Feedback: Action Date, Period of Performance, and Ordering Period End Date

[elainekamlley]

Update 8/17: Thank you for your feedback on Action Date, Period of Performance, and Ordering Period End Date. We will consider your feedback as we continually assess how we can improve data definitions. You may still contribute the discussion for other data elements. Check http://fedspendingtransparency.github.io/dataelements/ to find data elements with open feedback pages.

This is the place to leave your feedback and questions about the following data elements:

• Action Date
• Period of Performance Start Date
• Period of Performance Current End Date
• Period of Performance Potential End Date
• Ordering Period End Date

The proposed definition of the above elements:
http://fedspendingtransparency.github.io/whitepapers/period-of-performance/

Federal Spending Collaboration home page: http://fedspendingtransparency.github.io/

[Rbizier]

The FAR proposed definitions for Period of Performance Start Date, Period of Performance Current End Date, Period of Performance Potential End Date and Ordering Period End Date are not general enough for all FAR based awards. The language currently listed is very specific to certain awards issued under the Unusual and Compelling Urgency authority in FAR 6.302-2.

[HerschelC]

@Rbizier could you suggest language or new elements that would be a match for the awards you're talking about? Or give some examples? I'm curious about the specific cases.

[Rbizier]

Hello Herschel. This site has a good discussion on the length of a contract. http://www.wifcon.com/anal/analfiveyear.htm
I would suggest more generic language similar to the FPDS-NG language, such as:
Period of Performance Start Date: the date that the parties agree will be the starting date for the contract's requirements.

[HerschelC]

The white paper says: "Once the Award ID is carried in agency financial systems and there is a linkage between financial data and award data, further policy and business process determinations will need to be made about sourcing obligation amounts from agency financial systems." I went back to the list to search for the definition of Award ID and didn't find it. (Since I know integrating data is currently a challenge.)

For clarity, you are referring to Award Identification (ID) Number, right? http://fedspendingtransparency.github.io/whitepapers/award-id-description/
If so, I suggest hyperlinking Award ID in the whitepaper to the above for clarity.

[da-nova]

The Action Date as it is defined implies that each federal agency award increase under the same Federal Award ID Number (FAIN) will receive its own Action Date. If this is the case, reporting by Action Date creates challenges for the states that receive federal funding directly and are required to submit FFATA sub-award reports. Since the primary key reporting for FFATA reporting is FAIN, states sub-award total federal dollars based on each individual FAIN and not an Action Date. If reporting by action date is one of the goals for the Data Act, then each Action Date should be issued by the federal agency under its own FAIN to ease the burden of FFATA sub-award reporting.

The Period of Performance Potential End Date would be based on speculation and could change throughout the life of an award. Consideration should be given to exclude this item as a standard data element.

Since the Ordering Period End Date only applies to procurement, it should be renamed as Procurement Ordering Period End Date.

[HelenaSims]

AGA established a work group charged with responding to inquiries by the federal government, regarding implementation of the DATA Act. The following response is being submitted on behalf of AGA's work group, which is comprised of state, local, tribal and university practitioners from across the country. In reviewing this data element, group members had the following comments:
Comments on Action Date through Ordering Period End Date
The term “action” is frequently used in definitions, but the term is not defined. Since there are four different values for the “Type of Action,” four different dates could be reported under “Action Date.” In addition, it is important to clarify whether an “action” is eligible for federal reimbursement in cases when a recipient is notified of an award in one fiscal year, but the federal award is not actually signed until the following fiscal year.
The definition of “Period of Performance Current End Date” appears twice.

[elainekamlley]

Update 8/17: Thank you for your feedback on Action Date, Period of Performance, and Ordering Period End Date. We will consider your feedback as we continually assess how we can improve data definitions.

You may still contribute the discussion for other data elements. Check http://fedspendingtransparency.github.io/dataelements/ to find data elements with open feedback pages.