The Office of Federal Procurement Policy will establish a framework governing the management of acquisition data from various agencies as part of the mandates of a new Office of Management and Budget circular that seeks to facilitate better acquisition data-sharing and help eliminate the duplication of information, tools and effort.
According to a fact sheet released by the White House, OMB Circular A-137, Strategic Management of Acquisition Data and Information, aims to establish “the policy and technical foundation that will allow each agency’s data to be scaled and leveraged by all agencies to achieve better contracting outcomes.”
The fact sheet goes on to note that the circular treats acquisition data as “a strategic Government-wide asset to be used, as appropriate, in the lifecycle management of Federal contract.”
As part of its work to establish a centralized data management policy framework — dubbed High-Definition Framework — the OFPP, which has also been tasked to manage the circular, will formulate a governance process with the aim of ensuring the security and appropriate management and use of data sets and data products.
Through the circular, the OFPP will also work to establish a data environment that will provide agencies with centralized access to acquisition data; develop centralized data standards and definitions; promote data-sharing technologies; require agencies to share their data; and facilitate other actions that encourage collaboration and data management.
