Reply to Attn of:

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Headquarters
Washington, DC 20546-0001
OLIAl2011- 00370:KHS:eel
The Honorable Darrell E. Issa
Chainnan
Committee on Oversight
and Government Refonn
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr. Chainnan:
April 7, 2011
This is in response to your letter of March 8, 2011, to Elizabeth Robinson, the NASA
Chief Financial Officer, signed jointly by Representatives Platts, Jordan and Lankford,
requesting infonnation related to the systems and reporting practices of NASA. Enclosed
is a spreadsheet that contains NASA's responses to each of your questions.
During the past decade, NASA has strategically modernized its integrated financial
management system in order to provide a re-engineered financial management system
infrastructure using industry "best practices" that deploys enabling technology to provide
management'infonnation on a real time basis. NASA has also integrated the core
financial system with procurement, human capital, travel, and asset management, for
improved reporting and analysis. The core financial system accounting platform include
the Standard General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Purchasing, Cost
Management, Facilities Maintenance and Asset Accounting; and the NASA Enterprise
Applications Competency Center (NEACC) provides centralized operations.
NASA's core financial system supports its budget fonnulation, execution, and funds
control, consistent with the requirements ofOMB Circular A-II, Preparation,
Submission, and Execution of the budget. In addition, NASA consistently provides
timely and reliable budget and other financial reports for management throughout the
agency, using infonnation generated from its financial system, on which Agency
executives and operating managers rely for decision making.
NASA's core financial system is supported by ancillary feeder systems with common
data elements that adhere to government-wide standards for reporting. A comprehensive
set of internal controls are in place to maintain integrity and reliability of the infonnation
generated by the system. NASA's independent audit of the FY 2010 financial statements
has found no material weaknesses or misstatements.
NASA's internal control compliance framework, the Comprehensive Compliance
Strategy (CCS), serves as the basis for ensuring effective agency-wide financial
management, financial reporting, and financial control. It encompasses guiding
principles for executing effective financial management functions and activities with
internal control and compliance solutions inherently embedded in the process.
Monitoring and oversight of the effectiveness of the CCS is conducted through the
Continuous Monitoring Program (CMP) as well as through ongoing Evaluation
Monitoring and Testing (EMT) periodic compliance reviews.
The EMT reviews provide another level of management assurance regarding compliance
with CCS, while at the same time serving as a review program used to periodically
measure the effectiveness of CMP and validate the operating effectiveness of internal
controls over financial reporting.
2
In FY 2010, NASA's comprehensive set of internal controls safeguarded its assets from
loss, misappropriation, or destruction. Internal control activities are monitored monthly
for operating effectiveness, and any identified deficiencies are corrected in a timely
manner and existing controls are strengthened as necessary. As a result, there are no
known instances of asset loss, misappropriation, or destruction attributable to the
financial system. NASA's integrated financial management system is in substantial
compliance with Federal Financial Management Information Act (FFMIA) requirements.
Sincerely,
~ ~
L. Seth Statler
Associate Administrator
for Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs
Enclosure
cc: The Honorable Elijah Cummings
Ranking Member
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
Bureau
NASA
NASA
NASA
NASA
NASA
NASA
System Name
SAP-Enterprise
Resources Planning
(ERP) Suite
Treasury
Automated Clearinghouse
. (ACH)
Health and Human
Services (HHS)lPayment
Management System
(PMS)
Web Based Time
Attendance and
Distribution System
I (WebTads)
Agency Labor
Distribution System
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m
::::I
n
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......
(J)
Question 1
Identify and briefly describe
each of your bureau's business
and accounting systems.
(For the purpose of this data
call, "business and accounting
systems" is interpreted to mean
"financial management
systems," as defined in OMB
Circular A-I27.)
NASA has implemented the
following modules: Funds
Management (FM); Financial
Accounting (FI); Sales &
Distribution; Investment
Management; Materials
Management, Controlling (Cost);
Project Systems; and Real Estate.
Pay info of vendor/travel
payments
Interface to retrieve confirmation
files from GOALS
Administers Letter of Credit
(LOC)
Time and Attendance system
Labor distribution system
Question 2 Question 3
For each system identified in response
to Question 1:
Explain how the business State whether information At what
and accounting systems found in that system is intervals
identified in response to regularly or periodically do these
Question 1 interact with one submitted to any of the submission
another. Government-wide stoFMS
accounting systems occur?
maintained by FMS (e.g.,
GFRS, FACTS I, FACTS
II, IFCS, IRAS, etc.).
