Agencies Told to Scrub Procurement Data The Office of Federal Procurement Policy told agencies to verify the contract information they provide to the Federal Procurement Data System. FPDS is the official source of procurement data, but many critics have questioned its accuracy. The system relies on contract information submitted by each agency. “The government has struggled with getting contract data right for decades,” OFPP Administrator Paul Denett wrote in a memo to chief acquisition officers. “It is time to demonstrate that we can produce accurate data.” He told them to establish a system for routine verification and validation of data being sent to FPDS. The CAOs will be required to provide a certification of accuracy for their agency’s procurement data. “[W]hether we are measuring the level of competition, identifying the type of contract vehicle, or evaluating success against small business goals, having accurate and timely information is critical,” Denett wrote. The upgraded FPDS-New Generation system, which has been operating for two years, is designed to capture information from agencies electronically, eliminating the data-entry errors that had hampered the old system. But not all agencies are equipped for electronic transmission. Many independent assessments have found widespread inaccuracies in the data. Last year the Democratic staff of the House Small Business Committee found that 15% of the contract dollars credited to small businesses in FPDS actually went to large companies or nonprofits. By next year the government is required to create an online database of federal contract and grant spending. In signing the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act last fall, President Bush said the database would allow Americans “to Google their tax dollars.” Denett said a system for verify ing FPDS data is a step toward fulfilling the requirements of that law.