USDA’s Digital Accountability and Transparency Act Compliance Efforts for Fiscal Years 2020 and 2021

USDA needs to develop and implement a process and work with all applicable component agencies to ensure all applicable DATA Act data elements are present in USDA agencies’ procurement, financial, grant, and loan systems.

USDA, and its component agencies, need to develop system documentation that identifies the source system and data fields used in DATA Act reporting from which data originates for all procurement, financial, grant, and loan systems.

USDA, and its component agencies, need to develop documentation for systems used for DATA Act Reporting across USDA, to ensure that all applicable DATA Act data elements are defined in accordance with DAIMS.

USDA, and its component agencies, should evaluate whether any of the individual USDA systems used for DATA Act reporting could be consolidated or interfaced to improve the accuracy, completeness, and timeliness of DATA Act reporting.

OCFO should update guidance to the component agencies for the SAO assurance statement to require the inclusion of any control deficiencies identified or any other issues that impact the completeness, accuracy, and timeliness of the DATA Act reportable data.