Explain how these
submissions to FMS
systems occur (describe
both manual and
automated processes).
As transactions are recorded Yes. Trial Balance (T/B) Monthly/
in different modules, info from FI consolidated quarterly/
accounting records are and submitted to DOT and annually
updated in FM & FI modules gov't-wide accounting
of SAP systems. Manual submission
include IFCS, GFRS, PAR
and TROR. Automated
submission includes IPAC,
SF 224, FACTS I & IT and,
IRAS
References non-agency No N/A
systems
N/A No N/A
References non-agency No N/A
systems
Data recorded in ALDS No N/A
Data recorded in SAP ERP No N/A
FMlFI modules
Question 4 Question 5 Question 6
For each system identified in For each system identified in response to Question 1, In addition to your bureau's submissions
response to Question 1: describe recent, current, and planned migration or to FMS's Government-wide accounting
modernization projects. systems .and to OMB's MAX system (as
rlp, .. rih"rl i. your rponono"o to Ouestions
State whether At what Recent Current Planned Is any of If so, how is In what
information found intervals do this same this format is this
in that system is these informatio information information
regularly or submissions n published published
periodically to MAX published online? online?
submitted to occur? online for
OMB'sMAX public
system. viewing?
Explain how these
submissions to
MAX occur
(describe both
manual and
automated
processes).
Yes. TIB info from Quarterly/ The SAP Enterprise The SAP ERP is The SAP ERP is Yes Agency's PAR PDF
SAP-FI is annually Resource Planning in a "steady in a "steady and budget info
consolidated & (ERP) isina state" of state" of is found on
reported periodically "steady state" of operation. operation. agency's
operation. website. The
Federal
Financial
Management
Systems
Strategy may be
found on page
252. .
No N/A None None None No N/A N/A
.
No N/A None None None No N/A N/A
No N/A None None None No N/A N/A
No N/A None None None No N/A N/A
No N/A None None None No N/A N/A
Question 7 Question 8 Question 9 Question 10 Question 11 Question 12
For each system identified in response to
In addition to your bureau's
For each system identified in respouse to Qu For each system identified in response to Questio Question 7, describe recent, current, and
submissions to Government-wide
planned migration or modernization projects.
grants management and reporting
!sv.<tems (as ries"riherl in 'OlIr
Bureau System Name Identify and briefly describe each For each system State whether information At what State whether At what intervals do Recent Current Planned Is any of If so, how is In what
system that your bureau uses to identified in response found in that system is intervals information found in that these submissions this same this format is
manage grants, direct loans, to Question 7, regularly or periodically do these system is regularly or occur? informatio information this
and/or loan guarantees. explain how that submitted to the Catalogue of submission periodically submitted to n published published informatio
system interacts with Federal Domestic Assistance sto CFDA any of the Government- online for online? n
your bureau's (CFDA). occur? wide grants management public published
business or and reporting systems viewing? online?
accounting systems Explain how these submissions (e.g., Federal Assistance
identified in response to CFDA occur (describe both Awards Data System
to Question 1. manual and automated (FAADS), FAADS PLUS,
processes). etc.). Explain how these
submissions occur
(describe both manual
and automated
processes).
