Federal contracting policy requires the use of a specific proprietary data standard to keep track of entities receiving federal funds. The exclusive use of the proprietary system is problematic because it limits how the federal government can use its own data. Should the federal government decide to not renews its license to use the system, much of its own data would be unusable and lost as a public resource. Fortunately, the General Services Administration, the Defense Department and NASA have recently proposed to amend federal contracting policy to eliminate the requirement to use this system, which would make data on government spending more transparent and usable by the government and the public alike, writes Joshua New in Nextgov.
