Governmentwide Spending Data Model (GSDM)

Formerly known as the DATA Act Information Model Schema (DAIMS)

Please note that submission dates are published on the Resources Page

For GSDM users, this annual release:

1. Rebrands DAIMS as the Governmentwide Spending Data Model (GSDM). The rebranding is being done to include legislation and policies that go beyond the DATA Act.
2. Adds new data element Program Activity Reporting Key (PARK), the outcome of the work of OMB and Treasury to streamline the process for agencies to submit Program Activities and improve data quality to align with the President’s Budget. This change will include new and edited validation rules and will impact agency submissions of Files B and C. This will also impact how agencies manage and submit program activity for OMB review and approval.
3. Updates File B and C, as well as Validation Rules, to allow for Prior Year Adjustments (PYAs) for USSGL balance rows to close the PYA gap in presenting resources and obligations over time on USAspending’s COVID-19 pages.
4. Adds support for Broker-Generated File A to be automatically added to agency submissions. The Broker-Generated file is based on agency submissions to GTAS and will increase data accuracy and reduce agency reporting burden. If an Agency prefers to use their own File A in lieu of the Broker-Generated version, they will have the opportunity to replace the Broker-Generated File A.
5. Provides guidance to agencies on how to report Congressional Districts that changed in January 2023 due to 2020 census data.

This release also includes documentation fixes and enhancements. To understand all the changes and specific line-item details, agencies should review the GSDM Release Notes and the change logs of each document.

On this page

• GSDM Technical Architecture
• GSDM Documents for Federal Agency Staff
• GSDM Documents for Data Analysts
• GSDM Documents for users of USAspending.gov
• History of GSDM/DAIMS Releases since 2016

GSDM Technical Architecture

The Governmentwide Spending Data Model (GSDM) is the authoritative source for the terms, definitions, formats, and structures for hundreds of distinct data elements that tell the story of how federal dollars are spent.

GSDM gives federal agencies guidance about what data to report to Treasury, where to get that data, and how to submit it.

To learn more:

• GSDM Overview - What GSDM is, its scope, value, and approach
• GSDM Architecture - The GSDM conceptual model including a visual showing how domains, components, elements, and metadata go together in GSDM.
• GSDM Information Flow - A technical flowchart showing how data comes into, flows through, and is reported out, including how often that happens and where the data come from.

GSDM Documents for Federal Agency Staff

Practices and Procedures

• How to submit, validate, and understand submitting to the Broker

Reporting Submission Specification (RSS)

• An Excel spreadsheet that lists data elements, provides metadata, and gives federal agency staff instructions on how to submit content in the appropriate file format.

Interface Definition Document (IDD)

• An Excel spreadsheet that lists data elements, supporting metadata and explains what financial assistance data elements are pulled from government-wide procurement, sub-award systems, and from the Data Broker (by way of FABS).

Validation Rules

• An Excel spreadsheet that documents the business rules the Data Broker uses for field and cross-file validations.

Examples of Submission Files - .csv files showing the format of agency submission files

• FABS: Financial Assistance data
• File A: Appropriation Account data
• File B: Object Class and Program Activity data
• File C: Award Financial data

GSDM Documents for Data Analysts

These PDF files show the data model relationships for RSS and IDD files.

• RSS File A Diagram
• RSS File B Diagram
• RSS File C Diagram
• RSS File FABS Diagram
• IDD File D1 Diagram
• IDD File D2 Diagram
• IDD File E Diagram
• IDD File F Diagram

GSDM Documents for users of USAspending.gov

Online Data Dictionary

• A link to the USAspending.gov online data dictionary with a full list of data elements with a definition for each element and some associated metadata.

Consumption-Focused Metadata (CFM)

• An Excel file with a list of data elements, definitions, and supporting metadata showing how submission and outlay data is compiled.

Consumption Focused File Diagram

• A PDF file diagram showing the data model for data sources of the USAspending.gov website.

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