-
NASA PRISM Develops solicitations and Interfaces with PRISM is not used to submit data N/A PRISM not used to submit NASA's reporting of During Currently in the No firm scheduled N/A N/A N/A
ward/grant documents for Federal Agency Financial to CFDA. CFDA is not a system. data to FAADS PLUS. its grants data to FPDS FY2010 process of plan for the next
Procurement Data System-Next System SAP. It's an OFFM controlled process NASA is the only agency NG is consistent with NASA evaluating and PRISM version
Generation (FPDS-NG) reporting. Commitment info via a that maintains a catalog of values that submits it grants data guidance in FAR 4.6, upgraded implementing upgrade, but a full
All NASA procurement offices use purchase requisition is which are assigned to each grant to FPDS-NG. Submission Contract Reporting to Ver6.2 PRISM capability procurement
PRISM interfaced from SAP making federal agency for use is is accomplished through an and NFS 1804.6, from 6.5 to derive and process version
to PRISM. Obligation award and award reporting. interface from PRISM with Contract Reporting for interface the TAS upgrade of PRISM
info via an CFDA Program Coordinator at some data elements such as award data reporting to.FPDS-NG will be release by
award/grant is NASA-HQ responsible for Treasury Account Symbol software vendor in
interfaced from maintaining NASA's CFDAs on (TAS) manually entered FY 2012-2013
PRISM to SAP CFDA.gov. Also responsible for directly in FPDS-NG. timeframe pending
communicating changes required
to each of NASA's systems that
contain CFDA
NASA Enhanced Internal reporting and workflow Financial data related EPDW is an internal reporting and N/A EPDW is an internal N/A None Currently None N/A N/A N/A
Procurement Data system that combines data from to grants and awards workflow tool with no external reporting and workflow upgrading
System (EPDW) SAP, PRISM and FPDS-NG for is extracted from interfaces tool with no external EPDWAto
management of grants and award NASA financial interface incorporate
actions and resources. All NASA systems SAP to several
procurement offices use EPDW as populate data elements enhancements
internal reporting and workflow too in EPDW which will
collectively result
in more accurate
and timely extract
data from PRISM
NASA Electronic Posting Data entry system used by NASA N/A EPS send CFDA to Grants.gov N/A EPS is used to submit pre- . Both submission to None None Plans to modernize N/A N/A N/A
System (EPS) buyers to interface with FBO and and post-award grant Grants.gov and FBO interface to FBO
Grants.gov and post pre- and post- notices to Grants.gov. If are via automated by transitioning to
award announcements to the public. award could also result in a email using pseudo- web services in FY
All NASA procurement offices use contract, the pre-award XML 11 pending funding
EPS notice is also submitted to
Federal Business
Opportunities (FBO)
N
Question 13 Question 14 Question 15 Question 16 Question 17
For each system identified in response to Question For each system identified in response to Question In addition to your bureau's submissions to Government-wide contract
I
13, describe recent, current, and planned migration management and reporting systems (as described in your responses to
or modernization projects. Question 15):
i
State whether information
For each system
found in that system is
identified in response
regularly or periodically
submitted to any ofthe Is any of
to Question 13,
Government-wide contract this same
In what
Identify and briefly explain how that
management and reporting At what intervals do informatio
format is
Bureau System Name
describe each system that system interacts with
systems (e.g., FPDS, FPDS- these submissions Recent Current Planned n published If so, how is this information published online?
this
your bureau uses to your bureau's
NG, FAPllS, etc.). occur? online for
informatio
manage contracts. business or
public
n published
accounting systems
Explain how these viewing?
online?
identified in response
submissions occur (describe
to Question 1.
both manual and
automated processes).
NASA PRISM Develops solicitations and Interfaces with Agency Submission of NASA data to NASA's reporting of DuringFY Currently in the No firm scheduled Yes NASA Procurement Data View (NPDV) is an on-line, ?
ward/grant documents for Financial System SAP. FPDS-NG is accomplished its contracts data to 2010 NASA process of plan for the next web-based query with access to NASA's summary-
FPDS-NG reporting. All Commitment info via a through an interface from FPDS-NG is consistent upgraded evaluating and PRISM version level procurement data. Includes a geographic (map)
NASA procurement offices purchase requisition is PRISM with some data with guidance in FAR PRISM from implementing upgrade, but a full and ad-hoc query capabilities. Enables users to view
use PRISM. All NASA interfaced from SAP to elements such as TAS 4.6, Contract Ver6.2 to PRISM capability procurement process actions at the Congressional District Level. NPDV
procurement offices use PRISM. Obligation manually entered directly in Reporting and NFS 6.5. to derive and version upgrade of was modified for recovery-specific reporting. Link to
PRISM info via an award/grant FPDS-NG 1804.6, Contract interface the TAS PRISM will be NPDV:
is interfaced from Reporting for award to FPDS-NG release by software http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgipbinlnpdv/npdv.cig. In
PRISM to SAP data reporting vendor in FY 2012- addition to submitting pre- and post-awards notices to
2013 timeframe FBO, EPS simultaneously posts these notices and
pending supporting documentation to the NASA Business
Opportunities Portal for public access
NASA Enhanced Internal reporting and Financial data related EPDW is an internal reporting N/A None Currently None Yes NASA Procurement Data View (NPDV) is an on-line, ?
