Thank you for contributing your feedback on this data element—your input and insight was helpful as we worked to finalize the standards. Please go here to see the data definitions for these elements in their final form.
| Data Element Name | Category | Legislation |
|---|---|---|
| Program Activity | Account Level Information | DATA Act |
The DATA Act requires reporting of obligations and outlays by program activity. This paper provides the definition of program activity. Definitions for obligations and outlays are provided in separate papers.
According to Section 82.5 of OMB Circular A-11, the “…Program Activity section [of the President’s Budget]…shows the new obligations incurred for each of the principle program activities or projects financed by the account.” The President’s Budget presents obligations for more than 4,500 program activities. In its guidance to agencies in selecting program activities, Section 82.5 states, “Use activities that provide a constructive basis for analyzing and evaluating the estimates. Keep the number of activities to a reasonable minimum without sacrificing clarity.” While many program activities are used year after year, program activities are not static, i.e., from one year to the next some drop off, some are merged, and new ones are added. Program activities do not necessarily match “programs” as defined in the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), the GPRA Modernization Act, or the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance. Also, program activity is not the same as program source, which the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) requires agencies to report for each award.
Program activity is defined in 31 USC 1115 (h) as “a specific activity or project as listed in the program and financing schedules of the annual budget of the United States Government.
| Recommended Data Element Name | Recommended Definition |
|---|---|
| Program Activity | A specific activity or project as listed in the program and financing schedules of the annual budget of the United States Government. |
OMB Circular A-11, Section 82, Combined Schedule X.
The U.S. Code can be found on many sites. One site maintained by the Government Printing Office is http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/USCODE-2013-title31/pdf/USCODE-2013-title31-subtitleII-chap11.pdf. See definitions in 1115 (h).