or
integrated as a result of increased data availability. Agencies must
strategically plan how various Federal-wide and agency specific
efforts can be harmonized and leveraged to avoid duplication of
effort, costs, and diminished data quality resulting from multiple
instances of similar data across an agency.
PCE Responsibilities--Quality Technology and Data
The processes and measures for assessing the uniform
implementation of standards that is core to this vision will be the
responsibility of the PCE (Appendix C). The common technology tools
supporting Federal acquisition and the resulting procurement data
will be driven by the PCE. The PCE will ensure that applicable
regulations and policy are reflected in any technologies, processes,
systems, and data to reduce agency burden and ensure quality data
are available for downstream use.
Agency Responsibilities--Quality Technology and Data
In the distributed procurement information technology
environment, agencies have responsibilities to generate data
consistent with procurement policy, standards for business
processes, data, and
[[Page 80345]]
interoperability. Federal agencies in the Executive Branch must
manage data consistent with statutes, regulations, and OMB policies.
Agency CAOs, Senior Procurement Executives (SPEs), CDOs, Chief
Financial Officers (CFOs), CIOs, and Budget Officers must
collaborate to:
<bullet> Assess the feasibility of building and/or maintain
appropriate and secure APIs to permit sharing and interoperability
of procurement data and are developed through the working group and
after the initial data assessment period;
<bullet> Promote best business practices of appropriate data
hygiene, data principles, and data standards as developed by the
PCE;
<bullet> Further innovation and efficiency in the Federal
acquisition system by leading or actively participating in the
development and implementation of emerging technology tools that
align with policy; and,
<bullet> Actively develop professionals with skills in Federal
Acquisition Regulations (FAR)-based data analytics for decision-
making.
Data Security and Quality Control
Building security and fraud protection aspects into the
management of procurement data will ensure usable data. This is a
responsibility across the Federal enterprise and requires due
diligence at all levels. Hi-Def and IAE data will only be useful if
it is accurate, timely, definable, and available in real-time. The
maintenance of an Acquisition Data & Process Dictionary (ADD),\9\
managed by the PCE, will resolve discrepancies among models and
support uniform implementation of policy-based terminology. Such a
dictionary will provide consistency across the Federal Government
and identify and fill in gaps if existing data models do not capture
the full acquisition lifecycle. The dictionary helps to build a
foundation against which agencies can map existing tools and
processes throughout the acquisition lifecycle. Integrating the
standards and processes identified by the PCE, for example those
defined in the FIBF, provides a common starting place for all
agencies. Common business process and data definitions can be made
accessible and transparent for many users in accordance with PCE
identified guidance.
Validation and Verification (V&V) of the acquisition data is
paramount to quality control. V&V aims to ensure both completeness
and accuracy of select data. The PCE will update the existing
parameters and methods for annual V&V every 5 years to align with
policy, regulatory and agency needs. The most recent memoranda,
stored: ``Improving Federal Procurement Data Quality--Guidance for
Annual Verification and Validation,'' \10\ (May 2011), and
``Improving Small Business Procurement Data--Quality and Process,''
\11\ (November 2011). This cadence of review and updates permits the
longitudinal analysis and continuous improvement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\10\ Improving Federal Procurement Data Quality--Guidance for
Verification and Validation.
\11\ Improving Small Business Procurement Data--Quality and
Process.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Appendix E. Annual Agency Planning Requirements
Strategic and operational planning by agencies, including budget
planning, is essential to an interoperable environment where data
are shared and available at the point of need. These activities
provide opportunities for addressing gaps identified through
assessments and innovation in business processes and technology,
including lessons learned from pilots or shared activities. As such,
agencies must include appropriate analyses of these considerations
in agency annual strategic plans, as required by OMB Circular A-11
and any supplementary direction from OMB during the budget process.
These plans will be reviewed by OMB to inform and shape actions
necessary to support Hi-Def implementation and maintenance.
Planning and Budgeting--To assist agencies in ensuring
acquisition data interoperability is appropriately considered in
agency-wide strategic planning and budgeting, each year, OFPP will
provide a template with questions and structure for compiling the
strategic plan. The template will include sections for responding to
questions related to acquisition data resources and infrastructure,
government-wide priorities established by OMB and governance groups,
and agency-specific priorities. The yearly priority areas will be
posted with an updated template on the <a href="http://Acquisition.gov">Acquisition.gov</a> Data
Initiatives Page.\12\ The acquisition data resources and
infrastructure questions will generally address the following areas,
though may include other areas of interest as appropriate:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ <a href="https://www.acquisition.gov/datainitiatives">https://www.acquisition.gov/datainitiatives</a>.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
a. Appropriate resource management activities necessary to
support innovative practices and alignment of data with statutes,
regulations, policies, and standards to support interoperability.
The identification of activities should be accomplished in
coordination with the appropriate agency leaders directing the
acquisition, information, security, data, finance, and human capital
functions.
b. Solutions identified by the agency workforce as the greatest
opportunity for improving processes and leveraging technology to
support innovation and reduce burden. Such ideas support agency
operations and mission success by addressing issues, challenges, and
best practices identified by those most impacted on a daily basis by
access (or lack thereof) to data and information.
c. Details on how agencies are assuring any new technologies at
the agency level are aligned with policy and regulations, and how
agency technology supports the interoperability of data in the
federated model established through this Circular.
d. Recommendations on any business processes that should be re-
engineered to support innovation or just-in-time access to quality
information or data. Re-imagining the process before applying
emerging technologies or shared tools can lead to a more impactful
change; this can be done by seeking workforce input, taking maximum
advantage of FAR flexibilities, leveraging data and information
technology as strategic assets, consulting with governance on how
data is supposed to be used and displayed, and driving changes to
agency-specific requirements.
Initial projects. Initial projects will focus on electronic
invoicing (e.g., Invoice Processing Platform (IPP) and G-Invoicing),
and the collection of transactional pricing data. Additional and
future Hi-Def projects to implement this policy will generally be
identified through an annual strategic planning process, as
described in section 3 of the Circular and this Appendix.
[FR Doc. 2023-25370 Filed 11-16-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3110-01-P
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