Procurement Data workflow system that to grants and awards is and workflow tool with no upgrading to web-based query with access to NASA's summary-
System (EPDW) combines data from SAP, extracted from NASA external interfaces EPDWto level procurement data. Includes a geographic (map)
PRISM and FPDS-NG for financial systems SAP incorporate a more and ad-hoc query capabilities. Enables users to view
management of grants and to populate data efficient method to actions at the Congressional District LeveL NPDV
award actions and resources. elements in EPDW technically extract was modified for recovery-specific reporting. Link to
All NASA procurement data from PRISM NPDV:
offices use EPDW as
http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgipbinlnpdv/npdv.cig. In
internal reporting and
addition to submitting pre- and post-awards notices to
workflow tooL All NASA
FBO, EPS simultaneously posts these notices and
procurement office use
supporting documentation to the NASA Business
EPDW as their internal
Opportunities Portal for public access
reporting and workflow tool
NASA Electronic Posting Data entry system used by N/A EPS is used to submit pre- Submission to FBO is None None Plans to modernize Yes NASA Procurement Data View (NPDV) is an on-line, ?
System (EPS) NASA buyers to interface and post-award notices to via automated emall the interface to FBO web-based query with access to NASA's summary-
with FBO and Grants.gov FBO using pseudo-XML by transitioning to level procurement data. Includes a geographic (map)
and post pre- and post- web services in FY and ad-hoc query capabilities. Enables users to view
award announcements to the 11 pending funding actions at the Congressional District LeveL NPDV
public. All NASA was modified for recovery-specific reporting. Link to
procurement offices use NPDV:
EPS. AllNASA http://prod.nais.nasa.gov/cgipbinlnpdv/npdv.cig. In
procurement office use EPS addition to submitting pre- and post-awards notices to
FBO, EPS simultaneously posts these notices and
supporting documentation to the NASA Business
Opportunities Portal for public access
w
Question 18 Question 19 Question 20 Question 21 Question 22 Question 23
Briefly describe your bureau's efforts to comply with OM:B's If your bureau Describe the data quality controls and State whether all of your State whether your bureau Identify the individual(s) who
memorandum on the Open Government Directive--Federal interacts directly with procedures that your bureau has bureau's current grants, incurs any reporting serve(s) as Senior Accountable
Spending Transparency, dated April 6, 2010. USASpending.gov, in implemented for information that is contracts, and loans are burdens or costs as a result Official(s) ("SAO") over federal
addition to submitting submitted to USASpending.gov, accurately reflected on of its obligations under the spending data quality for your
information to the including information submitted USASpending.gov. If Federal Financial Assistance agency, as defmed by OM:B.
systems that feed directly and information submitted to not, estimate the Transparency Act (FFATA)
USASpending.gov, one of the systems that feeds percentage of current that it does not incur as a
describe the nature, USAPending.gov grants, contracts, and result of other reporting
frequency, and loans that are not obligations.
purposes of that accurately reflected,
interaction with using both the number
USASpending.gov. of transactions and
dollar figures.
NASA issued two instructions to the field, Procurement Information NASA submits the In accordance with instruction at NFS Yes. NASA's Thanks to the elimination of The Honorable Dr. Elizabeth
Circular (PIC) 10-13, on September 23,2010 for contracts; and Grant F AADSPLUS data file 1804-604, NASA Procurement Offices submissions to DSVT F AADS, the addition of a TAS Robinson
Information Circular (GIC) 11-01, on January 24, 2011 for assistance directly to the maintain a Data Quality Plan approved by always meet the error field in FPDS-NG, and
awards. The instructions provided guidance on implementing the USASpending.gov Data the Agency. In tum, the Agency has an threshold. When metrics USASpending's ability to pull
Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) (PL Submission and overall Data Quality Plan as part of were posted to Contracts data directly from
109-282) as amended by section 62(a) ofPL 110-252. The Validation Tool implementation of the Open Government USASpending.gov, FPDS-NG, the burdens for
instructions covered new requirements to report subcontract awards (DSVT). NASA Directive. Semi-annual data verification NASA always had a high reporting were significantly
and executive compensation. The instructions required the inclusion of submits data on the 5
th
and validation is performed in accordance rate of accuracy and has lessened. The burden that
FAR clause 52.204-10 in solicitations and contracts, and of a new
and 20
th
of each month.
