A proposed rule spearheaded by the Defense Department, General Services Administration and NASA would amend the Federal Acquisition Regulation to change the methodology currently used to identify the entities receiving federal awards like grants and contracts.
"The change to the FAR will remove the proprietary standard or number," says a Nov. 18 notice (pdf) in the Federal Register. Agencies are currently required to identify recipients of federal funding using the Data Universal Numbering System, or DUNS, which is a proprietary numbering system provided by Dun and Bradstreet.
"Unique identification of such entities is critical to ensure federal dollars are awarded to responsible parties, awardees are paid in a timely manner, and awards are appropriately recorded and reported," says the notice.
However, the proposed rule would use more general terminology and not tie recipient identification to DUNS. Instead of the FAR requiring the use of DUNS, an amendment should establish definitions of "unique entity identifier" and "electronic funds transfer indicator," says the notice. It would also provide appropriate references to information on where the unique entity identifiers can be found.
The Digital Accountability and Transparency Act, or DATA Act, required the creation of a data standard for identification of entities receiving federal awards.
"Creation and maintenance of data standards will facilitate collection and display of essential information," said the notice. "Going forward, the federal government will establish a transparent process for exploring potential alternatives to existing entity identifiers."
Under the proposed rule, a transparent process for exploring potential alternatives to existing entity identifiers will be led by the Office of Management and Budget and Treasury, with the help of GSA and the Award Committee for E-Government. They will stand up a process for considering options and engaging a wide variety of stakeholders in determining nonproprietary alternatives.
"Although the government is not currently in a position to move away from use of the DUNS number in the short term, elimination of regulatory references to a proprietary entity identifier will provide opportunities for future competition that can reduce costs to taxpayers," says the notice.
"The current requirement limits competition by using a proprietary number and organization to meet the identification need as well as the need for other business information associated with that number," it adds.
For more:
- download the Federal Register notice (.pdf)
- Spotlight: Officials provide DATA Act implementation update
- Feds finalize data standards aimed at consistent financial reporting mandated by DATA Act
- DATA Act progress continues, but not without snags
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Molly Bernhart Walker
Quelle/Source: Fierce Government IT, 20.11.2015
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