Improving Procurement-Related Data Quality

1. Improving Procurement-Related Data Quality Gil Avanzado Jr.Procurement Analyst General Services Administration May 15, 2012

2. What are procurement-related data? • Contract award actions • Contractor Performance Information • Contractor Subaward Information • Contractor Certifications and Representations • Suspension and Debarment

3. Why procurement related data quality is important? “Complete, accurate, and timely federal procurement data are essential for ensuring that the government has the right information when planning and awarding contracts and that the public has reliable data to track how its tax dollars are being spent” OFPP Improving Federal Procurement Data Quality –Guidance for Annual Verification and Validation Memorandum

4. Why … . is important? (con’t) “Congress and executive branch agencies rely on FPDS to assess the impact that governmentwide acquisition policies and processes are having on the system generally, as well as with respect to specific geographical areas, markets, and socio-economic goals” GAOReport “Reliability of Federal Procurement Data”

5. What is Data Quality? • Data quality refers to the quality of the information it represents in the real world fit for its intended use or purpose such as in business, decision making, planning, or operation

6. Dimensions of Data Quality

7. Dimensions of Data Quality • Accuracy – the degree with which data correctly represents something “real” that is intended to represent or portrayed. • Timeliness – refers to the time expectation for accessibility and availability of the information. • Currency – refers to the degree to which information is correct with that it models at a specific time. • Consistency – refers to data values in one data set in harmony or alike with values of another data set.

8. Poor Data Quality Issues* • Data entry • Inaccuracies Untimely • Incorrect coding Vendor Information • Unreported or limited data submission • Missing information (data values) • Undocumented contractor performance • Inadequate system capabilities *GAO Report -09-1032T “Observations on the Government’s Contracting Data System”

9. How can we improve data quality? • Establish internal controls or procedures on conducting periodic accuracy assessments • Have similar controls for ensuring reporting requirements are conducted • Establish a baseline • Breaking down data issues into key attributes • Identify the most problematic/important data quality issues to focus data quality improvements

10. Impacts of Improved Data Quality • Increased data reliability • Increased data confidence • Decreased in costs • Decreased risks • Compliance with statute/regulations

11. System for Award Management (SAM) • Integration of eight federal procurement systems and the Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance into a single system. • Central Contractor Registration (CCR) • eSRS/FSRS • FPDS-NG • FedBizOpps (FBO) • Online Representation and Certification Application (ORCA) • Excluded Parties List System (EPLS) • Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) • Wage Determination Online (WDOL)

12. Now • Siloed – Separate systems, each with a separate login • Redundant – Overlapping data • Separate – Various hosting locations, managed separately

13. Future

14. References • Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 4.6 Contract Reporting • Office of Federal Procurement Policy Memoranda • Improving Federal Procurement Data Quality – Guidance for Annual Verification and Validation dated May 31, 2011 • Improving Contractor Past Performance Assessments dated Jan 21, 2011 • Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 42.15 Contractor Performance Information

15. Questions?