with guidance from OMB. In addition, never failed to submit data remains is the F AADSPLUS
General Provision in grant awards as specified. NASA's writing
The purpose of this
the NASA HQ Office of Procurement each month. file that must be submitted
system PRISM was updated with both the clause and provision. The
submission is to fulfill
performs monthly data quality 'spot directly to USASpending.gov.
two instructions also outlined verification responsibilities and the use
the requirements of
checks' by utilizing the ad hoc capability
of the Federal Subcontract Reporting System (FSRS). For contracts
FFATA.
in FPDS-NG. In addition, a Data Quality
that include the clause 52.204-10, prime contractors are responsible for Plan which also covers Assistance awards
reporting their subcontract information, for any first-tier subcontracts stored in FPDS-NG is being prepared
of $25,000 or more, by the end of the month following the month of (note: the Assistance data is not
award, at FSRS, in accordance with the following phase-in schedule: 1 currently pulled into USASpending.gov).
until September 30,2010, any newly awarded subcontracts if the prime It will be modeled after Center Data
contract is $20m or more; 2) from October 1, 2010, to February 28, Quality Plans and include consideration
2011, any newly awarded subcontract if the prime contract is $550,000 of Best Practices. It wiII be in place
or more; and 3) beginning March 1,2011, any newly awarded before the end ofFYIl. The
subcontract must be reported if the prime contract equals or exceeds F AADSPLUS required fields that must
$25,000. The OMB guidance included specific gross income tests for be derived are further reviewed for
both the prime and subcontract to determine if they were exempt from accuracy after each submission. These
reporting. For assistance awards, the guidance was applicable for all fields along with any error messages
NASA grants and cooperative agreements awarded on or after October received from DSVT are submitted for
- NASA is the only federal
agency that puts Assistance
data into FPDS-NG. We
believe that this should be the
model for the federal
government to use.
FAADSPLUS fields would
then be mapped to what FPDS
NG can accommodate so that
USASpending.gov could pull

- Also, in order for NASA to
take full advantage of federal-
wide systems' improvements,
costs will be required to
modernize and enhance
Agency systems.

DARRELL E. ISSA, CALIFORNIA
CHAIRMAN
DAN BURTON, INDIANA
JOHN l. MICA, FLORIDA
TODD RUSSELL PLATTS, PI:NNSYlVANIA
MICHAEL R, TURNt:FI, OHIO
PATRICK McHENRY, NORTH CAROLINA
JIM JOROAN, OHIO
JASON CHAFFETZ, UTAH
CONNIE MACK. FLORIDA
TIM WALBERG, MICHIGAN
JAMES LANKFORD, OKLAHOMA
JUSTlN AMASH, MICHIGAN
ANN MARIE BUERKLE, NEW YORK
PAUL A. GOSAI1, 0.0.5 .. ARIZONA
RAUL R, LABRAOOR, IDAHO
PATRICK MEEHAN. PENNSYLVANIA
scarT DEsJARLAIS, M.D., TENNESSEE
JOE WALSH. ILLINOIS
TREY GOWDY, SOUTH CAROLINA
DENNIS A. ROSS, FLORIDA
FRANK C. GUINTA. NEW HAMPSHIRE
BLAKE FARENTHOLD, TEXAS
MIKE KELLY, PENNSYLVANIA
LAWRENCE J. BRADY
STAfF DIRECTOR
ONE HUNDRED TWELFTH CONGRESS
(lCOltgrei% of tbe Wnittb
of ll\epre%entattbcii
COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND GOVERNMENT REFORM
2157 RAYBURN HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON, DC 20515-6143
MiwOAITV (202) 225-{)074
(202) 225-3974
MINQRITY (202) 225-5051
hUptllovsrsighl.house.gov
March 8,2011
Ms. Elizabeth Robinson
Chief Financial Officer
NASA Headquarters
300 E Street, SW Room 8L11
Washington, DC 20546
Dear Ms. Robinson:
ELIJAH E. CUMMINGS. MARYLAND
RANKING MINORITY MEMBER
EDDLPHUS TOWNS, NEW YORK
CAROLYN e, MALONEY, NEW YORK
ELEANOR HOLMES NORTON,
DISTRICT OF COLUM BIA
DENNIS J. KUCJNICH, OHIO
JOHN F, TIERNEY, MASSACHUSETTS
WM. LACY CLAY, MISSOURI
STEPHEN F. LYNCH, MASSACHUSETTS
JIM COOPER, TENNESSEE
GERALD E. CONNOLLY, VIRGINIA
MIKE QUIGLEY, ILLINOIS
DANNY K. DAVIS, ILLlNOlS
BRUCE l. BRALEY, IOWA
PETER WELCH, VERMONT
JOHN A. YARMLrrH. KENTUCKY
CHRISTOPHER S, MURPHY,
JACKIE SPEIER, CALIFORNIA
The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform is conducting oversight of'
federal agencies' financial management. We are writing to request information relating
to the electronic systems in use at your agency to support business and accounting
functions; grants and loans managelnent; contracts management; and reporting to
government-wide systems such as USASpending.gov and Recovery.gov.
