3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The 2006 Transparency Act April 8, 2009 Gina Jowers, FSRB, FMD

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The Transparency Act Agenda What it is The Government-wide Approach USDA Approach FFATA to fill FAADS requirements A-123 to ensure integrity and quality of data

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The Transparency Act What it is What is the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA)? Requires: – disclosure of Federal awards – through a single website – accessible to the public for query (

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The Transparency Act What it is (continued) Exempt: – awards to other federal agencies – awards to individuals – awards less than $25,000 The Web site contains contracts, grants, and other federal program awards from FY 2007 forward

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The Transparency Act What it is (continued) The Act identifies sixteen data elements: – Name of the entity receiving the award – The amount of the award – The transaction type – The funding agency – The CFDA number – The funding source

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The Transparency Act What it is (continued) 16 data elements (continued) City, State, Congressional district, and country of the entity receiving the award City, State, Congressional district, and country of the primary place of performance under the award DUNS No.

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The Transparency Act Government-wide Approach OMB put in charge OMB reporting requirements not until 03/30/07 To achieve the objective of the Act, each agency must provide key data elements of awards within 30 days after the date of the award.

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The Transparency Act USDA Approach By Nov 20, 2007, transmit FY’07 and ’08 FFATA and FAADS data Monthly CFO certification Monthly plan that describes agency quality and assurance measures, in accordance with OMB Circular A-123 Write/call if you want a copy of the plan:

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The Transparency Act FFATA to fill FAADS requirements USDA recognized duplicate reporting requirements - FAADS and FFATA What is FAADS? Who enters the data now? For more information about FAADS go to: ad.pdf

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The Transparency Act FFATA to fill FAADS requirements Duplicate reporting requirements - FAADS and FFATA: 13 of the data fields were in common 17 additional data elements for FFATA (OMB had added additional required fields) 14 additional data elements for FAADS Therefore, one FFATA/FAADS transmission

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The Transparency Act FFATA to fill FAADS requirements Differences in timeliness and completeness: FFATA requires monthly reporting. FAAD requires quarterly reporting Awards to individuals are not reported under FFATA. They are in FAAD. Awards under $25K are not reported under FFATA. They are in FAAD.

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The Transparency Act A-123 to ensure integrity and quality of data The Plan identifies ways to assure: Data Completeness – screen print of ACMS attached to obligating document – Data fields are required to be filled in Data Accuracy – Compare a random sample back to the source document – System edits of address and other fields Data Timeliness – Compare date signed to date entered, provide feedback to preparer

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting The Transparency Act What Next? Grantees report subawards by 2009 New legislation introduced in 2008 – Strengthening FFATA – $ from non-Federal sources – How much is congressionally directed? – Audits every six months – Assessment of the quality of work performed

3rd Annual APHIS Agreements Meeting Questions?