The Committee on Oversight and Govermnent Reform ("Committee") is the
principal oversight committee in the House of Representatives and has broad oversight
jurisdiction as set forth in House Rule X. To enable the Committee to perform oversight
of the federal government's attempts to modernize its financial management systems,
please provide the following records, and explanations to the Committee
staff no later than the close of business on March 22, 2011:
1. Identify and briefly describe each of your agency's business and accounting
systems. If separate divisions, bureaus, or offices of your agency use separate systems,
identify which divisions, bureaus, or offices use each system.
2. Explain how the business and accounting systems identified in response to
Request No.1 interact with one another.
3. For each system identified in response to Request No.1, state whether
information found in that system is regularly or periodically submitted to any of the
government-wide accounting systems maintained by the DepartInent of the Treasury,
e.g., GFRS, FACTS I, FACTS II, IFCS, etc" and explain how and at what intervals those
submissions occur, including descriptions of both lTIanual and automated processes.
4. For each system identified in response to Request No. l ~ state whether
information foood in that .systeln is regularly or periodically submitted to the Office of
Management and Budget's ("OMB") MAX Information System, and explain how and at
what intervals those submissions occur, including descriptions of both automated and
manual processes.
5. For each system identified in response to Request No.1, describe recent,
current, and planned migration or modernization proj ects.
6. In addition to your agency's submissions to government-wide accounting
systelTIS maintained by the Department of the Treasury and OMB, as described in
response to Requests Nos. 3 and 4, does your agency publish any of the same information
online for public viewing? If so, describe how and in what format that information is
published.
7. Identify and briefly describe each system that your agency uses to manage
grants, direct loans, andlor loan guarantees. If separate divisions, bUreaus, or offices of
your agency use separate systems, identify which divisions, bureaus, or offices use each
system.
8. For each system identified in response to Request No.7, explain how it
interacts with any business or accounting system identified in response to Request No.1.
9. For each systelTI identified in response to Request No.7, state whether
information found in that system is regularly or periodically submitted to the Catalogue
of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA), and describe how and at what intervals those
submissions occur, including descriptions of both automated and manual processes.
10. For each system identified in response to Request No. '7, state whether
information found in that system is regularly or periodically submitted to any of the
government-wide grants management and reporting systems, e.g., FAADS, FAADS
PLUS, etc., and describe how and at what intervals those submissions occur, including
descriptions of both automated and manual processes.
11. For each system identified in response to Request No.7, describe recent,
current, and planned migration or modernization projects.
12. In addition to your agency's submissions to govermnent-wide grants
managelnent and reporting s y s t e m s ~ described in response to Requests Nos. 9 and 10,
does your agency publish any of the same information online for public viewing? If so,
describe how and in what fonnat that information is published.
13. Identify and briefly describe each system that your agency uses to Inanage
contracts. If separate divisions, bureaus> or offices of your agency use separate systems,
identify which divisions, bureaus, or offices use each system.
14. For each system identified in response to Request No. 13, explain how it
interacts with any business or accounting system identified in response to Request No.1.
15. For each system identified in response to Request No. 13, state whether
information found in that system is regularly or periodically submitted to any of the
government-wide contract management and reporting systems, e.g., FPDS, FPDS-NG,
FAPIIS} etc., and describe how and at what intervals those submissions occur, including
descriptions of both automated and manual processes.
16. For each system identified in response to Request No. 13, describe recent,
current, and planned migration or modernization proj ects.
17. In addition to your agency's submissions to government-wide contract
Inanagement and reporting systems, described in response to Request No. 15, does your
agency publish any of the same information online for public viewing? If so, describe
how and in what format that information is published.
18. Briefly describe your agency's efforts to comply with OMB's memorandUll1
on the Open Govenunent Directive - Federal Spending Transparency, dated April 6,
2010. In particulru" describe whether and how your agency has begun to collect and
repott sub-award data, as required by the memorandum; and describe how your agency's
reports on OMB's data quality metrics, as required by the n1emorandum, are generated,
19. If your agency interacts directly with USASpending.gov, in addition to
SUbmitting information to the systems that feed USASpending.gov, describe the natUle,
frequency, and purposes of that interaction.
20. Describe the data quality controls and procedures that your agency has
implemented for information that is subnlitted to USASpending.gov, including
information submitted directly and information submitted to one of the systems that feeds
DSASpending.gov.
21. State whether all of your agency's current grants, contracts, and loans are
accurately reflected on USASpending.gov, and, if not, estimate the percentage of current
grants, contracts, and loans that are not accurately reflected, using both the number of
transactions and dollar figures.
22. State whether your agency incurs any reporting burdens or costs as' a result of
its obligations under the Federal Financial Assistance Transparency Act ("FFAT A") that
it does not incur as a result of other reporting obligations, and estitnate those burdens and
costs in worker-hours and dollars.
23. Identify the individual(s) who serve(s) as Senior Accountable Official(s)
("SAO") over federal spending data quality for your a g e n c y ~ as defined by OMB.
Please note that for purposes of responding to this request, the terms "records,"
'4communications," and "referring or relating" should be interpreted consistently with the
attached Definitions ofTenns.
Thank you for your prompt attention to this matter. If you have any questions
regarding this request, please contact Tabetha Mueller or Hudson Hollister with the
Committee staff at (202) 225-5074.
~ I .
- ~ ~ ' - - - ' ~ ~ ~ ~ .
~ ~ ~
- arrell Issa
Chainnan
Committee on Oversight
and Government Reform
111
ubcommittee on Regulatory Affairs,
Stimulus Oversight and Government
Spending
Sincerely,
Todd R. Platts
Chainnan
Subcommittee on Government
Organization, Efficiency and
Financial Management
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Subcommittee on Tec1mology, Infonnation
Policy, Intergovernmental Relations
and Procurement Refonn
cc: Honorable Elijah Cummings, Ranking Member
Committee On Oversight And Government Reform
Attachment
Definition of Terms
1. The tenn "record" Ineans any written, recorded, or graphic Inatter of any nature
whatsoever, regardless of how recorded, and whether original or copy, including,
but not limited to, the following: Inelnoranda, reports, expense reports, books,
Inanuals, instructions, financial reports, working papers, records notes, letters,
notices, continnations, telegrams, receipts, appraisals, p81nphlets, l11agazines,
newspapers, prospectuses, interoffice and intra office electronic
mail (e-lnail), contracts, cables, notations of any type of conversation, telephone
call, Ineeting or other cOlll111unication, bulletins, printed matter, cOlllputer
printouts, teletypes, invoices) transcripts) diaries, analyses, retunls, sUlnlnaries,
Ininutes, accounts, estitnates, projections, comparisons, Inessages,
correspondence, press releases, circulars, financial statelnellts, reviews, opinions,
offers, studies and investigations, questionnaires and surveys, and work sheets
(and all drafts, preliminary versions, alterations, modifications, revisions,
changes, and all1endments of any of the foregoing, as well as any attacrul1ents or
appendices thereto), and graphic or oral records or representations of any kind
(including without limitation, photographs, charts, graphs, Inicrofiche, microfilm.,
videotape, recordings and motion pictures), and electronic, mechanical, and
electric records or representations of any kind (including, without 1ilnitation,
tapes, cassettes, disks, and recordings) and other written, printed, typed, or other
graphic or recorded matter of any kind or nature, however produced or
reproduced, and whether preserved in writing, film, tape, disk, videotape or
otherwise. A record bearing any notation not a part of the original text is to be
considered a separate record. A draft or non-identical copy is a separate record
within the meaning of this term.
2. The tenn "COlnmUllication" means each Inalmer or lneans of disclosure or
exchange of infonnation, regardless of Ineans utilized, whether oral, electronic, by
docU1nent or otherwise, and whether face-to-face, in a lneeting, by telephone,
mail, telexes, discussions, releases, personal delivery, or otherwise.
3. The terms "referring or relating,1I with respect to any given subject, Ineans
anything that constitutes, contains, embodies, reflects, identifies, states, refers to,
deals with or is in any lnanner whatsoever pertinent to that subject.